Dec 27, 2016

New members appointed to US Highbush Blueberry Council

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has appointed 13 members and their alternates to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council to serve three-year terms of office beginning Jan. 1, 2017.

Newly appointed producer members are:

• Bill Steed, of Pauma Valley, California
• Brittany H. Lee, of Gainesville, Florida
• Adair Chambers Peterson, of Homerville, Georgia
• George Fritz Jr., of Bloomingdale, Michigan
• Tim Wetherbee, of Hammonton, New Jersey
• Chris Barnhill, of Ivanhoe, North Carolina
• Steven M. Erickson, of Salem, Oregon
• Rob Dhaliwal, of Lynden, Washington

Newly appointed alternate producer members are

• Young Kwun, of Porterville, California
• Janet B. Swilley, of Plant City, Florida
• John V. Bennett, of Alma, Georgia
• Robert Carini, of West Olive, Michigan
• Dennis G. Doyle, of New Lisbon, New Jersey
• H. Neil Moore, of Ivanhoe, North Carolina
• Douglas A. Krahmer, of St. Paul, Oregon
• Bryan Sakuma, of Bow, Washington

Newly appointed importer members are Brian Bocock, of South Haven, Michigan; Janice Lynn Honigberg, of Chicago, Illinois; and Bo Slack, of Wenatchee, Washington. Newly appointed alternate importer members are Brian Caster, of Salinas, California; Andrew Maiman, of Weston, Florida; and Thomas H. Bodtke, of South Haven, Michigan.

Raymon Biln, of British Columbia, Canada, is the newly appointed exporter member and Parm S. Bains, of British Columbia, Canada, is the newly appointed alternate exporter member.

Guy P. Cotton, of Stockton, California, is the newly appointed handler member and Risa Bakker, of Hanford, California, is the newly appointed alternate handler member.

Council members and alternates selected by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture administer the program. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service provides oversight of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council in accordance with the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996 and the Blueberry Promotion, Research and Information Order.