Executive director resigns from Potato Commission

Boss decides to move on after 9 years, pursue consulting work

MOSES LAKE — There's going to be a new boss at the Washington State Potato Commission. Note the small letter "b."

The WSPC announced Thursday that Pat Boss has resigned from his position as executive director of the Potato Commission.

"It's time for me to move on — I did it for nine years and I'm looking for new challenges," Boss said. "I'm already talking to some folks in the area about some certain consulting activities I could be doing."

Boss said he had been thinking about leaving for a little while.

"It just was time to move ahead, go on to a new phase in my life," he said. "I'm really happy with the accomplishments of the Potato Commission. It was a great place to work, we had a great board of directors, a great staff. I'm truly proud of a lot of the things we had done there over the years."

Boss said he considered his greatest accomplishments as executive director to be the commission's work to resolve transportation problems, resulting in the produce railcar program that is presently being set up, and work to open up such countries as Asia, Latin America, Mexico and Taiwan for exports of potatoes.

Regarding the WSPC's involvement in a July hearing with the Canadian International Trade Tribunal to combat British Columbian anti-dumping duties, Boss said WSPC's director of trade, Matt Harris, is "very good" and will probably be heading that up. The commission also has very good trade attorneys who know the issues intuitively, he said.

Boss already had several meetings lined up for Thursday afternoon regarding consulting work. Other than that, he didn't have many immediate plans, other than spending time with his family.

He intends to eventually look for another agricultural job with a major association or commission, he said, noting that he worked for the Washington State Hops Commission for four years prior to working with the Potato Commission, and in the apple industry for three years before that. He plans to remain in the Moses Lake area through the summer and then will be looking to locate for new work — be it in this area or elsewhere — later in the year.

"I'm looking for another commodity or another industry to represent," he said.

Boss said he has no complaints from his time with the WSPC.

"It's time for me to move on, make the jump and I'm doing that now," he said.

Boss joined the WSPC in September 1996 as the government affairs director. He became executive director December 1998.

"Pat has done a lot of good things for us," commission chair Allen Floyd said in a statement. "He has raised the visibility of potato issues in Washington state and on the national front."

WSPC assistant executive director Karen Bonaudi has been appointed as interim executive director.

"We're scrambling to keep all the balls in the air, but we have very capable staff and commissioners, and very good contractors that advise us and work on our behalf, so we don't expect to drop anything," Bonaudi said.

Commissioners will be holding a special meeting 10 a.m. Tuesday to accept Boss' resignation and review options for filling the position.