Executive Committee

Tracy is the Vice President of Research, Quality & Sustainability at Peak of the Market Ltd. She leads research on variety evaluation, improved pest management, and agronomic practices for fresh market potatoes. Tracy also spends time working with growers in their fields and packing houses, supporting activities in these same areas. She has a passion for working closely with the industry on challenging crop protection and production issues, both provincially and nationally. Prior to joining Peak of the Market, Tracy spent ten years with Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Initiatives, as a plant pathologist and potato pest management specialist. She has a B.Sc. in Agriculture from Dalhousie University, a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Alberta. In 2020, Tracy was appointed as an Adjunct Faculty of Graduate Studies in Agriculture at Dalhousie University.

Erika Wagner is an Agronomy Solutions Manager for Yara North America based in Boise, Idaho and is focused on potatoes. As an Agronomy Solutions Manager at Yara, Erika works with teams across North America to understand the role of crop nutrition in sustainable potato production. She also manages a Potato Incubator Farm located in the Pacific Northwest which serves as a place to foster collaboration across the industry, a place for exploration of sustainable solutions, and a place to implement professional research of practical solutions.

Ryan Vroegindewey is Senior Manager of Sustainable Agriculture at Campbell Soup Company. In his role, Ryan partners with growers to strengthen the resilience of farms and food supply, while helping to communicate this work to consumers and other stakeholders. Ryan has 15 years of experience in agriculture and food systems, including, as a published researcher, consultant, and program manager for the U.S. Agency for International Development. He holds a M.S. and PhD in agricultural, food, and resource economics, and in sustainability, from Michigan State University.

Mike Wenkel joined the staff of the National Potato Council (NPC) in June of 2019 as the Chief Operating Officer. His responsibilities include overseeing the day-to-day operations for the organization as it works to represent the interest of the U.S. potato industry in Washington, D.C.

He is responsible for the creation and operations of the Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) who’s inaugural fundraising campaign exceeded $2.1 million in 18-months.

A native of Michigan, Mike brings over 25 years of organizational experience to the organization. He served as the Executive Director of Michigan Potato Industry Commission (MPIC) for seven years prior to joining NPC; was employed at Michigan Farm Bureau, where he served as the Manager of the Membership and Field Services Department. His responsibilities included managing all aspects of membership for the organization’s 193,000 members; including the annual volunteer membership campaign, coordinating and overseeing the training of new field staff and developing training for county leadership.