The Mitten's Spudwoman
Congratulations to Evocati PR client and Michigan Potato Industry Commission Executive Director Dr. Kelly Turner!
Here's the Scoop
If you haven't been tuned into the potato industry you are probably thinking, "What is a ‘SpudWoman’?"
Thankfully, we're here to break it all down.
Dr. Kelly Turner, the Executive Director of our client, the Michigan Potato Industry Commission (MPIC) was just deemed the 'Spudwoman of the Year' by Spudman Magazine. Basically, she's been nailing it and receiving much-deserved credit for her work in the industry.
Dr. Kelly Turner pictured with her favorite spuds. (Source: MPIC)
Earlier this year, we launched No Small Potatoes: The Economic Contribution of the Michigan Potato Sector. Its findings were monumental for the Mitten State which found that potatoes:
Generates $2.5B to the state economy
Supports 21,700 in-state jobs
Crowned Michigan the official Potato Chip Capitol of the U.S.
Just a Little Client Boasting
Kelly has been at the helm of MPIC for just five years, yet she has piloted the industry while juggling quite a list of responsibilities. From the feature on her award:
"That voluminous list includes working on Specialty Crop Block Grant applications and administration, serving on the state’s Water Use Advisory Council, organizing the annual Michigan Winter Potato Conference and helping to create MI Ag CORE (Communication, Organization, Relationships, and Engagement), a year-long leadership program Michigan agriculture industry members now in its third year. Turner also works closely with the research community at the Michigan State University Extension, including its potato breeding program." - Melinda Waldrop, Managing Editor at Spudman Magazine
And that's just the tip of the iceberg, but you can read the rest over at Spudman Magazine. Congratulations Kelly! We're excited to see you get some much-deserved credit!