Graham D. Ellis, Ph.D.
PepsiCo
I started my career in potatoes in 2015 and have been a member of the PAA off and on since then. In 2017, my participation with the association kicked into a higher gear when I joined the Frank L. Haynes Graduate Student competition and was elected to be the Physiology Section Chair. I continued to speak at PAA annual conferences through 2019 and published a chapter of my dissertation in the AJPR, which was recognized in 2020 as a Distinguished Paper. Once I entered the private sector, although my annual meeting attendance declined, my greater interaction with the industry soared in the form of leading biotechnology R&D projects with the J.R. Simplot Co., providing grower outreach, and generally engaging with the Northwest potato fresh and processing industries. Now I am with Frito-Lay in Texas, championing best practices for storage, soil, and water management of chipping potatoes.
I highlight this breadth and depth of involvement because I have experienced and can appreciate the gamut of the potato industry in North America: academia, industry, extension, agronomy, breeding, biotechnology, russets, and chips. My responsibilities and critical experiences complement and reflect the PAA's Mission and Vision. What priorities, if any, do I have for the PAA, though? Engagement is one of our association’s most pressing struggles (e.g., membership, publishing, attendance). I will focus on understanding these issues and advocating for their solution as a director of the PAA. Thank you all for your time and consideration.
