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.

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

Shane Sampels has thirty years of food industry leadership and technical knowledge. Industry recognized leader in food safety, quality assurance, sustainable agriculture development, and processing. Product knowledge base includes agricultural products of canned, frozen, produce, beverage, and manufactured grocery. Successfully implemented several innovative programs within the food industry; including sustainable agriculture initiatives, produce food safety databases, and plant design and construction including new business start up.

Shane is currently acting as the Senior Director of Quality Assurance at Sysco and the subsidiary FreshPoint.  FreshPoint is a leading distributor of fresh products specializing in produce.  Shane previously was also Director of Quality Assurance for produce, frozen, canned and beverage products for the Sysco Brand Product Programs.  Shane holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science from Oregon State University.

Ritchey is a second-generation potato grower from Aberdeen, ID. He and his family raise 950 acres of frozen processing potatoes at Toevs Farms, where they also grow wheat and barley. Ritchey is active in National Potato Council, Potatoes USA, and Idaho Potato Commission. He received his B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Idaho.