Mar 10, 2021

Watermelon board announces first female board president

National Watermelon Promotion Board held its biannual board meeting virtually on March 6 during which board member Jordan Carter was elected president by her peers becoming the first woman to serve in this position.

Prior to this nomination, Carter (District 3, Cordele, Georgia) served as secretary/treasurer as well as interim president since January 2021.

“I am overjoyed and beyond honored to serve as president and want to make my time in service meaningful,” Carter said in a news release. “I am so grateful to be a part of an amazing board of directors who work hard every day to promote watermelon and all of its goodness. I am looking forward to supporting initiatives that inspire each other and to developing relationships for continued growth. Together, we can bring fresh insights and energy to carry out our shared goals of increasing demand for watermelon.”

In addition to Carter’s nomination, Christian Murillo (District, 6 Nogales, Arizona) was elected vice president and Kelly Partch (District 5, Brawley, California) elected secretary/treasurer.

For more information or a full list of the board of directors and committee assignments, visit the industry section of watermelon.org.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB), based in Winter Springs, Florida, was established in 1989 as an agricultural promotion group to promote watermelon in the United States and in various markets abroad. Funded through a self-mandated industry assessment paid by more than 800 watermelon producers, handlers and importers, NWPB mission is to increase consumer demand for watermelon through promotion, research and education programs.

Watermelon packs a nutritious punch, with each serving providing an excellent source of Vitamin C (25% DV), a source of Vitamin B6 (8% DV), and a delicious way to stay hydrated (92% water), with only 80 calories per 2-cup serving. Watermelon consumption per capita in the United States was an estimated 16 pounds in 2020. Watermelon consumption in the United States was approximately 5.3 billion pounds in 2020. The United States exported an additional 359 million pounds of watermelon.