horizons California Agricultural Leadership Foundation Magazine
WI NTE R 2022
CLASS 50 INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR
Lessons Learned
Growing leaders who make a difference.
BOARD MESSAGE
MAKE A GENERATIONAL IMPACT GOAL
California Agricultural Leadership Foundation Magazine
BY MICHAEL YOUNG (35)
WINTER 2022 • www.agleaders.org
CHAIRMAN, CALF BOARD OF DIRECTORS On Jan. 27, the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 76th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Class 50 fellows returned from their international travel seminar this past November and experienced firsthand the atrocities and leadership lessons drawn from this dark part of our world’s history. As I reflected with a few members of Class 50 – as well as on memories of my own visit to Auschwitz several years ago – I was reminded how that visit rocked me to my core and changed me. The legacy of Auschwitz and the horror unleashed on the world by the Nazi regime is not dead. It remains alive today in the actions of violent individuals and even nation states. It’s a gross and searing reminder of what happens when good leaders don’t come together and stand up against tyranny. Goodness demands vigilance. The sad reality is that every day and every week should be a reflection on and commitment to be the change we want to see in the world. It is our duty to unite against hate wherever we see it, so that when we say, “never again,” we mean it.
As we step into 2022, I am asking your board and our staff to commit to making one generational impact goal. The true mark of generational leaders is the commitment we make to creating a better world around us. Ag Leadership gave us all the tools to make an impact. It doesn’t matter if it is a micro level impact (something internally), a meso level impact (through your sphere of existing influence) or a macro level impact (changing something bigger than yourself ). I challenge all our stakeholders to make the same commitment. Ag Leadership’s impact is the net sum of the impact of all its generational leaders. Imagine the possibilities. If you choose your goal, please share it with us at the California Ag Leadership Foundation. We can all be the change that we want to see in this world. Lastly, I want to give a special thank you to all our alumni, stakeholders and friends who made our end of year giving campaign so successful. Despite the uncertainty of the world we live in, you all stepped up to the plate to continue to perpetuate the greatness of the California Ag Leadership Foundation. For all of you I am most grateful. As always, if you have any issues, concerns or gratitudes, please reach out to me at mike@wegisandyoung.com. CALF BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair / Michael Young Vice Chair / Cameron Boswell Secretary - Treasurer / Eugene Peterson Past Chair / Loren Booth Yissel Barajas Karen Caplan Jason Cole Correen Davis Rob Goff Mike Mendes Dennis Nef Paul Parreira Emily Rooney
CALF STAFF President & CEO / Dwight Ferguson Executive Vice President / Abby Taylor-Silva Financial Manager / Sharon Harney Programs Manager / Judy Sparacino Alumni Engagement Manager / Deanna van Klaveren Marketing & Communications Coordinator / Meredith Rehrman Ritchie Writer/Editor / Liza Robertson Exchange Programs Consultant / Darlene Din DESIGNER TMDcreative
2 HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
COVER STORY 8
Class 50 International Seminar: Lessons Learned
FEATURES 5
Leadership Focus: Lessons Learned Through COVID
6
Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Glenda Humiston (25)
7
Alumni Spotlight: Jenny Lester Moffitt (47)
12
Perspective: Same Countries, Different Decades
14
Reflecting on 50 Years
DEPARTMENTS 2 2 3 4 16 17 18 19
Board Message Calendar of Events Foundation Message Foundation News Alumni Council Update In Memoriam Alumni & Fellows News Donor Recognition
CALENDAR March
1-11
April
4-6 27
May
5-7 25
Class 51 National Seminar
Class 51 Seminar, Pomona Class 52 Phase One Applications Due
Class 51 Seminar, San Luis Obispo Class 52 Phase Two Applications Due
FOUNDATION MESSAGE
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS BY DWIGHT FERGUSON, CALF PRESIDENT AND CEO INCREASING ALUMNI CONNECTIONS
A NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION IS A TRADITION, MOST COMMON IN THE WESTERN WORLD, IN WHICH A PERSON RESOLVES TO CONTINUE GOOD PRACTICES, CHANGE AN UNDESIRED TRAIT OR BEHAVIOR, ACCOMPLISH A PERSONAL GOAL, OR OTHERWISE IMPROVE THEIR LIFE AT THE START OF A NEW YEAR. Even though 2022 is now well underway, we at CALF remain very focused on resolutions (or in our case, strategic objectives) to advance our mission of growing leaders who make a difference and therefore increase our impact on California agriculture. IMPROVING THE FELLOW SELECTION PROCESS By improving the fellow selection process, we are ensuring our commitments to production ag along with other important considerations, including diversity. STRENGTHENING AND EXPANDING PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES We are further strengthening and expanding our core program curriculum and exchanges, along with other lifelong learning opportunities such as First Fridays, Leaders are Readers Book Club and conferences.
We continue to increase alumni engagement options, including social gatherings and celebrations, special events and numerous volunteering opportunities. REFRESHING OUR BRAND We are in the process of refreshing our brand and enhancing our marketing and communication practices to better meet the needs and expectations of all our stakeholders. ENSURING STRONG FINANCIAL HEALTH We are ensuring the foundation’s financial health and stability so our vision of “Leaders united to strengthen California agriculture and sustainably supply the world” can be realized. The CALF board and staff are committed to delivering these objectives and executing many other plans associated with them. We are also committed to modeling the values of excellence, integrity and respect in all we do. We’ve carried some great momentum into this new year and look forward to advancing many great plans with enthusiasm, optimism and a servant leader’s mentality in the months ahead. As always, if I can be of any service, please feel free to contact me at dferguson@agleaders.org or 831-585-1030.
3 WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
FOUNDATION NEWS
Thank you,
Class 52
Emily!
Application Now
After 11 years with the foundation, CALF Development Coordinator Emily Lazzerini left in January to focus on her career in wedding planning. As development coordinator, Lazzerini focused on critical support of donor relations and the foundation’s expanding development program. During her time with CALF, she also helped organize special events, especially those involving fundraising, while tracking donations, managing the database, assisting with website maintenance and overseeing various other tasks. She especially contributed to Common Threads as the staff lead for those events. “Emily was an incredibly valuable, reliable and respected member of our team for more than a decade,” said CALF President and CEO Dwight Ferguson. “We are grateful for her longevity with the foundation, excellent organizational skills, willingness to take on new projects and consistently positive attitude.” We know Emily will excel in her exciting wedding planning endeavors and we wish her the best.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU! To our alumni, friends and other stakeholders who generously invested in Ag Leadership in 2022 – a sincere THANK YOU! Whether you contributed financially or by volunteering, your investment helps sustain, grow and enhance the excellent programs we produce to strengthen California agriculture. Together, we will ensure Ag Leadership continues growing leaders who make a difference. If you did not have a chance to donate before the end of 2021 and wish to do so now, please visit www.agleaders.org/about/how-to-give/. Also, if you would like to engage in alumni activities in 2022, please contact CALF Alumni Engagement Manager Deanna van Klaveren (32) at dvanklaveren@agleaders.org. On behalf of the CALF team and board of directors, thank you again and we wish you a prosperous and healthy 2022!
Ag Leadership Holiday Open House Thank you to our alumni and friends who attended our holiday open house in Monterey on Dec. 16. We were excited to visit with all of you, show off our new office and share some holiday spirit. If you are in town and want to visit, please stop by!
4 HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
Online Applications for Class 52 are now available on the Ag Leadership website. Phase one applications are due April 27 and phase two applications are due May 25. We need your help identifying and mentoring candidates for the program. Please start thinking about and talking with friends and colleagues who would be ideal candidates. You can find downloadable PDFs about the program and readiness indicators for candidates at www.agleaders.org/resources.
POSTPONED AG LEADERSHIP ALUMNI CONFERENCE 50 YEARS OF CALF CELEBRATION The Alumni Conference and 50th Celebration event committee recommended postponement of the events set for Feb. 4-5, 2022 due to attendance concern. Board leadership supported this difficult and prudent recommendation. Review of the current situation indicated that it would be challenging to have an event that both supports our values of integrity, excellence and respect and gives alumni the opportunity to engage, learn and reconnect. Therefore, these events will be postponed to October 2022. Please contact Dwight Ferguson, Abby Taylor-Silva (45) or Deanna van Klaveren (32) with any questions.
Class 50 Commencement
50
Congratulations to Class 50! The fellows celebrated their commencement at Fresno State on Feb. 5 following a reception and dinner in their honor the night before. Thank you to the family members, friends, colleagues and others who participated in these special and momentous events.
The spring issue of Horizons will include a feature story and photos from commencement. Class 50: We proudly welcome you as new members of the Ag Leadership alumni family!
LEADERSHIP FOCUS
Leading During a Time of COVID-19 BY BEN LEHAN CORE FACULTY MEMBER, CAL POLY POMONA
“THE ULTIMATE MEASURE OF A MAN IS NOT WHERE HE
Some of the lessons I learned from this role as a leader are:
STANDS IN MOMENTS OF CONVENIENCE AND COMFORT,
COMMUNICATION Stakeholders appreciate when leadership is transparent with a central and clear list of priorities. Frequent and transparent communication is crucial. Send your stakeholders regular updates and engage in community discussion. These priorities shouldn’t be vague or general; they should be specific and distinct. If the community is aware of what the general goals are, the policy development may be better received across the institution.
BUT WHERE HE STANDS AT TIMES OF CHALLENGE AND CONTROVERSY.” -DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. How does a leader manage the difficult task of reopening during a pandemic? Monitoring multiple and constantly changing regulatory agencies as well as the stakeholders of your organization is a challenging ordeal. In December 2020, I accepted the temporary role of COVID-19 risk manager at a local community college. My experience in higher education at Cal Poly Pomona appeared to be great preparation for the responsibilities I would face when helping a medium-sized community college reopen during a pandemic. Little did I know that my experience in regulatory agriculture at the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner’s office would also guide me in this endeavor. Monitoring and implementing countless and constantly changing federal and state regulations were some of the many challenging aspects to reopening a college during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders within all types of organizations have faced completely new sets of challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Institutions across the country are returning to somewhat normal operations after emerging from a shutdown. Managing the closure of a business or school, as well as managing the virtual operation and eventual reopening during the pandemic, has proven to be a challenging task on multiple levels. Inevitably, hard choices need to be made. This is never truer than during a crisis like a pandemic. The choices and the direction of leadership need to be clear and concise. The COVID-19 virus isn’t going anywhere, and leaders need to be empathetic and understanding with their organizations as we transition into 2022 and beyond. One of the most difficult decisions that had to be made was whether or not the campus should reopen for the fall 2021 semester. During summer 2021, COVID cases seemed to be on a sharp decline, but a significant spike in the weeks prior to the semester starting caused a lot of panic among campus leadership. Was reopening for fall really the best decision? Student and employee health is our highest priority, but we also have to understand that we can’t stay shut down forever. Students need the opportunity to be in school and have a campus to visit. Schools provide so much more for students beyond the classroom experience. After weighing many variables, we decided that the greatest good for the greatest number of people was to reopen face-to-face for fall 2021.
TRANSPARENCY Due to the nature of this pandemic and the constantly changing landscape, mistakes are inevitable. Leaders and managers need to acknowledge mistakes and improve on them. A leader should not assign blame, they should accept responsibility and fix the problem, regardless of who may be at fault. DEALING WITH CONFLICT Regardless of the policy decisions, there will inevitably be some employees and students who are upset with the decisions. Encouraging discussion and hearing concerns from the community are always important. Availability is generally appreciated. Engaging in healthy discussions about decisions made and sharing perspectives about the decision-making process is healthy for all stakeholders. EMPOWERMENT We have numerous task forces on campus that communicate and help with the decision-making process. I made sure to encourage any stakeholder interested in campus policy to join one of these task forces on campus. These task forces are consulted before any policy change takes place and is a great way to allow campus participants to have a voice in the decision-making process. The ultimate goal moving forward into 2022 is safety. Although some of the policies and their effectiveness are debatable, we can all agree that safety is the highest priority of any organization. This temporary position has opened my eyes to another amazing facet of campus and institutional management. My prior time in higher education was only as an instructor and laboratory manager. Being able to see how a campus is managed from an administrative perspective, combined with my experience in the classroom, has allowed me to develop into an even more effective leader. These dynamics of leadership and management are similar for our rapidly evolving agricultural industry. I hope to share with my students the lessons I’ve learned as I help to prepare them for careers in food and agriculture. Regardless of the setting, strong and effective leadership needs to be adaptable and flexible. Leaders have to be dynamic in their strategies, whether this is in a school setting or the agricultural industry. The work environment never stays the same. Our strategies and leadership techniques need to be resilient and forward thinking.
5
WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Spotlight Dr. Glenda Humiston (25) BY LIZA ROBERTSON
Dr. Glenda Humiston has served as vice president of agriculture and natural resources for the University of California (UC ANR) since 2015. Prior to UC ANR she had 25 years of experience working on public policy development and program implementation supporting sustainability. “As a leader for California agriculture and a much-respected member of Class 25, Dr. Glenda Humiston has provided extraordinary service at both the national and state levels,” said Deidre Kelsey (25). “She has given decades to assist with governmental policies, the cultural aspects of agricultural communities and the economic realities of agriculture.” Humiston was born in California and raised on a cattle ranch in Colorado, where she participated in her local 4-H program. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tunisia, executive director of a nonprofit organization advocating farmland preservation and valueadded agriculture development, and consultant on environmental and agricultural issues throughout the West. Humiston earned her Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in environmental science, policy and management with research focused on U.S. Farm Bill policy. She has a master’s degree in international agricultural development from UC Davis and a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Colorado State University. Humiston served President Bill Clinton as deputy undersecretary for natural resources and environment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1998 to 2001. She managed the Sustainable Development Institute at the 2002 World Summit for Sustainable Development in South Africa and the 2006 World Water Forum in Mexico City. In 2009 Humiston was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the California state director for USDA Rural Development. In that capacity Humiston was able to work with rural communities throughout California to investigate and assist with issues such as potable water, farmworker housing and enhancing market opportunities for farmers. Her work has also included producing the widely acclaimed guidebook “Access to Capital.” She has led efforts to bring rural issues to the forefront of the state’s Economic Summit and to the attention of policymakers throughout California.
As a Class 25 fellow, Humiston traveled to India, Pakistan and Nepal. The international seminar was an opportunity to learn about how governments around the world operate. She notes a lesson that has stayed with her since she traveled there in 1996. “That was an amazing trip,” said Humiston. “I think one of the things that really stands out was the contrast between India and Pakistan. Just the contrast between the world’s largest democracy and an authoritative and repressive country and how people dealt with that was very eye opening.” Since graduating from Ag Leadership, Humiston has been instrumental in organizing the D.C. Exchange reception and recruiting fellows who travel to California to learn firsthand about the state’s agriculture industry. “I think the D.C. Exchange Program is critically important and valuable,” said Humiston. “Folks who work in D.C. desperately need to get out in the field and be exposed to how complex and different issues are. Hopefully we’ll get better policy if they do.” When reflecting on her time in the program, Humiston said a lesson that has stayed with her is the importance of networking. “I interact and work with Ag Leadership alumni across the state and in different disciplines frequently,” said Humiston. “That networking is really important and valuable. I can’t know everything, none of us can, so being able to have the network that we can tap into when we need expertise is just wonderful.” Humiston said her advice to leaders is threefold. “You have to really do your homework to know what you’re looking at, you’ve got to be very strategic if you want to accomplish something and you’ve got to be willing to stick your neck out and take the consequences,” she said.
“I THINK THE D.C. EXCHANGE PROGRAM IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE. FOLKS WHO WORK IN D.C. DESPERATELY NEED TO GET OUT IN THE FIELD AND ... HOPEFULLY WE’LL GET BETTER POLICY IF THEY DO.” - DR. GLENDA HUMISTON
6 HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
Alumni Spotlight JENNY LESTER MOFFITT (47)
The U.S. Senate in August 2021 confirmed Jenny Lester Moffitt (47) to serve as U.S. Department of Agriculture under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs after being nominated by President Joe Biden for the position. Moffitt previously served as undersecretary and deputy secretary at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “Under Secretary Moffitt brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective as both a farmer and a policy maker,” said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, chair of the Senate Ag Committee. “I look forward to working with her to help our farm families and food businesses along the supply chain recover from the pandemic, tackle the climate crisis, keep pests and diseases out of the U.S., and thrive well into the future.” In her new role, Moffitt will manage USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which administers programs that create domestic and international marketing opportunities for U.S. producers of food, fiber and specialty crops. AMS also provides the agriculture industry with valuable services to ensure the quality and availability of wholesome food for consumers across the country. “Moffitt will bring the knowledge and experience she has acquired through years of farming to USDA, where it will be put to good use overseeing the department’s marketing and regulatory programs,” said U.S. Sen. John Boozman, ranking member of the Senate Ag Committee. “I look forward to working with her to increase market opportunities for producers, and believe she will work in good faith to carry out the regulatory authorities for which she will be responsible in a manner that is consistent with congressional intent.”
MY SENATE CONFIRMATION EXPERIENCE AND LEADERSHIP LESSONS - By Jenny Lester Moffitt The confirmation process is an important opportunity for the Senate to weigh in on key presidential appointments. It is like a job interview, but with the United States Senate, under oath and for the record for all to see! What most people don’t typically see is the vetting that takes place, first by the White House prior to nomination and then by senators and their staffers. There is a lot of paperwork and a thorough background check; staff interviews with the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; a Senate committee hearing and committee vote and then floor vote by the full Senate. I was nominated on April 27 and confirmed on Aug. 11, so the process can take some time. Throughout the process, I had the opportunity to learn about the variety of issues impacting the USDA’s Marketing and Regulatory Programs, the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), as well as key issues of concern or interest affecting U.S. agriculture across the nation and especially for the senators who serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee. This was important preparation for my committee hearing and a great introduction to much of the work I am now doing, and I appreciated what I learned as I began my new role. As under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs, I am looking forward to getting out and hearing from farmers and ranchers across the country and learning about their operations and the realities they face. I am also eager to identify how we at USDA can best support American agriculture, our rural communities, consumers and all the many people we serve. As someone who helped run a family farm and processing operation, I know how important it is to listen to those firsthand experiences and to bring the voice of farmers and people who work
in the agricultural and food supply chain into policymaking. We are at an incredibly important moment in time for U.S. agriculture, and I look forward to helping build a more resilient and inclusive food system. We have an opportunity to strengthen the food system so that it is more equitable and competitive, and to do so by enhancing local and regional supply chains and ensuring fair, open and transparent markets. We must ensure that producers receive a fair share of the food dollar while advancing equity and combating the climate crisis. I have the opportunity to work with some of the most dedicated and knowledgeable scientists and career employees at USDA who are making a difference each day with their work through AMS and APHIS. I look forward to working with them to facilitate domestic and international marketing and to ensure the health and care of animals and plants by tackling diseases and pests affecting agricultural productivity and trade. LESSONS FROM AG LEADERSHIP One of the key Ag Leadership lessons that I carry with me every day is the value of servant leadership. As a public servant, I work in service of the American people: farmers, ranchers, rural communities and the consumers depending on American agriculture. In Ag Leadership, I learned how to harness servant leadership and to bring people together to work collectively to tackle tough challenges together. My Ag Leadership experience showed me the power of listening to multiple viewpoints and the great things that can be accomplished when stakeholders collaborate for the common good. Ag Leadership gave me an incredible opportunity to better understand and to tell my story while learning from the stories and expertise of others. American agriculture has an important story to tell and it will take all of us to tell it.
7
WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
COVER STORY
Class 50 International Travel Seminar Lessons Learned BY MEREDITH RITCHIE (28) AND ABBY TAYLOR-SILVA (45)
8 HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
COVER STORY After a one-year delay, Class 50 fellows traveled to Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic for their two-week international seminar in November 2021. The main themes were trauma and resilience, societal approaches to war and unrest, positive and negative leadership, perspectives of those who did and did not resist, and shifts in power and influence. In addition to learning about these important subjects, the fellows experienced the countries’ wonderful cultures through people, religion, art, food and customs. This article shares highlights from their trip as well as excerpts from their blog (calfclass50.travel.blog/international-trip-blog). Day 1 / Berlin, House of the Wannsee Conference and German Culture Through a guided tour, the fellows heard about the history of and life in Berlin, including the destruction caused by World War II and how the city suffered from the loss of virtually all industry. They also learned about the Wannsee Conference, which focused on “the final solution to the Jewish problem.” Upon departing the House of the Wannsee Conference, the fellows were given an envelope with a name on it. Inside was the story of a person whose life was affected by the decisions made at that house. The fellows were asked to carry those envelopes, without opening them, until they departed Auschwitz a week later. “The summer following the Wannsee Conference is when the large-scale deportation of Jews to concentration camps started. The decisions made at the conference affected the remainder of the war, resulting in the ultimate murder of 6 million Jews in Europe. Just as the Wannsee Conference laid the foundation for the worst crimes of the Holocaust, it also lays the foundation for the remainder of our trip. As we continue our travel, we will see how the decisions made during this conference played out through Europe, and we will be unpacking how the leadership decisions in Germany during World War II affected generations to come.” —Holly Little, Ted Kingsley, Rocco Cunningham Day 2 / Berlin Wall, Topography of Terror, U.S. Embassy and Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe Fellows engaged in a critical thinking discussion of pre-World War II Germany, the rise to power of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler, and German citizens’ acceptance of the atrocities that were occurring. Through another guided tour, they gained a deeper understanding about Berlin, Soviet-era conditions and control, the Berlin Wall and the Holocaust. A U.S. Embassy
meeting focused on commodity marketing and trade; political relations during a time of German government transition; the rise in nationalism, antisemitism and racism in Germany; issues related to immigration and the U.S. military presence and strategy in the region. “In the Holocaust Museum, history is documented and you enter a room that features correspondence from those who were on their way to concentration camps. These personal letters to the children and family members of the victims, written by the victims, will stick with me. It personalized their experiences in a way the tragic death toll numbers do not.” —Megan Newton Day 3 / Museum of Resistance, Family Farm and Warsaw Fellows visited the Museum of Resistance to learn more about the people who resisted against the National Socialist persecution. They engaged in a critical thinking discussion about immigration policy in the three countries. Fellows also visited with a Polish farmer, who described his experience transitioning from a communist society to becoming a successful family farmer overseeing 1,500 hectares. “Courage, strength and selflessness can be used to describe those who bravely took part in the resistance during the Holocaust. In leadership, often times extremely difficult decisions need to be made and we learned about those individuals who risked their lives – and lives of their families – for the greater good of Germany.” —Priscilla Rodriguez Day 4 / Warsaw Fellows toured the Warsaw Ghetto, where leadership lessons were abundant, including the heroes of the Warsaw uprising and Poland’s transition to democracy. They heard from an inspirational and compassionate mother and daughter, Katarzyna Skopiec and Zuzanna Obuchowicz, who shared their family’s history of hiding 39 Jews during the Holocaust. The mother and daughter created the Humanosh Foundation to help political refugees start over in Poland. Later in the day, U.S. Embassy staff members gave presentations about the current affairs of Poland from an agricultural, political and European Union perspective. “Leadership lessons were prevalent at every corner of our walk through the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw. Learning about the courage and perseverance of those facing horrific
circumstances teaches all of us that it only takes one person to make a significant impact in any situation.” —Lindsey Liebeg Day 5 / Warsaw Fellows met with Brother Marian Markiewicz of St. John’s Archcathedral, who had a lengthy friendship with Pope John Paul II. They then visited the Old Town Market Place, restored after World War II, as well as the Warsaw Uprising Museum, which features 800 exhibitions. They enjoyed visiting with a local Rotary Club member, who shared interesting facts about Poland’s agriculture industry and his family’s snail farm. That evening, they engaged in a Shabbat service at Ec Chaim Synagogue and gathered for a traditional Shabbat fivecourse meal. “Learning from historical leaders around the world allows us to grow in our leadership style. Often times we learn more from our failures than our successes; we have to be committed to step out of our comfort zone and stand up for what is right in that moment in time. ‘If not me, then who? If not now, then when?’” —Kris Costa, Natasha Crivelli & Matt Peyret Day 6 / Krakow Fellows visited the Galicja Jewish Museum, which commemorates the victims of the Holocaust and shares the Jewish culture of Polish Galicja. Holocaust survivor Lidia Maksymowicz spoke about the atrocities against children and shared her story of surviving Auschwitz-Birkenau as a child. The fellows also toured the Kraków Museum of Oskar Schindler, which focuses on the German occupation of Poland. A German Catholic industrialist, Schindler was credited with saving 1,200 Jewish lives during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The fellows learned about Schindler’s leadership journey and the power of self-reflection. The chief operating officer of the Jewish Community Centre of Kraków also spoke to the group and helped frame the tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. “Lidia’s message was clear: it is up to us and future generations that this can never happen again. How we respond, individually and as a group, when there are injustices at any level will guide our future. We must make the choice to be a part of defending others against injustice. We can’t sit idle while wrongs occur, no matter how small they may seem.” —Holly Little
9 WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
COVER STORY “We all have learned to be flexible and support people in our lives and each other in our leadership journey. Part of being a supportive leader is encouraging empathy and understanding about what other people are going through. Listening to an Auschwitz survivor…has created an unbreakable bond amongst my fellows.” —Brian Gill
Day 7 / Auschwitz-Birkenau The fellows took a guided tour of AuschwitzBirkenau, the largest of the German Nazi concentration and extermination camps where more than 1.1 million men, women and children lost their lives. “Today we share about our experience visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau. If we were to pick one word that best summarizes our time there, we would probably say it was emotional. We describe these feelings and emotions in our blog post, so please prepare yourself for a difficult and important read. We all believe we will be synthesizing this experience in various forms for the rest of our lives.” —Lindsey Liebig, Julian Lopez, Erin O’Donnell We invite you to read the fellows’ in-depth blog post about this somber and lifechanging experience at calfclass50.travel. blog/international-trip-blog/ (Day 7 link) Day 8 / Prague, Czech Republic Before traveling to Prague, the fellows participated in a meaningful synthesis to reflect on the visit to Auschwitz. Enriching the synthesis, the fellows shared the 20 stories from the envelopes they were given on their first day in Berlin.
10
“Life is full of choices, small or big ones that could drastically change the course of an entire country, race or continent. People during World War II had difficult choices to make that shaped the future of the next generations. Resilience, empathy, courage and love were some of the qualities that brave people had in them. People that made a difference by helping others, giving hope or just by being there. As
HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
leaders we have a lot to learn from our past so that these horrific events don’t happen again. We feel different, we are different.” —Yezmin Carrasco Valle, Kris Costa, Matt Peyret Day 9 / Prague, Czech Republic Fellows explored myriad topics during their full day in Prague. They held a critical thinking discussion to better understand the Roma people, their culture and lifestyle, and the history of discrimination against them. They toured the Jewish Quarter and synagogues, learned about industry opportunities in the country and about the transition from communism to democracy. At the U.S. Embassy, representatives discussed topics such as human rights, economics and agriculture. The evening ended with a concert performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and other classical music compositions. “We are so fortunate to have this opportunity. Last night, during the concert, I could not help but reflect at how well rounded this trip has been: providing content related to leadership, historical and current events and culture. I am excited to go back and share with my family, colleagues and students.” —Erin Gorter Day 10 / Communist Museum, Farm Tour, Leipzig A guide led the fellows through the Museum of Communism, where they learned about the history of the Soviet occupation in Czechoslovakia, collectivization (the elimination of privately-owned farmland), the devaluation of Czech currency and other impacts of communism, and the president who led the country out of communism. A highlight of the day was visiting a Czech farmer who shared his family’s fascinating farming history from pre-World War II through Soviet control to today. At the farm, he provided a glimpse of the region’s agriculture industry, shared details about the challenges farmers face in the European Union and discussed business values that our fellows could relate to. “Meeting a farmer who has experienced coming back to the family farm after it was run by the Soviets was eye opening. It is hard to imagine someone else other than our family making decisions about the farm for so long and what it would look like to come back to it after all those years. Mr. Probst told us sometimes you have to risk a lot and make changes to make gains, and even though we are in such different situations, I felt that we had a lot in common.” —Michael Newton
Day 11 / Leipzig, Germany The fellows enjoyed a guided tour learning about art, culture, trade and history. They spent time at the Nikolai Church, which has always been a center of Leipzig’s community. It was the location for Monday Prayers for Peace, which in 1989 inspired peaceful revolutions throughout Europe and provided a gathering place for people to peacefully resist Soviet control of the East German government through nonviolent protests and prayers. More than 70,000 people engaged in a peaceful political protest at the church on Oct. 9, 1989; the event was considered to be “the beginning of the end” of the German Democratic Republic. “The peaceful protest was reminiscent of the peaceful protests Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated for during the Civil Rights movement. This reminder allowed us to reflect on our time in Atlanta in March 2020, where we visited the National Museum of Civil and Human Rights and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park.” —Tyer Blackney, Holly Little, Brian O’Neill Day 12 / Berlin – Final Day The last day included a final synthesis and dinner, during which the fellows reflected on preconceptions, experiences, lessons learned, heroic efforts and the extraordinary actions of ordinary people. They also reflected on their own responsibilities to share with others what they learned, to engage in their communities, to grow as leaders and to make a difference. “It has been an emotional day after a demanding 12 days of life-changing experiences. We are filled with laughter, tears and lessons learned. We are humbled to be in each other’s presence, but even more so to be supported by the faculty and leaders of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation family.” —Brian Gill, Erin Gorter, Jonathan Merrill
COVER STORY
11 WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
PERSPECTIVE
Same Countries, Different Decades BY LIZA ROBERTSON
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SEMINARS CLASS 15 / 1986: SOVIET UNION, POLAND, GERMANY, EUROPE
CLASS 29 / 2000: CHINA, MONGOLIA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE, POLAND
CLASS 41 / 2012: RUSSIA, UKRAINE, POLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC
CLASS 50 / 2021: GERMANY, POLAND, CZECH REPUBLIC No matter where they traveled, all alumni are connected by the lasting impact of their international seminar. As the fellows of Class 50 returned from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, alumni from classes 15, 29 and 41 found themselves reflecting on their own experiences in those same countries. For Diane Friend (15), Tess Dunham (29) and Matt Fisher (41), the international seminars were more than an opportunity to travel; they changed their perspectives on the world, leadership and history. Diane Friend (15) Assistant Professor, Agribusiness Texas A&M What were some of the most impactful moments of your time in Poland and Germany? One of the things that really struck me as being most impactful in Poland was the fact that the Polish farmers we met with still talked about World War II as if it had happened yesterday. We met with a pork producer in Poland who was doing some pretty innovative things back then. I’m going to Poland soon and will be meeting with the same farmer again. At the time of our international seminar, Poland was under communist rule and farmers were rising up. This particular farmer had been persecuted by the government and put in jail for a few days. We could see there was a movement within the farmer community against the Soviets. The Polish people, but the farmers especially, would rather die than be oppressed. There was a fine line in those days – the Soviets needed Poland because they were producing most of the food, but the government would oppress them by limiting the supplies they had access to. This farmer was quite outspoken and we thought he had a lot of guts to go against the Soviets.
12 HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
We visited a university in Germany and met with students who gave us a tour. After somebody mentioned the war and that we had been to Auschwitz, we got into a debate with the students over what had really happened in World War II and the Nazi occupation. They completely denied the fact that the concentration camps actually existed and claimed it was a conspiracy campaign. It gave me the sense of how governments can control the narrative and what people know. In this moment we went from a communist country to a free democracy. It was a dichotomy of government control in a different way than in Poland. Is there a lesson learned during the international seminar that is still meaningful to you today? I was in my 20s during this trip and it really set my views on the way I live my life. It showed me that being a leader is not always easy, and not very popular sometimes. Being a leader does mean from time to time you’re going to get crosswise of the political wind and you need to be willing to sacrifice for that. At that time, we were still in the Cold War, Ronald Reagan was president and Gorbachev had just come in. It was a very interesting time in history to be in a communist controlled country. I didn’t realize what an impact that made on my life back then, but it really makes me look at where we are today and think about the sacrifices those Polish farmers were making. What is your advice to Class 50 fellows now that they’ve returned from their international seminar? I think they should write. They need to write articles, editorials in some form or fashion on social media or blogs. When you first get back, everyone wants to know about your trip – it’s all fresh and novel and neat and then the years go by and it fades. The urgency to continue leadership needs to go on. The things they’ll see and experience are what the world needs to hear a lot and frequently. What is your advice for leaders? We think of leadership as holding a position, but every day we have a responsibility to be a leader. You need the skills to be an everyday leader. We need to use our leadership skills to influence people and make change, and we can do that at the smallest level without ever holding a title or position. The advice I would give is don’t use your place in society, be the leader at the smallest times, all the time. What lesson do you carry with you from Ag Leadership? The love to learn. Ag Leadership really did plant a seed in me of lifelong learning. Don’t ever be satisfied with what you know today. Even though I had a degree, it put me on a trajectory of lifelong
PERSPECTIVE learning. There’s always more knowledge out there, and that’s what Ag Leadership should do for everyone. I thought I’d be a farmer for the rest of my life and now I’m a professor in a tier one research university. I would’ve never dreamed of this ever. But Ag Leadership makes you believe it’s possible to be more than you are.
Tess Dunham (29) Attorney at Law Kahn, Soares & Conway, LLP What was the most impactful experience in Poland for you? That would be going to Auschwitz. When we went to Auschwitz, it was such a moment of silence and I got an eerie feeling about the atrocities that happened during the war. It is something that has never left my heart. I had read about it my whole life and studied it as a history major, but nothing compares to walking through there and seeing the showers and the mountains of shoes from those who were brutally killed. It is one of the most impactful places that someone could tour because it really does bring home just how horrible humanity can be against people they don’t like. That has never left me. What lessons did you take away from that experience? Making sure that we as leaders never allow something like that to happen, but yet it does. We see genocides throughout the world in different countries and that’s not ok. It also gave me a continued awareness. It was a reminder that the law and order freedom system that we have in the U.S. is truly unique in what
it does provide. I learned that just saying you’re a capitalist country doesn’t necessarily mean it happens in the same way it happens in the U.S. During the trip we still saw tremendous corruption as these countries were trying to transition to capitalism. It doesn’t happen overnight and doesn’t happen just because there’s a new regime in place; it’s a longterm transition. Is there a lesson learned during the international seminar that is still meaningful to you today? One of the biggest components to me is being open. We need to be open to different cultures and societies and understand how they come to the different decisions they come to. Don’t look at things through our U.S. perspective, but look at things through the historical perspective of where others have come from. What is your advice to Class 50 fellows now that they’ve returned from their international seminar? Keep it in your memory. Journal it. Maintain those journals so you always have that memory. Our memories do fade and we need to be able to have that continuation to look back on. What lesson do you carry with you from Ag Leadership? The whole experience in its entirety – the development of leadership and interpersonal communications and learning to better communicate with people from different life experiences than my own.
Matt Fisher (41) CEO Fisher Bros. Logistics and Crop Management Company
What was the most impactful experience in Poland for you? Auschwitz by far was the most impactful. It’s hard to wrap your mind around what you’re going to experience. You can read about it all you want, but then when you’re actually standing there, it’s a whole different experience. We went in February and it was cold and we were told stories about some of the punishments being related to standing outside in the cold. It made it very real for us. Walking through the gas chambers and experiencing everything in person, there are no words to describe what people went through. Is there a lesson learned during the international seminar that is still meaningful to you today? There’s good leadership and bad leadership, but it’s still leadership. It really sunk in with me that Hitler was a very effective leader with a very bad purpose, but he was effective either way. I think about that a lot in business. When I’m observing leadership, it helps me to identify good leadership in bad situations. It’s very evident in our politics today. On both sides of the aisle you see very effective leadership leading people down a very bad road. I would not have been aware of that had I not gone through the international seminar experience. How has that realization influenced your own leadership style? It keeps me on edge to be very clear with my staff or whatever organization I’m involved with. I want to be very clear with the purpose of what we’re doing. I think if you’re not really clear about your objective, it can get lost in the emotion or cause. When you’re not clear with the objective of what you’re doing, that’s where leadership goes sideways. I try to take those lessons from my experiences during the international seminar and be very clear in my objectives
and my approach in everything I deal with. What were some other highlights of the seminar for you? We started in Moscow, then we went to Ukraine and Poland and we could really see how Eastern and Western cultures met. Just to understand that segment of the world helped me gain an incredible perspective into geopolitics. I really saw a cultural difference in the temperament of the people. It was like people were more subdued the further east we were. We saw different innovations within the cities and people were allowed to try new things and do things differently the further west we went. It was expressed in the arts, culture and food. That was fascinating. What is your advice to Class 50 fellows now that they’ve returned from their international seminar? The international seminar is very overwhelming. It’s sensory overload on so many levels. Don’t try to quickly process everything you just went through. It could take several years to process what you experienced. I remember when I got back, I didn’t even want to talk about it. That’s ok, because when you’re in the program and things are intense, it’s ok to walk away for a while and allow the emotion of it all to come down. Nine years later, I’m still synthesizing and processing what we went through. What lesson do you carry with you from Ag Leadership? One of the biggest things I carry is the ability to truly listen to the other side of a position or an argument. It’s one thing to say you’re open to listening, but it’s another thing to really listen and try to understand what the opposite position is and find the compromise to whatever you’re working on. continued on page 6
13
WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
REFLECTIONS
HORIZONS ASKED SEVERAL ALUMNI AND HONORARY FELLOWS TO SHARE THEIR REFLECTIONS ON: How Ag Leadership had made a difference in their lives and Ag Leadership’s impact in the ag industry and beyond. John Muller Mike Chrisman (2) Past CALF Board of Directors Chair; Helped Launch D.C. Exchange Program “Ag Leadership made a big difference for me. It came at a time in my life where I was one of the younger fellows – I had just come back from college – and I had a big interest in public policy, but wasn’t sure what direction to go in. It set me on a track, not only from a business standpoint, but also a public affairs standpoint. Ag Leadership set the tone, gave me a perspective and helped me set priorities for what I wanted to do. I’ve been very pleased with it and it was a very big part of my life. I’m really proud to have been a part of Ag Leadership; it’s been really important to me.” “Ag Leadership is very significant. It’s about leadership in the political realm, business community and public policy arena. If you look across the leadership of most agriculture organizations today, there’s an Ag Leadership graduate involved in most all of them. The program gets people off of the farm and gives them a perspective that they apply to everything they’re doing.” Charlie Mathews (6) Past CALF Board of Directors Member, Region 2 Director and ALA Secretary “It has opened my life to areas of California that I would’ve never imagined and the friendships I formed helped me gain an understanding of a broad range of issues. The tools of being able to influence people, boards and commissions because of a broader understanding of the California environment has been immensely helpful in my participation among many boards over the last 50 years.” “Our class was not unique in the fact that fellows went out into different career paths and directions. I have felt truly honored to be among those people who have made a tremendous influence on the whole landscape of California.”
14
John Muller (8) Region 5 Director, Past Board of Directors Member and Past ALA President “The program gave me the knowledge, skills, tools and confidence to step up to run for various political positions and the network to be appointed to many local, state, national and international advisory boards. I will always be grateful for my training, the life experiences it provided and the exposure to different cultures, ideas and ways of thinking. It was those experiences that came to the forefront when the life-altering moments came where I had to dig deep and summon all of my training to be able to make the really tough decisions.”
HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
Dr. Peggy Perry
Audrey Tennis
“The impact is absolutely amazing when you look at the composition of federal, state and local governmental boards, commissions, school districts, city councils, board of supervisor seats, water agencies, etc. One of my proudest accomplishments was being appointed to the SF Regional Water Quality Control Board for 21 years by four governors of different political parties and being chair for an unprecedented 12 years. I think J.G. Boswell and Dean Brown would be very pleased if they were here to look over the political spectrum of California and see the influence their visionary program has had on agriculture. It definitely changed the lives of most of us.” Dr. Peggy Perry (9) CALF Co-Director of Education, Past CALF Board of Directors Member, Past ALA President “Personally, my participation so long ago has always motivated me to continue to learn and grow and to step up when a leadership contribution is needed. Professionally, my involvement tremendously improved my teaching, not only because of the content and perspective I’ve gained, but also because of the many people I’ve met in the industry who have taught me about California agriculture. The most impactful part of my Ag Leadership experience has been serving as the coach for the past eight classes. The opportunity to walk beside those who are seeking to develop themselves has been a joy and privilege.” “The vast network of alumni can be seen at work throughout the state and in nearly every commodity group and organization. I have seen the aggregated impact of alumni in addressing issues such as agricultural higher education, the regulatory environment and informing the public and policymakers. I was involved with the Washington D.C. Exchange Program in its first three years and I am amazed by the number of individuals since then who have gained firsthand knowledge about the uniqueness of California agriculture.” Lance Brown (10) Longtime CALF Volunteer and Supporter “The program gave me the confidence to get involved in community activities and gave me the confidence to get on committees and get up and speak to people. It gave me a foundation to be confident in myself by getting off the ranch and in front of people. It’s had a big influence on my life.” “The biggest impact I’ve seen is we’ve gotten a lot of people to get off their ranches and farms and they’ve gotten involved in the industry and filled many government positions. The program benefited everybody connected with the ag industry.”
REFLECTIONS
Loren Booth
James Boswell
Bob Gray
Audrey Tennis (12) Longtime CALF Volunteer and Supporter “Ag Leadership was a bridge to take me from one level of involvement and commitment on the local/ family level to an area outside my small world into a much broader universe of leadership, influence and service. I am grateful for that opportunity.” “The impact that Ag Leadership grads have made at many levels are far reaching. Both within and outside the ag industry you see our members stepping up and bringing strong, much needed leadership. In doing this, they reach out across to many others in their communities who are also serving faithfully as unsung heroes to effect change, educate and serve. I am continually impressed by those servants both in and outside of the Ag Leadership Program who unselfishly give and give and give.” Loren Booth (27) Past CALF Board of Directors Chair and Past ALA Region 10 Director “The program enabled me to have more self-confidence, which subsequently changed my life. I took risks, which doesn’t always work, but I realized there was a lesson to be learned from every mistake – and there were lots of them! I cherish the opportunities, the friendships and journeys that the program gave me. The skills, the critical thinking, the EQ studies, and so many other lessons that were taught, filled my life with so much. I could never give back as much as CALF gave me – thank you for everything!” “The impact of the program affected my work, community, industry, friends and family. The ripple effect touched many. Philanthropy has been a big factor in our lives; making a difference in our world is an ongoing effort.” James W. Boswell (Honorary Fellow) Boswell-Booth Service Award Founding Recipient “I was ‘adopted’ by Class 17, and I joined them for their trip to China. It was an incredible experience and I made lifelong friends in the process.” “The networking Ag Leadership provides has helped the California ag industry politically and socially and has provided economic benefits.” Bob Gray (Honorary Fellow) Past CALF President & CEO “I came to Ag Leadership in the life cycle of the foundation (at the 40th year of classes) when renewal of some kind was required. Despite
John Lake
Dr. Pat Lattore
the challenges (financial, programmatic and the like), I really enjoyed my time there and look back at it as one of the most challenging and most rewarding jobs I have ever held. I came from industry and shifted my thinking from the produce business to the people business: from thinking about ‘what’s next’ to thinking about ‘who’s next.’ It was a worthy project with a great product: emerging leaders who would make a difference.” “Alumni are found throughout the state and throughout the entire agricultural industry. If they aren’t all in the news every week making a difference locally, on a state-wide basis, or nationally, they are still a force for good in their communities and families and businesses. They make the world a better place. They make a difference.” John Lake (Honorary Fellow) Past CALF Board of Directors Chair “Ag Leadership has made a difference by helping each one of us recognize how important it is to observe and listen to other people’s ideas and cultures. Ag Leadership challenges us to get uncomfortable by thinking outside of our own self-interests – volunteer, hold your hand up, help someone!” “Ag leaders have learned to realize they are a minority numerically and to a certain degree are perceived by the public to be landed gentry or privileged. This self-awareness requires us to have positive engagement in local, state, federal and our international ag community. Use what you learned, live to serve.” Dr. Patrick Lattore (Honorary Fellow) Former Core Faculty “I have had the privilege of working with Ag Leadership for about 25 years. During that time, I have had the opportunity of working with the fellows, CALF Education Team, foundation team and board. My role has been teacher, coach and consultant to about 450 individuals associated with the program. Not only have I learned more about California agriculture and its challenges, but I have learned in so many ways from these individuals. As I teach, I am taught. So I am indebted to my many teachers from Ag Leadership over these many years.” “My role was to help prepare fellows to become more effective in their leadership personally and professionally. While I do not have a close relationship with the industry, I do know that the changes that I saw take place in the fellows suggests the industry over time has felt their impact. I believe Ag Leadership has indeed been effective with its mission.”
15 WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
ALUMNI COUNCIL UPDATE
ALUMNI COUNCIL UPDATE AND ALUMNI EVENT THANK YOUS BY HEATHER MULHOLLAND (44), ALUMNI COUNCIL VICE CHAIR At the Alumni Council (AC) retreat in November, members reviewed the strategic plan and worked with excitement to develop goals that strengthen the alumni community and foster engagement.
Three main takeaways were: • WE INTEND TO OPTIMIZE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE FOUNDATION AND THE ALUMNI COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES CREATION OF AN INFORMATION-RICH ALUMNI DATABASE. • WE ARE DEDICATED TO GROWING LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALUMNI. • WE ARE FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING THE SUPPORT OF ALUMNI IN THEIR MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. The AC is perhaps more motivated and engaged than ever. In conjunction with strong leadership within the foundation, AC members left the retreat reinvigorated and extremely optimistic about the future of Ag Leadership. We are looking forward to the opportunity to reconnect with the broader alumni group at the Ag Leadership Alumni Conference and CALF 50th Celebration, now slated for October 2022.
16 HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
Allied Grape Growers President Jeff Bitter (32) – who donated wine for the inauguration event – with April Bitter, Ryan Stapleton (51) and Jamie Stapleton.
ALUMNI EVENT THANK YOUS Region 2 Social (Oct. 2) The Cunningham family / Rocco Cunningham (50) Taylor Serres (49) Sonoma Mountain Terrace Class 51 Inaugural (Oct. 14) Allied Grape Growers / Jeff Bitter (32) Alumni Council Belmont Nurseries / Jon Reelhorn (38) CALF Education Team Class 50 Tomás Ovalle Dean Brown Golf Tournament (Nov. 5) Erin Amaral (46) Anthony Bozzano (43) Carson Britz (43) Mary Cooper, Pacific Coast Farming Paul Crout (48) Chris Darway (25) Brenda Farias Estrada (42) Heather Jackson (46) Jeff Koligian (18)
Cathe Lincoln, Pacific Coast Farming Jim McGarry (43), Chair Michele McGarry (43 spouse) Daniel Rodrigues (41) Jim Stollberg (35) Mike Testa (40) Region 7 Social with Class 51 (Nov. 11) AGR Partners Tom Gore (51) / Constellation Brands Alumni Council Retreat (Nov. 11-12) AGR Partners James Ewart (49) / Delicato Vineyards
In Memoriam
2021
IN MEMORIAM
Franklin “Woody” Barnes (1) Franklin “Woody” Barnes passed away on July 25, 2021. As a member of Class 1, he traveled internationally to Mexico, England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France and Italy, and nationally to D.C., Illinois, Michigan, Virginia and Alabama. A trained botanist, Woody and his father operated the largest apple and pear orchards in Julian. Many of his memories have been preserved in the book “Woody Barnes: A Farmers Life in Julian,” published in 2020. He was active on many boards, including the San Diego County Farm Bureau, where he served a term as president; Council of California Growers; California State Board of Forestry; and California Rangeland Trust.
Abdul Mohamed (10) Abdul Mohamed passed away Nov. 19, 2021. As a member of Class 10, he traveled internationally to China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, and nationally to D.C., Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Abdul was raised on his family’s farm. He served in the Navy from 1961-1966 and received multiple commendations as a hospital corpsman. Abdul later earned degrees from Cal Poly Pomona and spent 31 years as a vocational ag teacher at Imperial High School. He was active with FFA, 4-H, the local fair, church, school board, Little League and high school softball. Abdul and his wife, Patsy, were married for 53 years and had two children.
Lloyd Stueve (4) Lloyd Stueve passed away on Oct. 8, 2021. As a member of Class 4, he traveled internationally to Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland, Kenya, Ethiopia, Egypt and Italy, and nationally to D.C., Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania. Lloyd was raised on his family’s dairy farm in Monrovia. After serving in the Army for two years, he and his wife, Nancy, operated a heifer ranch in Oakdale and later co-founded S&G Dairy. Encouraged by his time in the program, Lloyd served as president of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau. He loved working alongside his children on the farm and enjoyed watching them carry on family traditions.
Dennis Connor (21) Dennis Connor passed away on Feb. 6, 2021. His long career with Monrovia Nursery – the nation’s leading grower of premium container-grown ornamental and edible plants – included assistant production manager, general manager and vice president. He was quoted in numerous nurseryrelated articles and in 1999 served as president of the Nursery Growers Association. A classmate shared that Dennis was one of 12 children and he had a great sense of humor, a talent for storytelling and a wonderful singing voice.
Bill Daniell (10) Bill Daniell passed away on Aug. 30, 2021. As a member of Class 10, he traveled internationally to China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, and nationally to D.C., Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Holtville, Bill attended Cal Poly Pomona. After college, he and his wife, Shirley, returned to Holtville, where they farmed and raised three children. Bill grew various field and vegetable crops and was one of the first to successfully grow cauliflower in the Imperial Valley. He enjoyed traveling throughout the U.S. and overseas with his wife, annual Class 10 trips, hunting, fishing, cooking and being with family and friends. Pete Fallini (10) Pete Fallini passed away on Jan. 26, 2021. As a member of Class 10, he traveled internationally to China, Hong Kong and the Philippines, and nationally to D.C., Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. As a member of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War, he earned the rank of captain and was awarded the Bronze Star. Pete and his wife, Patty, settled in Santa Paula, and he spent his career with Agland and Farmer’s Irrigation. Pete was active with Santa Paula JAYCEES, Indian Guides, Santa Clara School, Rotary Club and Little League. He enjoyed hiking, fishing, hunting and spending time with his family.
Rick Cosyns (21) Rick Cosyns passed away on Sept. 7, 2021. As a member of Class 21, he traveled internationally to China, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong, and nationally to D.C., Missouri and Illinois. Rick loved spending time with his family, and on the family farm enjoying the orchards, vineyards and their foothill ranch. A skilled fisherman, he enjoyed teaching others the sport, as well as hunting. Rick was a director on the Madera Irrigation District, Madera Planning Commission and numerous other organizations. He and his wife of 34 years, Lynne, had two children. Jerry O’Banion (27) Jerry O’Banion passed away on Feb. 14, 2021. As a member of Class 27, he traveled internationally to Ethiopia, Uganda and South Africa, and nationally to D.C., Mississippi and Tennessee. Jerry began his career at the UC Cooperative Extension in Fresno County and returned to the family business, O’Banion Ranches in Dos Palos, soon after. He served on the city council and later as the mayor of Dos Palos. Jerry was elected to the Merced County Board of Supervisors in 1990 and served a total of 28 years on the board. Upon his retirement in 2018, he and his family formed the J&J O’Banion Ranch, sharing his love of farming with his children and grandchildren.
17 WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
ALUMNI & FELLOWS NEWS Federal Appointment Guzman Appointed EPA Region 9 Regional Administrator President Biden on Dec. 9 appointed Martha Guzman (33) to serve as the regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9. In her new role, Guzman will lead the implementation of the Biden-Harris administration environmental agenda in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, the Pacific Islands and 148 Tribal Nations. EPA’s 10 regional administrators do not require Senate confirmation. Her previous two jobs were commissioner at the California Public Utilities Commission for five years and deputy legislative affairs secretary for Gov. Jerry Brown.
Classes 1-9
Jim Nielsen (5) and his wife, Marilyn,
received the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs (APAPA) Legacy Award for their continued support of the organization and its internship program.
Classes 30-39
Dennis Albiani (32) has been named president and principal shareholder at California Advocates, California’s oldest contract lobbying firm. He will be the fourth president of the 50-year-old broad-based advocacy firm. Julie Morris (33) was named agricultural liaison/project policy analyst for Santa Clara County for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. Teri Murrison (34) was named executive director of the Idaho Coalition of Land Trusts. She previously spent 10 years as the administrator of the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Denise Godfrey (37), who operates Olive Hill
Greenhouses with her parents, was the subject of a feature story (“Botanical artistry”) in the January/February 2022 issue of California Bountiful.
Ivor Van Wingerden (39) was appointed Classes 10-19
Mark Nickerson (13) was featured on the
cover of the November/December 2021 issue of Western Grower & Shipper magazine.
Edwin Camp’s (15) op ed – Community Voices: Making the most of the Kern River: A river hard at work for the hard-working people of Kern County – appeared in the Nov. 28 edition of the Bakersfield Californian. Jim Clare (19) was inducted into the San Joaquin County Agricultural Hall of Fame, which honors individuals who have contributed to agriculture and their community in significant ways as leaders, innovators and mentors.
Classes 20-29
A.G. Kawamura’s (20) op ed – Opinion: A
21st Century solution to delivering nutritious food for those in need – appeared in the Nov. 9 edition of Agri-Pulse.
Joe Pezzini (28) is the new senior director
of agricultural operations for Taylor Farms. He started his career with the Ocean Mist Farms group of companies in 1983 as a farm manager for Boutonnet Farms. Along with two partners, he started Valley Pride Custom Harvesting in 1987.
Devin Nunes (29) was named CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group and is slated to begin his new role in January 2022. He has served as a representative for California’s 22nd Congressional District since 2013, and was a representative for the 21st Congressional District from 2003-2013.
18 HORIZONS MAGAZINE WINTER 2022
by USDA as a producer alternate on the Hass Avocado Board. He will serve a three-year term, which expires on Oct. 31, 2024.
Classes 40-49
Kyle Goehring (40) was named director of
origination for True Green Capital Management LLC, a specialized renewable energy infrastructure private equity firm. He previously worked for Jones Lang Lasalle Incorporated.
Chris Drew (47) was promoted to president and chief executive officer for Ocean Mist Farms. He previously served as the company’s chief operating officer.
Classes 50-51 Class 50 fellows offered a scholarship and mentoring program to students from California high schools. The mission of the program is to provide fiscal support and one-on-one mentoring for students engaged in studies supporting an agriculture-related career. Class 50 will award two recipients a scholarship valued at $1,250.
Multiple Classes Mike Testa (42), outgoing chair of the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) board of directors, was recognized for his leadership and commitment at a CAWG dinner in November 2021. He will continue to serve on the board. Jeff Bitter (32) was elected vice chair of the CAWG board for 2021-22.
Heather Mulholland (44) and Sal Parra, Jr. (46) are Fresno County Farm Bureau’s newest board members; they were installed on Oct. 21, 2021. They join reelected directors Daniel Hartwig (49) (president), John Chandler (44), Jon Reelhorn (38), Alfreda Sebasto (35) and Mark Sorensen (23).
Denise Junqueiro (42) was promoted to vice
president of marketing and communications for Mission Produce. She started at Mission Produce in 2016 as a customer marketing manager.
Jessica Light (44) was honored with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine 2021 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her sustained support of the school’s livestock clinical training programs. Tom Merwin (44) was named a 2022 Nuffield International Scholar. He is one of nine farmers and agri-professionals from the U.S., Chile, Japan and Brazil who will join the unique global network of Nuffield International Scholars. He is the first-ever Nuffield Scholar from California. Abby Taylor-Silva (45) was honored by
the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences with the 2021 Award of Distinction – Distinguished Friends of the College in recognition for her leadership and efforts advocating for farmworker safety during the pandemic.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE? PLEASE SEND ANNOUNCEMENTS OR NEWS TO: lrobertson@agleaders.org
THANK YOU
DONOR SUPPORT
OCTOBER 1, 2021 - DECEMBER 31, 2021
Brian Talley Ellen and Mike Way Woolf Farming and Processing John Weiler Western Ag Crop Insurance Services LLC (Todd Snider) $200,000 $1,000 – $2,499 John and Teresa Zonneveld The Otis Booth Foundation Agriland Farming Co., Inc. Anonymous $55,000 – $75,000 $500 – $999 Arthur Bliss Ranch Almond Board of California Yissel Barajas A-Bar Ag Enterprises (Aaron John and Sheila Lake Barcellos) James Beecher Anonymous Fred and Caroline Berry Aaron Barcellos Jeff and April Bitter $21,000 – $50,000 Art Barrientos Carson and Natalie Britz Dean Brown Leadership William Bennett Mark and Mona Burrell Foundation John Boyes Karen Caplan Region 9 Golf Tournament William and Jennifer Carriere Richard and Fran Bozzano The Zenith William Chandler Ben and Denise Carter Lucinda Chipponeri Jim and Ellen Clare $10,000 – $14,099 Hal and Sue Collin Canterbury Consulting, Inc. Chino Valley Ranchers Charlie and Jackie Crabb Doug and Jan Circle (Circle Clauss Dairy Farms Paul Crout William Coit Vision) Les and Cindy Crutcher Doug DeGroff Ladera Foundation Steve and Kelly Danna Doug and Jane Dickson Lagomarsino Group DiBuduo Land Management Matthew Efird Montpelier Farming CO., Inc. Elkhorn Packing Co., LLC Corporation Miranda Driver Rick and Bonnie Fenaroli Tom Mulholland John Ellis Matt and Julie Fisher Peggy Sears Perry Fanciful Company Five Crowns Marketing Syngenta Fresno Equipment Company Donna Caston Farmer Wells Fargo Joseph Ferrara John and Sharon Garner Michael and Jennifer Young Fred and Susan Ferro Dino Giacomazzi Seth and Sandy Fiack John and Jane Gibson $5,000 – $6,499 Kay Filice Hans and Jillian Herkert Anonymous Mike and Jeanette Fitch Kevin and Diane Herman Burroughs Family Orchards Robert and Sheryl Flores J.D. Heiskell Company (Heriberto and Benina Robin Flournoy Kimberly Clauss Jorritsma Montes; Rose Marie John and Mary Ann Frye Holly King Burroughs) Bill Gisvold Bob and Jennifer Kolberg Rick Burnes (Sunridge Rob and Joyel Goff Charles Kosmont Nurseries, Inc.) Robert Goodwin Dwight and Nancy Ferguson Leavens Ranches LLC Linder Equipment Company John and Carol Gorter Bob and Pat Gray Jonathan “Jody” Graves Michael and Mary Ann John and Betsy Grether Edward Grether Maciel Jim and Betsy Hansen Nicole Hayden Mark and Megan McKean HMC Marketing Les and Janet Heringer Candice and Justin Micheli Stanley Kjar Jr. Huntington Farms Justin Micheli Paul Parreira Dale and Mary Jane Huss Justin Morehead Richard Pidduck Junior Enterprises, LLC Heather Mulholland Riddle Farms, LLC (Kevin Nelson Irrigation Corporation Denise Junqueiro Riddle) Pacific Ag Management, Inc. Nomie Kautz Pierre Tada Stan and Sheri Lester Beth Brookhart Pandol Bob Lilley Ty and Sheri Parkinson $2,500 – $3,099 Jazmin Lopez Anthony Costa & Sons, LLC Sal and Ramona Parra Adam Lovgren Tom and Kelley Parsons Philip Bowles Lyons Land Management L.P. John Pucheu Anthony Bozzano Lyons’ Investments, L.P. Daniel Rodrigues John Colbert Todd Manley Leland Ruiz Gary and Diana Cusumano Doug McGeoghegan Rick and Michelle John and Gail Gray Kent and Kathryn McKenzie Schellenberg Hancock Farmland Services Ed McLaughlin Kevin and Lori Steward Land IQ Danielle and Steve McShane Rosemary Talley J. Link and Sally Leavens Jason Miller David and Judy Theodore John and Edyth Ledbetter John and Eda Muller Craig Underwood Pecht Ranch Jonathan Munger Val Mar Farming, LLC Jean and Bill Phillimore Stephen and Wendy Murrill R. Gorrill Ranch Enterprises Deanna van Klaveren Mike and Megan Newton Garnett Vann Gerry and Elaine Rominger Joseph Petersen Mary-Ann Warmerdam Jan Smith
$500,000
Resnick Foundation
Eugene Peterson Pioneer Equipment Co. (Dave Wilson) Ron and Phyllis Quinn Maureen and Sherm Railsback Alan and Patricia Reynolds Salmonson Family Trust Ryan and Tracy Schohr Andrew Duffy Sill Abby Taylor-Silva Scott and Susan Van Der Kar Roger Wood Stuart Yamamoto Norm Yenni
$250 – $499
Jose Luis Aguiar Julie Allen David and Nina Ames American Takii, Inc. Cherie Watte Angulo David Arakelian Steven and Deborah Arnold Bob and Anne Atkins Linda Ballentine Thomas Chandler Michael Chrisman Michele Clark Class 48 Edwin Coe Noelle Cremers CRS Farming, LLC Clay Daulton Peter DeGroot Steven Dennis John and Antoinette Draxler Mark and Lorraine Edsall Tom and Rose Ann Ellis Richard Engel James Ewart Joey Fernandes Louise Fisher Bryan Foley Lori Frommer Michael George Janet and Glen Goto George Gough Layci Gragnani Less and Claudia Guthrie Phil Hogan Gayle Holman Holt of California Glenda Humiston Benny and Donna Jefferson Janis Jones Kevin and Denise Jones Michael Kuehn Larry and Elise Layne William and Kristine Lewis Eric Limas Robert Longatti Ralph and Denene Lucchetti Caleb and Kate McCutcheon Leo McGuire Dina and Mark Moore Richard and Charlene Moss
Sopac McCarthy Mulholland James Neeley Joanne Nissen Sam Oki Steve and Elaine Olson Brenda Ouwerkerk Lane and Joyce Parker Vernon and Carol Peterson Mark Quisenberry Todd and Andrea Rehrman Meredith Rehrman Ritchie Don Roberts Lisa Rosenquist Karen Ross Ruben and Nancy Rueda Douglas Rudd Joe and Jill Sabol Mark and Kim Sorensen Paul Sousa and Family Keith and Marcia Swinger Lance and Audrey Tennis The Gualco Group, Inc. Ann Thrupp Joe Turkovich Michael Turnipseed VF and B Farms, Inc. David Viviani Paul Violett David Warter Ken Wiseman
Karen Wetzel Schott Dave and Chamaine Silva Julie Spezia Bill Van Skike Bob Steinhauer Robert Steinhauer Doris Uyeda Tim Vaux
$100 – $249
Albert Adreveno: $103.20
Amazon Smile Emily and Tony Ayala Scott Berndt Karen and Judith Buchinger Robert and Nancy Cadenazzi Kirk Clark Jeff Colombini Margaret D’Arrigo Peter and Sandra Dinkler Dennis and Marilyn Icardi Bruce Hall Ron Hardy Benjamin Henry A.G. Kawamura Melissa Lema Jenny Lester-Moffitt Melissa Macfarlane Margaret Martindale Michael McCaffrey Dexter and Lynda McDonald Matt and Luanne McInerney Daryn Miller Nicholas and Shelly Miller Julie Morris Teri and Richard Murrison Maxwell and Diane Norton Mark Oldenkamp Libby Ouellette Punit Parmar Mathew Patton Rich and Dorothy Peterson Robert Rathbone Kevin and Liza Robertson Peter and Carissa Rystrom
Up to $99
Jane Barnes Christina Fischer Cathy Haas Bart Hill Julie Johnson Mary Kimball Susan and Gene Lundquist Adam Martinez Peggy McNutt
In Memory of Woody Barnes
Richard Clauss: $100
In Memory of Rick Cosyns
Lynne Cosyns: $1,000 Deborah Hurley: $514.80 Susan Zumwalt: $50
In Memory of Monica Garibaldi
In Honor of Bob Gray Edwin and Kaye Camp: $2,572.80
In Honor of Bill & Mary Lyons Bill Lyons: $1,000
In Memory of Melvin Oneto
Ken and Florrie Oneto: $334.72
In Memory of Paul Davy & Sonny Kalkat
Martha Aceves: $51.75
In Memory of Lloyd Stueve
Larry Lemke: $1,000 Bob and Shirley Dempel: $100
In Kind
TMD Creative: $1,500
Class 50 Giving Scott Berndt: $30
19 WINTER 2022 HORIZONS MAGAZINE
80 GARDEN COURT, SUITE 270 MONTEREY, CA 93940 Return Service Requested
HORIZONS MAGAZINE is published by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation for alumni, donors, supporters and friends. Phone: 831-585-1030 www.agleaders.org
NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Salinas, CA Permit No.61