Fresh Pear Committee elections: Yakima District

Elections for a Yakima District Handler member and two alternates to the Fresh Pear Committee of Marketing Order #927 are scheduled to be held at 1:15 p.m. on December 9th, 2024. This is an in-person election to be held at the Washington State Tree Fruit Association Annual Meeting at the Yakima Convention Center. This election will be hosted and moderated by Jon DeVaney.

Only Fresh Pear Handlers from the Yakima District (which includes all of the state of Washington, not included in the Wenatchee District or in the Mid-Columbia District) are eligible to nominate and vote in this election. The positions to be filled include: Member position held by Jeff Baldwin, the 1st Alternate position held by Cindy Alarcon and the 2nd Alternate position held by Willie Sosa.

These three positions are not eligible for re-election since they have served three 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.