After a 29-year tenure with the Vidalia Onion Committee and the Vidalia Onion Business Council, VOC Executive Director Bob Stafford has retired.
The official announcement of Bob’s retirement by the Committee was made on March 9, although his final day as executive director was Jan. 1. The VOC is now looking to fill Stafford’s long-held position with a new executive director, a press release said.
Bob looked back on his time with the Vidalia groups and said, “Over the course of my career working with the Committee, my fondest of times have been with the Vidalia onion growers. I joined the VOC in 1994, working under a 10-day timeframe on the compliance plan, and 29 years later I’m finishing up with them now.”
He added, “I’ve been very proud to have a hand in the Vidalia onion trademark and of all the advancement we’ve made on our research and promotion to produce a quality sweet Vidalia onion that consumers seek out.”
And he said, “I’ve worked in many areas of the Eastern part of the country, and I’ve never seen a group work as closely together as Vidalia onion farmers do. It’s just a very special, unique situation to be part of and I’ve been so happy with the program we’ve put together.”
In 1994, Bob came to the Vidalia Onion Committee as a compliance officer to assist in developing a compliance plan. He then went on to work alongside VOC members on audits as well as product labeling and other “rules and regulations to maintain the strength of the Vidalia onion trademark,” the release said.
“In his time conducting audits, Stafford saw the needs of each farmer and knew he had experience to address and provide support for them in his role on the Committee. Stafford also spent much of his time keeping a good rapport with consumers, often engaging with them directly on their experiences with Vidalia onions. He was selected to manage the VOC in 2017.”
Over the course of his 29 years on the VOC, Bob achieved many accomplishments. In 2009, he was elected to the Vidalia Onion Hall of Fame, “an award granted by the Committee to honor individual leaders for their character and contributions to the growth and success of Vidalia onions.” He also led efforts to identify individual farms on Vidalia onion labels, and he worked to implement a royalty fee for the inclusion of Vidalia onions in processed foods, “ensuring funds are utilized for Vidalia onion trademark protection and promotion,” the release added.
Much of his work was in conjunction with his role as director of the Vidalia Onion Business Council, which he joined in the late 1990s. “He has spent a lot of time partnering with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to execute Federal Marketing Order No. 955. Stafford will remain a consultant on the Vidalia Onion Business Council until that position is filled,” the release stated.
“Bob’s dedication to the Vidalia Onion industry has been invaluable to our industry,” said VOC Chairman Cliff Riner. “He has been a major driver for improving our market and our brand’s quality through his support of research, promotion, and unifying the industry. Bob worked behind the scenes all for the glory of the Vidalia Onion and the growers, not his own. We are extremely grateful for his service and his family’s commitment to our industry.”
The Vidalia Onion Committee is now seeking a new executive director. For those interested in the position, learn more and apply here.
