WASHINGTON, D.C. – Pat Kole is The Packer’s 2022 Potato Person for All Seasons.
Tom Karst, editor emeritus of The Packer, gave Kole the honor at the National Potato Commission’s annual meeting and banquet on Feb. 28, held at the Marriot at Metro Center.
Kole, vice president at the Idaho Potato Commission, was praised by industry peers for his decades-long career.
Seth Pemsler, vice president of retail and international for the Idaho Potato Commission, praised Kole in an email for his unyielding dedication to the growers in Idaho for more than 30 years.
“Everything he does is in support of or protection for the Idaho brand and all it does for the growers in our state,” Pemsler said. “It has been an honor to work side by side with him for the past 20 years knowing that he always has the industry’s back. “
Kole has been a fierce industry advocate, said Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council.
“He is one of the rare lobbyists who can call up a Senate office on 30 minutes notice and sit down with key staff and the senator, because they know he only asks if it is important to his growers,” Quarles said. “His knowledge of international trade agreements, past battles over market access and phytosanitary issues have made him invaluable, not just for our industry but for the entire specialty crop sector.
“Pat does his homework meticulously on every issue. If you are going against him, you’d better be prepared. He is the very definition of the old adage ‘all battles in D.C. are won in the library.’”
Kole thanked The Packer and industry leaders for the honor and said he has tried to seek the common good for potato growers.
“When I first came into this industry, there was a lot of division, of state against state or region against current region,” he said. “And I made it my goal to try to bring unity to public policy issues that matter to this industry and bring all of us to a point where we could all work together.”
Kole said the National Potato Council gives the industry common goals and the opportunity to advance together.
The 2021 Potato Person for All Seasons award winner was Milt Carter, chairman of CSS Farms, Watertown, S.D., presented in a virtual event in March last year.
