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Packer named to lead NY maple producers organization

BATAVIA — Dwayne Hill, President of the New York Maple Producers Association, Inc., announced today that Mary Jeanne Packer, 48, was selected as his organization’s first executive director. Hill and Packer were in Batavia to attend the Association’s annual Maple Tour Banquet hosted by Association partners Western New York Maple Producers Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension.

"This is a huge step for our organization," said Hill. "With a full-time person guiding the Association, we'll be able to enhance the reputation of New York Maple Syrup throughout North America."

Packer will oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization, which represents the business and governmental interests of the state's 1,500 maple producers. According to Hill, Packer brings strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills to the maple organization. She also has the proven ability to generate funding through grants and other sources; and to interact positively with federal, state, and local elected officials, Hill said.

"I’m looking forward to getting started working on behalf of the state’s maple producers," Packer said. "My first priority will be helping to market and promote New York maple products including planning for the March 2006 Maple Weekend and updating the Association’s website to improve consumer access to members’ products and to enhance information sharing among producers and industry partners.

Packer recently relocated with her husband and family to Schuyler County, New York. She was raised in Chemung and Wyoming Counties of New York state, but spent the past 25 years of her professional career working in New England. Packer is the president of Ghostwriters Communications, Inc., a consulting firm that specializes in supporting natural resources and experiential tourism industries and organizations throughout the northeast. The firm’s clients include Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association, Vermont Woodlands Association, National Slate Center for Training and Education, Lake Champlain and Hudson River Birding Trails, and Moosalamoo Association. Prior to founding Ghostwriters, Packer served 16 years as the director of planning and public affairs for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. Packer holds a masters degree in communications management from Syracuse University and a bachelors degree in civil engineering from MIT.

The purpose of the New York State Maple Producers Association, which was begun in 1954, is to increase the production of New York State maple syrup and enhance its sale across the nation. In June of this year, the Association received a $100,000 appropriation from the New York state legislature for the promotion of NY maple products.

New York State is the fourth largest maple producer in the world and makes 17% of all the syrup produced in the United States. In 2004, New York State maple producers made more than 255,000 gallons of syrup, an increase of 21% from 2003, according to the New York Agricultural Statistics Service. The value of the 2004 maple crop is estimated at nearly $7.2 million.

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