WASHINGTON, DC - The National Potato Council (NPC) installed its 2025 roster of Executive Committee leaders this week at the organization’s annual Washington Summit. During the Annual Meeting of the Voting Delegates, Ted Tschirky of Pasco, Wash., was elected to serve as the Council’s President for the next 12 months.

Previously serving as NPC’s First Vice President and Vice President of Trade Affairs, Tschirky has been actively involved in state and national potato associations for more than 20 years. A third-generation farmer in Washington’s Columbia River basin, Tschirky served on the Washington State Potato Commission (WSPC) prior to joining NPC in a leadership role.

During his involvement with WSPC, he traveled to D.C. often to advocate on behalf of the state’s potato industry and saw the impact NPC was having not only on a national level but with international trade as well. He also learned how important establishing solid relationships with state and federal representatives was for the overall wealth and health of the industry. “As this year’s council president, I want to encourage our executive committee and board members to get involved with their state representatives as much as possible,” Tschirky said in a recent press release, “which, in turn, helps build stronger relationships on the federal level. When it comes to policies affecting agriculture, it should be our goal for elected officials to come to us and ask how these rules and regulations would affect our business. It takes time to get to this point, so let’s make it a commitment to get there at all levels.”

At age 18, Tschirky’s first “official” farming project was with Future Farmers of America growing potatoes for Lamb Weston. For nearly 45 years, he’s carried on his family’s legacy which started with his great-grandparents migrating from Switzerland and originally settling in Oregon. His father began the Washington Tschirky Farms in the 1950s. The business now grows mostly potatoes for processing and includes a storage facility.

Today, his wife Merideth “Meri” and his sons Tyler and Dylan joined him in overseeing the business. In 2025, Ted and Meri are celebrating 42 years of marriage.

The full NPC Executive Committee roster includes:

• Ted Tschirky (Pasco, Wash.) – President Ben Sklarczyk (Johannesburg, Mich.) – First Vice President and Vice President of Grower Outreach and Industry Research
• Chris Olsen (Othello, Wash.) – Vice President of Environmental Affairs
• TJ Hall (Hoople, N.D.)– Vice President of Finance
• Dean Gibson (Paul, Idaho) – Vice President of Legislative Affairs
• Brett Jensen (Idaho Falls, Idaho) – Vice President of Trade Affairs
• Bob Mattive (Monte Vista, Colo.) – Immediate Past President
• Kam Quarles (NPC CEO) – Non-voting Member

As a grower-led organization, NPC is managed by an Executive Committee and Board of Directors, which oversee its operations and provides guidance on its policy activities. Board members are appointed by the Executive Committee from recommendations submitted by state potato grower organizations and hold office for one calendar year.

NPC is the voice of U.S. potato growers and industry members in our nation’s capital. NPC protects potato growers’ interests in Washington, D.C. by addressing issues that affect the potato industry, from policy issues debated in Congress to regulatory issues proposed by federal agencies. The complete list of Executive Committee and Board of Directors may be found here.

The NPC 2025 Washington Summit is a forum for potato industry members to discuss, define, and advocate for the policy priorities impacting their businesses and protecting their ability to farm. From Feb. 24-28, growers and industry stakeholders met with Members of Congress and the administration to advocate for issues such as keeping potatoes in federal nutrition programs, promoting free and fair-trade agreements, and investing in research to support the long-term health of the U.S. potato industry.