The WSCGA Board appoints association members to sit on committees ranging from research and public relations to administration and education.
The Associate Member Committee provides input on WSCGA Associate Membership benefits, Summer and Winter Trade Shows, NEWS advertising, Program Book & Buyers Guide publication advertising, sponsorships, mailings and evaluations. The Committee also promotes participation in Associate Member programs such as membership and trade show participation.
The Board Development Committee functions to identify paths of leadership for potential leaders and develop their skills. The committee is responsible for board recruitment, orientation, board and director self-assessment, continuing education, and board management in addition to serving as the Nominating Committee
This committee plans and organizes fundraisers and other efforts to support the WCREF scholarship and educational programs.
The main emphasis of the WSCGA mission is education, both of growers and the general public on cranberry growing. A large portion of this responsibility is assigned to the Education Committee, making it one of the key committees in the Association. The committee meets with UW Extension faculty and others during the year to review and plan the various education programs for the Association including the Wisconsin Cranberry School, early season workshops and the Summer Meeting and Field Day.
The Executive Committee advises the Board on internal operations of the Association, including development of the annual budget, review of operations and conducting the performance review of the Executive Director. In addition, the Committee is empowered by the Board to act with full authority of the Board between Board meetings, subject to statutory and Board-imposed limitations on Committee action.
This committee was created by the Board to develop and implement a program to develop leaders from the grower community to ultimately take roles in the Association on committees, working groups or the Board of Directors.
The Committee is responsible for the development of recommendations on policy related to issues and state, federal regulatory and legislative actions that arise as part of the public policy advocacy program. The committee works to mobilize growers on issues to implement policy and works to develop relationships with elected official to help them understand the concerns of Wisconsin cranberry growers.
The Public Relations Committee is responsible for development and implementation of communications plan for the Association. The objectives of the communications program of the WSCGA are twofold. First, to promote the general knowledge of cranberry growing in Wisconsin to enhance the image of growers and the industry; second, to inform consumers and the public about cranberries and cranberry products to enhance and promote the consumption of fruit and increase overall demand for cranberry products.
The Board of Directors established the committee to provide growers with a forum to discuss research needs with University of Wisconsin research faculty and the cranberry research community on a national basis. The committee works cooperatively with the Wisconsin Cranberry Board, Inc. (WCB), The Cranberry Institute (CI), and others to identify grower research needs, coordinate projects to avoid duplication, and to help establish priorities.
