Dairy producer organizations and other interested parties are asked to nominate candidates to serve on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board by Sept. 28, 2016.

The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint 12 dairy producers to serve three-year terms beginning Nov. 1, 2016, and ending Oct. 31, 2019.  The appointees will replace producer board members whose terms expire Oct. 31, 2016.

USDA will accept dairy producer nominations from the following regions:

USDA seeking nominations for people to serve on National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. (Photo: stefbennett/Thinkstock)

-Region 2 (California and Hawaii);
-Region 3 (Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming);
-Region 4 (Arkansas, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas);
-Region 6 (Wisconsin);
-Region 9 (Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia);

-Region 10 (Alabama, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia);

-Region 11 (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania);

-Region 12 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont). 

The Secretary will appoint five members for Region 2, and one member for each of the remaining regions.

USDA established the 37-member board under the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983.  Research and promotion programs are industry-funded, were authorized by Congress, and date back to 1966. Since then, Congress has authorized the establishment of 22 research and promotion boards. They empower industry stakeholders to leverage their own resources to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets, and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight, paid for by industry assessments, which ensures fiscal responsibility, program efficiency, and fair treatment of participating stakeholders.

For nominating forms and information, visit http://www.ams.usda.gov/dairy or contact Jill Hoover, Deputy Director, Promotion, Research, and Planning Division, Dairy Program, AMS, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave, SW, Room 2958-S, Stop 0233, Washington, D.C. 20250-0233; telephone (202) 720-1069; fax (202) 720-0285; or email at mailto:[email protected].

Source: USDA AMS