About PVGA
The Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association (PVGA) is an association of commercial vegetable, potato and berry growers and allied industry personnel dedicated to:
- providing educational resources and opportunities for its members
- supporting practical research,
- promoting growers and their products
- representing the interests of the Pennsylvania vegetable, potato and berry industries
- providing special services for members.
PVGA currently has about 865 members across the Commonwealth and beyond. The Association publishes its own monthly newsletter and co-sponsors the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Convention as well as Field Days, Field Tours and Twilight Meetings. Further information about these and other PVGA’s activities are detailed elsewhere on the website.
The Association is governed by an eighteen-member volunteer Board of Directors who are elected by the General Membership at the Association’s annual meeting. The Board of Directors in turn elects from its membership the President, two Vice Presidents and the Secretary-Treasurer, who along with the Past President comprise the Executive Committee. The Board contracts with an Executive Secretary to handle the day-to-day operations of the Association.
Policy Resolutions which set forth the position of PVGA on current issues are adopted by the General Membership at the annual meeting.
President:
Arthur King '13
Valencia, Butler County
First Vice President
Brian Campbell '12
Berwick, Columbia County
Second Vice President
Robert Shenot '13
Wexford, Allegheny County
Secretary-Treasurer
John Mason '11
Lake City, Erie County
Past President
Kenneth Martin '11
New Berlin, Union County
Directors
Robert Amsterdam ’11
Mechanicsburg, Cumberland County
Fred Dymond III '11
Dallas, Luzerne County
Barron Hetherington ’11
Ringtown, Schuylkill County
Glenn Hetherington '12
Ringtown, Schuylkill County
Curtis Kaelin '12
Wexford, Allegheny County
Lois Klinger '13
Catawissa, Columbia County
Ernest Mast '12
Morgantown, Lancaster County
David Miller ’11
York, York County
William Reynolds '13
Waynesboro, Franklin County
Hilary Schramm, Jr. ’12
Jeanette, Westmoreland County
Jonathan Strite '13
Harrisburg, Dauphin County
Thomas Styer ’12
Muncy, Lycoming County
Timothy Weiser '13
York Springs, Adams County
Executive Secretary
William Troxell, Troxell Administrative Services
2011 Committees and Representatives
Functional Area Committees
Executive Committee – The four elected officers plus the Past President with the President as chair having responsibility for acting for the Board between meetings of the Board, for strategic planning and for the relationship with the Executive Secretary.
Kenneth Martin - chair, Arthur King, Brian Campbell, John Mason, Robert Amsterdam
Leadership and Recognition Committee – Three Board members and two non-Board members with the Past President as chair having responsibility for nominating candidates for directors, officers, annual award recipients, life membership and other awards as well as overseeing the Rudolph Grob Memorial Scholarship program.
Robert Amsterdam - chair, Ronald Beinlich, Michael Orzolek, Daniel Schantz, Robert Trax
Scholarship Task Force – Selected members to recommend policy on the establishment of the policies for the Rudolph Grob Memorial Scholarship program.
Barron Hetherington, Curtis Kaelin, Arthur King, Michael Orzolek
Administrative Committee – Four Board members and three non-Board members with the Secretary-Treasurer as chair having jurisdiction for membership and financial matters as well as the Farm Show and Ag Progress Days Food Booths.
John Mason - chair, John Esslinger, Barrie Moser, William Reynolds, Dale Rozelle, Hillary Schramm, Jr., Timothy Weiser
Farm Show Task Force – Five members having responsibility for the Farm Show Food Booth.
Natalie Bishop, Jonathan Grace, Barron Hetherington, William Reynolds, Dale Whitenight
Ag Progress Days Task Force - Five members having responsibility for the Ag Progress Days Food Booth.
Kathleen Demchak, Peter Ferretti, Barrie Moser, Dale Rozelle, Edward Schlimm
Program Area Committees
Educational Committee – Four Board members and three non-Board members with the First Vice President as chair having jurisdiction for the newsletter, convention, field days, field tours, twilight meetings and the website.
Arthur King – chair, Steven Bogash, James Crawford, Lois Klinger, Kenneth Martin, David Miller, Thomas Strzelecki
Convention Planning Task Force - Selected University and extension personnel, growers, and Directors chaired by the First Vice President to develop the policies and educational program for the convention.
Arthur King – chair, Robert Ambrose, Robert Baronner, Thomas Butzler, Steven Bogash, Kathleen Demchak, Ted Dymond, Timothy Elkner, John Esslinger, Peter Ferretti, Shelby Fleischer, Thomas Ford, Lois Klinger, William Lamont, Kenneth Martin, David Miller, Thomas Murphy, Michael Orzolek, Jarrah Perez, Dale Rozelle, Steve Sample, Elsa Sanchez, Robert Shenot, Jeffrey Stoltzfus, Thomas Strzelecki, Thomas Styer, Robert Trax, Grant Troop, Lee Young
Website Task Force – Selected members to recommend revisions to the website.
Steve Groff, Bruce Hellerick, David King, John Mason, Jr.
Government Affairs Committee – Four Board members and three non-Board members with the Second Vice President as chair having jurisdiction for government affairs issues and for developing policy resolution recommendations.
Brian Campbell – chair, Ted Dymond, Keith Eckel, Barron Hetherington, Glenn Hetherington, James Hoopes, Jarrad Perez
Marketing and Research Committee – Three Board members and four non-Board members that will coordinate and further develop the Association’s marketing and promotion activities and direct the Association’s research funding activities. The Committee will elect its chair. This committee would have representatives from the Pennsylvania Vegetable Marketing and Research Program Board, the Pennsylvania Potato Research Program Board, the Penn State Small Fruit Advisory Committee and the Simply Sweet Onion Committee as members or have members of the committee attend meetings of these groups.
Don Geise, Patrick Fenstermacher, Curtis Kaelin, Steve Klabnik, Robert Shenot, Thomas Styer,
Other Committees
Simply Sweet Onion Committee – Four onions growers, one handler, one University staff member and one Director empowered to administer the licensing process for the Simply Sweet Onion trademark and to the control funds generated by the licensing process.
Stephen Klabnik – chair, Arthur King, Leon Martin, Michael Orzolek, Wilmer Reiff, Moses Zook
Penn State Liason Committee – Penn State University faculty members with an interest in the vegetable, berry or potato industries who are invited to attend Board meetings to serve as a liason with the University.
Kathleen Demchak, Shelby Fleischer, Beth Gugino, William Lamont, Richard Marini, Michael Orzolek, Elsa Sanchez
Representatives
Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Association - Robert Amsterdam, Alan Kemmerer, William Troxell
Farm Market Alliance - Robert Amsterdam
Farm Show Committee - Barron Hetherington, William Reynolds, William Troxell
Mid-Atlantic Convention Joint Committee - Brian Campbell, Arthur King, Kenneth Martin, William Troxell
Penn State Ag Council - William Troxell
Pennsylvania Agriculture Company – William Troxell
State Council of Farm Organizations - William Troxell, Brian Campbell