The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) will hold elections for its board of directors on July 6, 2004. This year, the elections are being held in crop reporting districts 2,3,4,6,7 and 9.
Growers interested in running for the promotion board can still add their names to the initial list of candidates. You must file a petition with ICPB by 4:30 p.m. on May 28. Petition forms are available from the ICPB office. Completed petitions must contain signatures of 25 corn producers from the candidate's crop district and must be notarized.
Once all grower petitions have been received, a final list of candidates will be announced, and all names will be listed on the election ballots.
As of late April, the ICPB director candidates are: District 2: Pam Johnson and Bill Olson; District 3: Tim Burrack and Todd Dittmer; District 4: Dan Brutsche and John Scott; District 6: Larry Beyer and Jim Serbousek; District 7: Darrel McAlexander and Sean Smith; District 9: Dick Gallagher and Merle Unkrich.
Board decides how to spend checkoff dollars
The Iowa Corn Promotion Board was created to oversee the investment of funds generated by the Iowa corn checkoff. The board's primary activities are in the area of domestic and foreign market development, research into new uses for corn, and education about corn and corn growing. This year, the ICPB will oversee the investment of more than $6 million in checkoff funds.
Iowa growers elect 17 of their peers to serve three-year terms on the board. One-third of the seats on the board are up for election each year.
ICPB has scheduled this year's director elections for July 6, 2004, at Iowa State University county Extension offices in the six crop reporting districts mentioned at the beginning of this article. Eligible corn farmers can cast a ballot at these ISU county offices on July 6. Any grower who produced and marketed 250 bushels of corn or more in the previous marketing year is eligible to vote. Absentee ballots will also be available for growers from May 31 to June 21.