Nine members and 10 alternate members have been appointed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). Eighteen appointees will serve a three-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027, and one alternate appointee will serve a one-year term ending Dec. 31, 2025.

The council comprises 21 members, including 12 growers (four regional representatives and eight representatives from the top eight highbush blueberry-producing states), four importers, four exporters, and one public member. In addition to each council member, an alternate member is also appointed. Council members and their alternates are appointed to three-year terms and can be reappointed for one additional three-year term.

“The blueberry industry is at a crossroads,” shared USHBC president Kasey Cronquist. “Our newly appointed council members are joining at a critical time to help ensure that our united efforts continue.”

The newly appointed USHBC members are:
• Western Region Member: Nathan Sakuma, Washington
• Midwest Region Member: Katelyn Craig, Michigan
• Northeast Region Member: Brandon J. Raso, New Jersey
• Southern Region Member: Jody A. McPherson, North Carolina
• Public Member: William O. Cline, North Carolina
• Importer Member: Gonzalo de Elizalde, California
• Exporter Member: Juan Pablo Vogt, Chile
• Exporter Member: Daniel J. Bustamante, Peru
• Exporter Member: Miguel Méndez, Mexico

Newly appointed alternates are: Anne Krahmer-Steinkamp, Kara Lynn-Hartmann Laraway, Alec Arena, Dan J. Register, Patricio R. Munoz, Bonnie Lundblad, Ruy Barbosa, José Antonio Castro, and Raul Gonzalez Chavez
 
Since 1966, Congress has authorized industry-funded research and promotion boards like USHBC to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) provides oversight to 22 boards. The oversight ensures fiscal accountability, program integrity, and it’s paid for by industry assessments.