Aug 6, 2008

Severn Named Interim President of the Washington Apple Commission

The Washington Apple Commission has named Ken Severn as its interim president to replace Dave Carlson.

Citing the need to go in “a different direction,” on July 24 the board voted 8 to 1 to place Carlson, who has been president since the reorganization of the commission in 2003, on indefinite leave.

In 2000, Severn was hired as the interim president for the Washington Apple Commission between the presidencies of Steve Lutz and Welcome Sauer. Since then, Severn has been a consultant for various industry organizations.

Severn received a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington in 1963 and worked in the marketing department for the Apple Commission from 1964 to June of 1966. In 1966, he joined the Washington State Fruit Commission as the marketing manager and became president in 1969. He retired from the Fruit Commission in 2000.