REDWOOD CITY, CA - We recently received word that the Mushroom® Council has finalized its appointment of new officers for 2021. At the Council’s virtual meeting on February 18, Sonya Beltran was appointed as Chairperson; Curtis Jurgensmeyer was appointed as Vice Chairperson; Emily Bettencourt was appointed as Secretary; and Mark Moran was appointed as Treasurer.

Beltran currently serves as the Director of Operations at Masda Mushrooms/First Generation Farms based in Toughkenamon, Pennsylvania. Jurgensmeyer is the CEO of J-M Farms, which operates out of Miami, Oklahoma. Bettencourt works as the Director of Quality Assurance and Safety at Global Mushrooms in Gilroy, California. Moran is the Operations Manager at Kaolin Mushrooms/South Mill Champs based in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

The nine-member Council is comprised of eight domestic growers and one importer representing four regions. The program's purpose is to maintain and expand existing mushroom markets and uses, as noted in a press release.

Members and their regions are as follows:

Region 1 (Includes all states except for California and Pennsylvania)

• Curtis Jurgensmeyer
• Edward M. Wuensch III, Kitchen Pride Mushroom Farm
• M. Fletcher Street, Ostrom Mushrooms

Region 2 (Includes Pennsylvania)

• Joe Caldwell, Giorgi Mushroom Company
• Sonya Beltran
• Meghan Klotzbach, C.P. Yeatman & Sons/Mother Earth
• Mark Moran

Region 3 (Includes California)

• Emily Bettencourt

Region 4 (Includes importers)

• Jane Rhyno, Highline Mushrooms

A call for nominations for three-year terms beginning January 1, 2022, is now open. Completed nomination forms must be emailed or postmarked no later than May 1, 2021. Region 2 has two open positions and Region 3 has one open position.

Cheers to all of the new appointees!

Mushroom Council®