News Release

Potato Growers of Idaho is Moving Ahead with Restructuring Plan

BLACKFOOT, ID — Potato Growers of Idaho is moving ahead with its restructuring plan with a new leadership team. PGI President Klaren Koompin today announced that the industry’s premiere grower organization will retain the services of Acting Executive Director, Keith Esplin as the permanent Executive Director. He’ll be joined on the management team by Information Services Director, Keith Frank.

“These two men each bring unique talents to their positions, and we’re confident our membership will harvest a great deal of benefit from their work,” Koompin says. Koompin says Esplin and Frank have been given a three-fold charge: Grow PGI membership; unite the industry; make PGI the #1 industry information center and advocate.

Esplin brings decades of experience as a potato grower to the job. He served two terms on the National Potato Promotion Board, and a term as director on the board of the National Potato Council. He has also served more than two years as PGI President, and was a driving force behind the group’s reorganization last year. “I’m grateful for the vote of confidence the executive committee is giving me in naming me to the permanent directorship,” says Esplin. “We have a lot of hard work to do for Idaho growers, but I’m confident we’ll be able get the job done.”

PGI President Klaren Koompin joked that, “If you have a question about Idaho Potatoes, all you have to do is ask Keith. If Keith doesn’t know the answer, Keith will.” It wasn’t entirely clear if he was referring to Esplin, or to Keith Frank, the new Information Services Director, but either way, it works.

K-2, as some members of the executive committee have already begun calling Frank, is a 14-year veteran of reporting on Idaho agricultural and governmental issues. He has worked as a television reporter, news and sports anchor, managing editor and news director at two East Idaho stations. His voice is also familiar to Pocatello audiences as a radio host and news anchor. He is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration at ISU. “I’m excited to be working with K-1,” says Frank. “Keith impressed me with his understanding of the issues, and with his professional approach during all the turmoil of reorganization last year. I’m sure that together, we will be able to achieve the goals the executive committee has set for us.”

Koompin says the two appointments are effective immediately. Esplin and Frank will join with the grower’s executive committee next week to present legislators with some of Idaho’s finest russets.