Fresh Pear Committee elections: Wenatchee District

Elections for a Wenatchee District Handler member and two alternates to the Fresh Pear Committee of Marketing Order #927 are scheduled to be held at noon on December 3, 2024. The election will be an in-person event and will be hosted and moderated by Brian Focht and held during the Washington Pear Growers Marketing Association Meeting at the Washington Apple Commission Building, located at 2900 Euclid Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801

Only Fresh Pear Handlers from the Wenatchee District (which includes the counties of King, Chelan, Okanogan, Douglas, Grant, Lincoln and Spokane in the state of Washington, and all other counties in Washington lying north thereof) are eligible to nominate and vote in this election. The positions to be filled include: Member position currently held by Sal Ponce, the 1st alternate position held by Chad Smith and the 2nd alternate position held by Randy Talley.

These three handlers are eligible for re-election if nominated since they have only served one out of three possible consecutive terms. Names of those elected will be submitted to the United States Secretary of Agriculture for official appointment to the committee and will serve for a two-year term beginning July 1, 2025.

Among other duties, the Fresh Pear Committee is responsible for setting the assessment rates for research and promotion and advertising of all pears grown in Washington and Oregon marketed in the domestic and export markets.

The committee encourages women, minorities and the physically challenged, who qualify as pear growers/handlers, to attend and participate in the nomination proceedings.