Sklarczyk new National Potato Council president

Published 3:00 pm Thursday, February 26, 2026

National Potato Council voting delegates elected Ben Sklarczyk president during the group’s annual Washington Summit Feb. 23

Sklarczyk, of Johannesburgh, Mich., will serve for the next year. He succeeds Ted Tschirky, of Pasco, Wash. Tschirky remains on the executive committee as immediate past president.

The executive committee includes Dean Gibson, Paul, Idaho, first vice president, and vice president of legislative affairs; environmental affairs vice president Chris Olsen of Othello, Wash.; finance vice president Greg Harris of Boardman, Ore.; grower outreach and industry research vice president T.J. Hall of Hoople, N.D.; and trade affairs vice president Brett Jensen of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

The grower-led National Potato Council is managed by an executive committee and board of directors. Board members are appointed based on recommendations submitted by state potato grower organizations. The council addresses issues that affect the industry, from policy debated in Congress to regulations proposed by federal agencies.

At the annual summit in Washington, D.C. Feb. 23-26, growers and other industry members met with members of Congress and the presidential administration to advocate for issues such as keeping potatoes in federal nutrition programs, promoting free and fair trade agreements, and investing in research to support the long-term health of the U.S. potato industry, according to a council news release.

Meet new president

Sklarczyk is a third-generation grower and owner of Sklarczyk Seed Farm, a hydroponic seed potato operation based in his hometown of Johannesburg, Mich.

He assumed full ownership of the family business 10 years ago. He purchased the business from his father, Don Sklarczyk, who served as Potato Council president in 2007.

Ben Sklarczyk’s path to the family business was not immediate, according to the council. Although he grew up working on the farm’s row crop side, he initially pursued a degree in mechanical engineering at Western Michigan University. A realization during his first semester led him to transfer to Michigan State University, where he graduated in December 2003 with a degree focused on agriculture.

A longtime advocate for the industry, he has been involved with the Potato Council since the early 2000s and joined its board of directors in 2010. Before being elected president for 2026, he served nearly a decade on the executive committee in leadership roles including as first vice president and terms as vice president of grower outreach and industry research, environmental affairs, and finance.

As president, Sklarczyk is committed to bringing strength and resilience to the potato industry, according to the release.

“Our 2026 agenda will focus on capitalizing on new federal dietary guidelines to promote potatoes as a staple of good health, ensuring fair trade practices for U.S. potatoes globally, and removing non-tariff trade barriers,” he said. “I also want to emphasize the importance of grower engagement with state and federal representatives to ensure the industry’s voice is heard in policymaking.”

Sklarczyk and his wife, Allison – who serves on the Potatoes USA Board of Directors – reside in Michigan with their two children, Morgan and Dane.