RJ Andrus elected National Potato Council president

The National Potato Council appointed its 2023 executive committee during its annual Washington Summit Feb. 27 to March 3, and members elected RJ Andrus of Idaho Falls, Idaho, to serve as the council's president for the next year.

Related news: Photos: National Potato Council's 2023 Washington Summit

Andrus is a third-generation farmer and an owner of TBR Farms in Hamer, Idaho. He has served on the council's executive committee since 2019 in roles that include vice president of grower outreach and industry research, according to a news release. 

Most recently, Andrus served as vice president of legislative affairs for the council. A 2006 graduate of the Potato Industry Leadership Institute, Andrus is vice chairman of the Potato LEAF Board.

The National Potato Council executive committee for 2023 includes:

• President — RJ Andrus, Idaho Falls, Idaho.

• First vice president and vice president for environmental affairs — Bob Mattive, Monte Vista, Colo.

• Vice president for legislative affairs — Dean Gibson, Paul, Idaho.

• Vice president for grower outreach and industry research — TJ Hall, Hoople, N.D.

• Vice president for finance — Ben Sklarczyk, Johannesburg, Mich.

• Vice president for trade affairs — Ted Tschirky, Pasco, Wash.

• Immediate past president — Jared Balcom, Pasco, Wash.

National Potato Council structure and mission

As a grower-led organization, NPC is managed by an executive committee and board of directors, which oversee its operations and provides guidance on its policy activities, according to the release. Board members are appointed by the executive committee from recommendations from state potato grower organizations. Committee members hold office for one calendar year.

NPC is the voice of U.S. potato growers and industry members in the nation’s capital, seeking to protect potato growers’ interests in Washington, D.C., by addressing issues that affect the potato industry, from policy issues debated in Congress to regulatory issues proposed by federal agencies, according to the release.

Related news: New report shows potatoes are a ‘driving force of America’s prosperity’

The NPC’s 2023 Washington Summit is a forum for potato industry members to discuss, define and advocate for the policy priorities impacting their businesses and protecting their ability to farm. Growers and industry stakeholders took the results from NPC's recently released report, “Spud Nation: Measuring the Economic Significance of the U.S. Potato Industry," to members of Congress and the Biden-Harris administration to advocate for issues such as keeping potatoes in federal nutrition programs, promoting free and fair trade agreements, and protecting tax policies that support the long-term health of family-owned farming operations, according to the release.