Four new members have been appointed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the United Sorghum Checkoff Program board of directors. Boyd Funk, from Garden City, Kansas; Craig Poore, of Alton, Kansas; David Fremark, from St. Lawrence, South Dakota; and Jim Massey IV from Robstown, Texas will all serve three year terms.

“We are looking forward to the diverse perspectives of oncoming leadership,” said Florentino Lopez, Sorghum Checkoff executive director. “Our priority is to achieve our main objective, producer profitability, and these new farmer leaders will be an asset to the board and to the industry.”

The board is structured so that the state with the largest production is allocated five positions. The state with the second largest production is allocated three positions. The state with the third largest production is allocated one position. There are four at-large national positions for which at least two representatives must be appointed from states other than the top three sorghum producing states. The maximum number of producers from one state is limited to six.

The 13-member board is authorized by the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996. The Secretary selected the appointees from sorghum producers nominated by certified sorghum producer organizations.

New member will be sworn in at the next board meeting and outgoing members will retire at that time.  Those members are:
Bill Greving, Prairie View, Kansas; Bill Kubecka, Palacios, Texas; and Greg Shelor, Minneola, Kansas.

“These outgoing board members are the last of the initial Sorghum Checkoff board directors that helped set the stage for the development of the checkoff and the founding strategy,” said Tim Lust, Sorghum Checkoff CEO. “Their dedication and hard work through the years have resulted in much success. We are greatly appreciative of them and their efforts that have helped push the industry forward.”