Locals elected to Florida Citrus Mutual board

By The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 29, 2009

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BONITA SPRINGS --

Mark Wheeler of Lake Placid has been elected as a southern area vice president at the Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference.

Marty McKenna of Sebring was re-elected as secretary, and John Smoak III of Lake Placid was installed on the 21-member board. Each director serves a one-year term.

Michael W. Sparks, executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, acknowledged that disease pressure, high inventories and declining OJ consumption are "definitely putting the squeeze on growers.

"We are facing some immense challenges," Sparks said. "The spread of citrus greening, the most serious citrus disease on the planet, is putting our $9.3 billion industry and the 76,000 jobs it creates at risk.

"History has proven that the Florida citrus industry can overcome and survive pests and diseases, hurricanes and freezes," he said. "Citrus has been too good to the farming families of Florida to abandon."

- GARY PINNELL