Watermelon board members appointed

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack appointed 13 members to serve on the National Watermelon Promotion Board on Jan. 14. Appointments began immediately.

Newly appointed board members, serving three-year terms of office, include producers Autumn Freeman of Bruceville, Ind.; Sarah Frey-Talley of Keenes, Ill.; Arthur Saikhon Jr. of El Centro, Calif.; Kevin A. Antongiovanni of Bakersfield, Calif.; Chuck Botsford of Lake Oswego, Ore.; and John Morrow of Deming, N.M.

Handlers Ed McClellan of Ann Arbor, Mich.; Joseph Paul Gomes of Manteca, Calif.; Joshua Knox of El Dorado Hills, Calif.; and David Mayhue of Springdale, Ark., have also been appointed to the board and will serve three-year terms of office. Handler Brad W. Jones, of Clermont, Fla., will complete a two-year term.

Reappointed members include handlers Thomas J. Runyan from Las Cruces, N.M., and Bradley L. Toney of Oaktown, Ind., who will each serve a three-year term of office.