Congratulations to Kenneth E. Meyers and Giovanna Vita, the two newly appointed members to the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. Meyers and Vita will represent the dairy importers on the board, and Meyers will serve a three-year term ending Oct. 31, 2014, while Vitawill serve a two-year term ending Oct. 31, 2013.
“Importer representation on the board will enhance participation in the development of promotion, research, and nutrition education programs to expand the demand for dairy products and dairy ingredients,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
The board was established under the Dairy Production Stabilization Act of 1983, as amended, to develop and administer a coordinated program of promotion, research, and nutrition education. The 38-member board is authorized to design programs to strengthen the dairy industry’s position in domestic and foreign markets. The program is financed by a mandatory 15-cent per hundredweight assessment on all milk marketed commercially and a 7.5-cent per hundredweight assessment, or equivalent thereof, on milk and dairy products imported into the United States.
The Secretary selected the appointees from nominations submitted by individual importers of dairy products or by organizations representing dairy importers.