Moffitt elected secretary/treasurer of USAEDC
Moffitt elected secretary/treasurer of USAEDC
Pear Bureau Northwest President and CEO Kevin Moffitt has added another title to his industry resume, having been elected secretary/treasurer of the U.S. Agricultural Export Development Council.
The election, which gave Mr. Moffitt a two-year term, took place during the council's board of directors meeting in July. After serving his term, Mr. Moffitt will considered for the position of vice chairman and then chairman.
Noting that his new position dovetails with his duties at the pear bureau, where he manages a single federal marketing order for all Northwest pears, Mr. Moffitt said that his work with the export development council "provides access to decision-makers at the Foreign Agricultural Service as well as key players in the USDA all the way up to the secretary of agriculture."
Mr. Moffitt went on to say, The USAEDC has an important role in communicating with the USDA and Congress about key market-development programs, such as Market Access Program, and how vital they are to agriculture in general, which certainly includes the Northwest pear, apple and cherry growers.
His responsibilities are wide-ranging, he said, and include reporting on the accounting of the association at each of the biannual meetings.
We discuss challenges to MAP funding and regulatory changes having to do with it as well as issues on Capitol Hill, Mr. Moffitt said of the meetings. If I get to the chairmans position, I will actually run the meetings twice a year. At this position and at the chairmans position, I can bring to the table issues pertaining to MAP.
The meetings bring together members of between 60 and 80 associations that work with MAP, Mr. Moffitt explained. Its a big group, and the meetings consist of two days of panel discussions where we bring relevant issues to the members, he said. Speakers at the meetings are high-level USDA officials, even the secretary of agriculture when possible.
He added, Its a very good interchange between the private sector and the U.S. government.
Mr. Moffitt also said that the role USAEDC plays in facilitating communications between members, most of whom are MAP participants, and the FAS is crucial.
Because the FAS works with so many commodity groups through MAP, strengthening clear lines of communication through the USAEDC is important to us, he said.
Kent Sisson, director of the Horticultural & Tropical Products Division of the Commodity & Marketing Programs area of FAS, said of Mr. Moffitts election, We have a history of more than 50 years of strong industry-government partnership in which we share the common goal of expanding U.S. exports. Like any other partnership, clear and open communications are the key to success, and Kevins candor and frankness have always been refreshing and valued by FAS. Im sure he will be an excellent leader and representative for the USAEDC.
Indeed, his first position with the pear bureau was director of international marketing, which he held from 1989 until he was promoted to president and CEO of the organization in 2001. In addition to heading the bureau, Mr. Moffitt also managed the Winter Pear Control Committee and the Northwest Bartlett Marketing Committee, both of which were separate marketing orders.
Earlier this year, Pear Bureau Northwest became a single marketing order for all varieties of pears grown in Washington and Oregon, and as such it spreads its promotions out to cover all the bases, always looking for new markets, Mr. Moffitt said in July.
The single marketing order brought under the PBNW umbrella former state orders that existed for Washington and Oregon Bartletts and a Winter Variety Pear marketing order that was established in 1938.
Process pears are also now under our marketing order, Mr. Moffitt said.
The order, which represents some 1,600 growers, consists of two committees: fresh and process. Mr. Moffitt manages the fresh committee, and B.J. Thurlby, who is also president of the Washington State Fruit Commission, manages the process committee.
The committees oversee assessments, with growers paying 49 cents per 44-pound standard box equivalent. A portion of that assessment is used for research, including preharvest and storage studies carried out by Washington State University, Oregon State University and the University of California-Davis.
Pear Bureau Northwest is hired by the marketing order to do consumer and marketing research, Mr. Moffitt said.
The election, which gave Mr. Moffitt a two-year term, took place during the council's board of directors meeting in July. After serving his term, Mr. Moffitt will considered for the position of vice chairman and then chairman.
Noting that his new position dovetails with his duties at the pear bureau, where he manages a single federal marketing order for all Northwest pears, Mr. Moffitt said that his work with the export development council "provides access to decision-makers at the Foreign Agricultural Service as well as key players in the USDA all the way up to the secretary of agriculture."
Mr. Moffitt went on to say, The USAEDC has an important role in communicating with the USDA and Congress about key market-development programs, such as Market Access Program, and how vital they are to agriculture in general, which certainly includes the Northwest pear, apple and cherry growers.
His responsibilities are wide-ranging, he said, and include reporting on the accounting of the association at each of the biannual meetings.
We discuss challenges to MAP funding and regulatory changes having to do with it as well as issues on Capitol Hill, Mr. Moffitt said of the meetings. If I get to the chairmans position, I will actually run the meetings twice a year. At this position and at the chairmans position, I can bring to the table issues pertaining to MAP.
The meetings bring together members of between 60 and 80 associations that work with MAP, Mr. Moffitt explained. Its a big group, and the meetings consist of two days of panel discussions where we bring relevant issues to the members, he said. Speakers at the meetings are high-level USDA officials, even the secretary of agriculture when possible.
He added, Its a very good interchange between the private sector and the U.S. government.
Mr. Moffitt also said that the role USAEDC plays in facilitating communications between members, most of whom are MAP participants, and the FAS is crucial.
Because the FAS works with so many commodity groups through MAP, strengthening clear lines of communication through the USAEDC is important to us, he said.
Kent Sisson, director of the Horticultural & Tropical Products Division of the Commodity & Marketing Programs area of FAS, said of Mr. Moffitts election, We have a history of more than 50 years of strong industry-government partnership in which we share the common goal of expanding U.S. exports. Like any other partnership, clear and open communications are the key to success, and Kevins candor and frankness have always been refreshing and valued by FAS. Im sure he will be an excellent leader and representative for the USAEDC.
Indeed, his first position with the pear bureau was director of international marketing, which he held from 1989 until he was promoted to president and CEO of the organization in 2001. In addition to heading the bureau, Mr. Moffitt also managed the Winter Pear Control Committee and the Northwest Bartlett Marketing Committee, both of which were separate marketing orders.
Earlier this year, Pear Bureau Northwest became a single marketing order for all varieties of pears grown in Washington and Oregon, and as such it spreads its promotions out to cover all the bases, always looking for new markets, Mr. Moffitt said in July.
The single marketing order brought under the PBNW umbrella former state orders that existed for Washington and Oregon Bartletts and a Winter Variety Pear marketing order that was established in 1938.
Process pears are also now under our marketing order, Mr. Moffitt said.
The order, which represents some 1,600 growers, consists of two committees: fresh and process. Mr. Moffitt manages the fresh committee, and B.J. Thurlby, who is also president of the Washington State Fruit Commission, manages the process committee.
The committees oversee assessments, with growers paying 49 cents per 44-pound standard box equivalent. A portion of that assessment is used for research, including preharvest and storage studies carried out by Washington State University, Oregon State University and the University of California-Davis.
Pear Bureau Northwest is hired by the marketing order to do consumer and marketing research, Mr. Moffitt said.
