Nomination meetings scheduled for three Georgia Peanut Commission board positions

MACON — Nomination meetings to fill three positions on the Georgia Peanut Commission Board of Directors will be held on Monday in Ocilla, Vienna and Americus, officials from the GPC said.

The Georgia Farm Bureau Federation will conduct the meetings during which peanut producers will nominate peers to represent the GPC’s Districts 2, 4 and 5. The terms of the commission members who currently represent these districts expire Dec. 31.

“I encourage peanut farmers in these districts to attend the meeting for their respective district and participate in making nominations for these Peanut Commission positions,” Georgia Farm Bureau President Gerald Long said. “The Georgia Peanut Commission plays an important role in promoting the industry, conducting research and educating producers and the public about industry issues.”

The GPC said the state’s peanut production area is divided into five districts based on acreage distribution and geographical location with one board member representing each district. Each nominee must produce peanuts and live within the district for which he or she is nominated.

The GPC District 5 nomination meeting will be held at the Sumter County Farm Bureau office located at 141 Highway 27 East in Americus at 10 a.m. Donald Chase is the district incumbent. Counties in District 5 include Chattahoochee, Clay, Lee, Macon, Marion, Peach, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Terrell and Webster.

The GPC District 2 nomination meeting will be held at the Irwin County Farm Bureau office located at 495 Lax Highway in Ocilla at 10 a.m. Armond Morris is the incumbent in the district. Counties in that district include Atkinson, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Coffee, Colquitt, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth.

The GPC District 4 nomination meeting will be held at the Dooly County Farm Bureau office located at 126 Church St. in Vienna at 10 a.m. Rodney Dawson is the District 4 incumbent. Counties in the district include Bleckley, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Houston, Laurens, Pulaski, Telfair, Twiggs, Wheeler, Wilcox and Wilkinson.

GPC officials said any peanut producer may be nominated or make nominations at the meeting for the peanut district in which he or she lives. Incumbents are eligible for renomination. If more than one person is nominated, an election will be conducted by mail ballot at a date to be announced.

Commission by-laws state that a person must receive a majority of the votes cast for a position in order to be elected to the board. If only one person qualifies for the position, no election is required and the nominated person automatically becomes a member of the board. Commission members serve terms of three years.

For more information on GPC, visit http://www.gapeanuts.com/.