Jared Balcom

Grower delegates have selected Jared Balcom of Pasco, Wash., to serve as the National Potato Council’s president and head of the organization’s executive committee.

He and other committee leaders were approved during the council’s annual summit Feb. 28-March 3 in Washington, D.C.

They include:

• RJ Andrus, Idaho Falls, Idaho, first vice president and legislative affairs vice president.

• Bob Mattive, Monte Vista, Colo., vice president, environmental affairs.

• Ted Tschirky, Pasco, Wash., vice president, trade affairs.

• Ben Sklarczyk, Johannesburg, Mich., vice president, finance.

• Dean Gibson, Paul, Idaho, vice president, grower outreach and industry research.

Dominic LaJoie of Van Buren, Maine., remains on the committee as immediate past president.

Balcom owns the fourth-generation potato growing and fresh-packing company Balcom & Moe Inc. He previously served as the council’s first vice president and vice president of the trade affairs committee.

He will host the council’s summer meeting June 16-17 in Nashville.

“As I take on the position of NPC president, I’m hopeful we can continue to use the momentum we’ve built to leave NPC in a stronger position than when any of us arrived here,” Balcom said in a release. “Whether it’s in the areas of trade, nutritional regulations, environmental policies or labor rules, we’ve seen firsthand what we can do as an industry when we stand together.

“As the country and the world reopen, we are hoping to get back to the new normal by advocating for a proactive policy agenda that is fighting for a brighter tomorrow,” he said.