The National Potato Council welcomed its 2026 roster of executive committee leaders at the organization’s annual NPC Washington Summit on Feb. 23. The same day, Ben Sklarczyk of Johannesburg, Mich., was elected during NPC’s annual meeting of voting delegates to serve as the council’s president for the next 12 months.
Sklarczyk is a third-generation grower and owner of Sklarczyk Seed Farm, a hydroponic seed potato operation based in his hometown of Johannesburg. Sklarczyk assumed full ownership of the family business 10 years ago, when he and his wife, Alison, purchased it from his father, Don Sklarczyk, who served as president of NPC in 2007.
Sklarczyk’s path to the family business was not immediate, NPC says. Though he grew up working on the farm’s row crop side, he initially pursued a degree in mechanical engineering at Western Michigan University. But a realization during his first semester led him to transfer to Michigan State University, where he graduated December 2003 with a degree focused on agriculture.
A longtime advocate for the industry, Sklarczyk has been involved with NPC since the early 2000s and joined the NPC board of directors in 2010. Before being elected president for 2026, he served nearly a decade on the executive committee, holding various leadership roles, including first vice president, vice president of grower outreach and industry research, vice president of environmental affairs and vice president of finance.
“Our 2026 agenda will focus on capitalizing on new federal dietary guidelines to promote potatoes as a staple of good health, ensuring fair trade practices for U.S. potatoes globally, and removing nontariff trade barriers,” Sklarczyk says. “I also want to emphasize the importance of grower engagement with state and federal representatives to ensure the industry’s voice is heard in policymaking.”
Sklarczyk and his wife, who serves on the Potatoes USA board of directors, reside in Michigan with their two children, Morgan and Dane.
The full NPC executive committee roster includes:
- President — Ben Sklarczyk (Johannesburg, Mich.)
- First vice president and vice president of legislative affairs — Dean Gibson (Paul, Idaho)
- Vice president of environmental affairs — Chris Olsen (Othello, Wash.)
- Vice president of finance — Greg Harris (Boardman, Ore.)
- Vice president of grower outreach and industry research — TJ Hall (Hoople, N.D.)
- Vice president of trade affairs — Brett Jensen (Idaho Falls, Idaho)
- Immediate past president — Ted Tschirky (Pasco, Wash.)
As a grower-led organization, NPC is managed by an executive committee and board of directors, which oversees its operations and provides guidance on its policy activities. Board members are appointed by the delegates at the annual meeting from recommendations submitted by state potato grower organizations and hold office for one calendar year.
NPC says it protects 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.
The 2026 NPC 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. From Feb. 23-26, growers and industry stakeholders met with members of Congress and the administration to advocate for issues such as keeping potatoes in federal nutrition programs, promoting free and fair trade agreements, and investing in research to support the long-term health of the U.S. potato industry.
