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38 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2017 United transitions from Wright's leadership to Klompien's When United Potato Growers of America announced on Aug. 23 that Jerry Wright, the organization's president and CEO since December 2011, would be retiring, a press release stated that Wright would continue in his role until the board of directors had found "a suitable replacement." Wright was the original president of United Potato Growers of Idaho when that organization was founded in early 2005, and took on the job at United of America in 2011. On Nov. 16, the board unanimously voted to name Mark Klompien, who had been serving as president of the Idaho Grower Shippers Association (IGSA), United's new president and CEO—certainly a more-than-suitable replacement. Klompien will continue to live and be based in Idaho Falls, Idaho, while making regular trips to United headquarters in Salt Lake City. Both Klompien and Wright are long-time friends of Potato Grower, and we had the opportunity to sit down with each of them in advance of Klompien's officially taking the reins of United Dec. 1. MARK KLOMPIEN What's your background in the potato industry? I loved potatoes since growing up on my dad's seed potato farm in the Gallatin Valley. I got a bachelor's in ag engineering at Montana State University. When I got out of college, my parents gave me some really good advice. They said, "If you just come back to the farm, you'll stay there, and that's fine. But if you like something else, we encourage you to try something else out in the world and test it out." I went to work for Lamb Weston and was there about six years. An opportunity came up in 1993 with Basic American Foods in their engineering group. I took it, and spent the next 18 years of my life at Basic. Then I've spent the last five years at IGSA, which has been great. What has Jerry done with United that you'd like to build on? Jerry's legacy, in my mind, is putting out information to growers to help them make informed decisions for the success of their own operations. The world of the grower has changed significantly over the last 20 years, not the least of which is the growth of technology. One of the outcomes of that technology is that growers are much more efficient and are really good at what they do. As buyers have consolidated and grown, United has provided growers an opportunity to collaborate and have the best data and knowledge to make the best economic decisions for their operations. I hope to continue that. Obviously, we'd like to grow the membership of United. The more growers we can provide with this information, the more are working together and making decisions based on what's good for all of them. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing United? Some growers, honestly, probably haven't heard the information in a way that makes sense to them. The key is to bring that message to the growers in a positive way and help them understand it's for their long-term sustainability and that it benefits grower returns. Growers, by nature, are an independent lot. That independence is great; it's part of the spirit of what drives these agricultural people. 38 POTATO GROWER | JANUARY 2017