{"id":5455,"date":"2023-03-03T09:11:03","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T14:11:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nationalpotatocouncil.org\/?p=5455"},"modified":"2023-03-08T09:13:41","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T14:13:41","slug":"a-week-of-advocacy-at-npcs-2023-washington-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalpotatocouncil.org\/a-week-of-advocacy-at-npcs-2023-washington-summit\/","title":{"rendered":"A Week of Advocacy at NPC\u2019s 2023 Washington Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
This week, U.S. potato growers and allied partners from across the country united as an industry to fulfill NPC\u2019s mission of \u201cStanding Up for Potatoes on Capitol Hill.\u201d The 2023 Washington Summit, Feb. 27-March 3, provided a forum for potato industry members to discuss, define, and advocate for the policy priorities impacting their businesses and protecting their ability to farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The first day kicked off with NPC\u2019s first-ever virtual media roundtable during which CEO Kam Quarles, Immediate Past President Jared Balcom, and Incoming President RJ Andrus shared the news of the Council\u2019s groundbreaking report \u201cMeasuring the Economic Impact of the U.S. Potato Industry.<\/a>\u201d A dozen industry news editors and reporters were provided with highlights of the comprehensive analysis of the potato industry\u2019s $100.9 billion economic contribution to the U.S. economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That evening at the meeting of Voting Delegates, 2022 President Jared Balcom passed the gavel to incoming President RJ Andrus. Balcom also presented the annual President\u2019s Awards to: Washington state grower and former NPC President Ed Schneider; Chris Voigt and Matt Harris of the Washington State Potato Commission; and Balcom\u2019s wife Kellee Balcom. Matt Lantz, Vice President for Global Access for Bryant Christie Inc., received the Golden Potato Award for his decades long effort to open foreign markets for U.S. potatoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Packer<\/em>\u2019s Amy Sowder presented Maine potato grower and former NPC President Dominic LaJoie with its 2023 Potato Person of the Year Award<\/a>, which honors a potato industry member who has shown extraordinary leadership and commitment to the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n