Irvine, CA - The Hass Avocado Board (HAB), which conducts generic avocado marketing for foreign and domestic suppliers of Hass avocados in the United States, is scheduling its annual board elections for vacant domestic Hass avocado grower and Hass avocado importer members as well as alternate seats.

In mid-April, announcement of open seats will be mailed to all eligible producers and importers of Hass avocados, with a deadline for receipt of nomination forms on May 11. The HAB expects to mail ballots to producers and importers by June 1 with a June 29 deadline. New members and alternates will be seated at the board meeting in November 2012.

The HAB also has reaffirmed its proactive policy of seeking board members who reflect the demographics of the avocado industry while supporting the Board’s membership diversity goals. "The HAB has a history of making considerable efforts to emphasize the participation of qualified persons for Board and committee positions without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or family status, or other basis protected by law," said Emiliano Escobedo, Executive Director.
"Like many institutions, HAB benefits by having a broad and diverse membership so we encourage women, minorities and persons with disabilities to seek nomination to the Board and actively participate," he added.

In addition to regular monitoring of board composition, the HAB will encourage diversity by publishing information about the policy prior to board elections, ensuring notification in internal and trade publications.

About the Hass Avocado Board
The Hass Avocado Board was established in 2002 after approval by producers and importers of Hass avocados in a national referendum, and operates under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Both producers and importers are involved in the HAB, which covers fresh domestic and imported Hass avocados sold in the U.S. market.