BARTOW, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed three new members to the Florida Citrus Commission Friday.
The appointments of Paul Meador, Steve Johnson and William “Bill” Poulton fill seats held by three commissioners serving previously expired terms.
Meador, of Fort Denaud, is president of Everglades Harvesting & Hauling, Inc. A citrus grower, he represents District 3, which includes the west coast of Florida as well as much of the south. Meador fills the seat held by Francisco Pines.
Johnson, of Bowling Green, is the owner and president of Johnson Harvesting, Inc. A citrus grower, he represents District 2, which includes Hardee, Highlands, DeSoto and Glades counties. Johnson fills the seat held by V.C. Hollingsworth.
Poulton, of Lakewood Ranch, is the director of manufacturing for Tropicana Products, Inc. A citrus processor, he represents District 3. Poulton fills the seat held by Aedan Dowling.
The Florida Citrus Commission is the governing board of the Florida Department of Citrus, an executive agency of the Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida Citrus industry. The commission is a nine-member board appointed by the governor to represent citrus growers, processors and packers. Appointments are for three-year terms and are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.
Meador, Johnson and Poulton join Chairman Ned Hancock, G. Ellis Hunt Jr., Dan Caspar, Carlos Martinez, Pat Schirard and Martin J. McKenna on the commission.
About the Florida Citrus Commission
The Florida Citrus Commission is the governing board of the Florida Department of Citrus, an executive agency of the Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry. The commission is a nine-member board appointed by the governor to represent citrus growers, processors and packers. FDOC activities are funded by a tax paid by growers on each box of citrus that moves through commercial channels. The industry employs 50,000 people and provides an annual economic impact of $7.2 billion to the state. For more information about the Florida Department of Citrus, please visit FloridaCitrus.org.
