WI Seed Potato Certification Program Personnel

   Department of Plant Pathology
   University of Wisconsin-Madison
   1630 Linden Dr.
   Madison, WI 53706

Office: 608-262-1410

FAX: 608-263-2626

Dr. Amy Charkowski, Assistant Professor, Administrative Director Ph: 608-262-7911 Fax 608-263-2626

Has ultimate responsibility for all administrative, budgetary, production, regulatory, and communication aspects of the program and conducts a research program.

   Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program
   P.O. Box 328
   Antigo, WI 54409

Office: 715-623-4039

FAX: 715-623-6970

Dr. Robert Coltman, Program Director - mobile phone: 715-610-4668

Is responsible for the daily supervision of all aspects of the program that occur in places other than Madison. He manages the Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program office in Antigo, oversees production operations at the State Farm, interacts with our clientele on a regular basis, conducts research, attends professional meetings, engages in public relations activities, assists in the production of annual reports and annual crop directory and shares responsibility for fiscal management of the program.

Kevin Bula, Senior Inspector - mobile phone: 715-610-3644

Is a plant industry specialist who inspects all State Farm crops and the certified grower fields, assist with State Farm crop production, conduct the above mentioned winter tests, maintain records concerning disease occurrence and pathogen test results and produce appropriate reports concerning these matters.

Richard Hafner, Senior Inspector - mobile phone: 715-610-3643

James Meyer, Inspector - mobile phone: 715-610-3641

Assists with all aspects of inspection and elite seed production during the summer season.

Dianna Kessler, Inspector - mobile phone: 715-610-2640

Assists with all aspects of inspection and elite seed production during the summer season.

Jolene Spurgeon, Program Assistant

Serves as a receptionist; assists in computer database creation, management, & report generation; and assists in other clerical and office maintenance tasks.

    Wisconsin Seed Potato Certification Program
    Tissue Culture Laboratory
    University of Wisconsin Biotron
    2115 Observatory Dr. Rm. 237
    Madison, WI 53706

Tissue Culture Lab: 608-263-8765

FAX: 608-262-7871

Andy Witherell, Laboratory Manager

A tissue culture specialist, Andy supervises academic staff, LTE, and student help and produces approximately 10,000 tissue culture plantlets to be increased into elite seed each year. He maintains a clonal bank made up of more than 125 potato varieties and has the responsibility for conducting thousands of virus, viroid, bacteria, and fungal pathogen screenings each year.

Ann Joy, Research Specialist

A tissue culture specialist, Ann works in all aspects of the program pertaining to germplasm maintenance, establishment of the nuclear plot, and pathogen screening. She assists in the operation of the tissue culture laboratory.

    University of Wisconsin
    Lelah Starks Elite Foundation Seed Potato Farm
    7749 CTH K
    Rhinelander, WI 54501

Office: 715-282-5530

FAX: 715-282-7319

Keith Heinzen, Interim Farm Manager - mobile phone: 715-610-4671

Is involved in planting, harvesting, and application of materials to the State Farm crop. He assists the in operation of the State Farm.

Jeff Rogers, Research Gardener

Is a greenhouse manager at the State Farm, IPM Scout, and Research Assistant to Dr. Robert Coltman.

Home Page Seed Certification Production of Elite Foundation Seed Program Personnel WI Seed Growers

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Updated January 16, 2007 by R. V. James