The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the appointment of four members and four alternates to serve on the National Peanut Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms, effective immediately, through Dec. 31, 2025. The member and alternate positions for the at-large positions are existing vacancies and the appointed members will complete the remainder of the positions’ two-year terms that end on December 31, 2024.
Members and alternates appointed are:
- Arkansas: Gregory L. Baltz (Member) and Allen Donner (Alternate)
- Missouri: Clay Deane (Member) and Russ Hoggard (Alternate)
- Oklahoma: Mark DeLeon (Member) and Leslie D. Crall (Alternate)
- At-Large: Lucy Shackelford (Member) Clifford Neece (Alternate)
The board is comprised of 12 producer members and their alternates. Eleven members and alternates are from the primary peanut producing states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. An at-large member and alternate represent the minor peanut producing states.
More information about the National Peanut Board, including a roster of members, is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Peanut Board webpage and on the board’s website at www.nationalpeanutboard.org.
Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 22 boards, and is paid for by industry assessments.
AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.
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