Horizons Spring 2013

horizons California Agricultural Leadership Foundation Magazine

S P R I N G 2013

GEORGE SOARES

Leader, Lawyer, Lifelong Farmer

We grow leaders who make a difference.

CHAIR MESSAGE

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Leadership Lessons, Perspectives and Stories A message

California Agricultural Leadership Foundation Magazine

Spring 2013 • www.agleaders.org

from Loren Booth and Bob Gray

The following pages contain leadership lessons, a variety of perspectives, history and wonderful stories of transformational journeys through Ag Leadership.

Throughout these, there is an underlying strand of self-renewal, introspection, and leadership moments that combine to help create “leaders who make a difference.”

The “gift” of Ag Leadership in our lives, whether direct or indirect, continues to astound me. As life unfolds, the continuous process of self-discovery and self-renewal is a constant in a changing world. My Ag Leadership journey taught me to learn from your life, learn from your failures, and learn from your successes. “What is it trying to teach me?” The lessons keep coming; it’s not always easy, yet it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect and look inward.

As John Gardner said, “Some men and women make the world a better place by just being the kind of people that they are.” To be that kind of person would be worth all the years of living and learning. As you read the following pages and reflect upon Ag Leadership’s effect upon yourself, your loved ones, your community, and the world around us, may it bring a smile to your face. Knowing you are a part of something that has touched so many in such a positive way is a gift.

“We grow leaders who make a difference” – what a fabulous way to go through life.

Best, Loren Booth (27) Chair, CALF Board of Directors

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READ RETROSPECTIVES FROM THREE CLASS 1 FELLOWS.

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George Soares (4): Leader, Lawyer, Lifelong Farmer

FEATURES 7 10 12 13 16

Class 1: The Original 30 Joe Sabol: My Journey with Ag Leadership Leadership Focus: Dr. Sara Daubert Guest Column: Devin Nunes (29) New Fellowship Funds Established

DEPARTMENTS 2 2 3 14 15 18

Chair Message Calendar of Events Foundation News Alumni Council Events Alumni & Fellows News Donor Recognition

CALENDAR OF EVENTS APRIL

CALF BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair/ Loren Booth Vice Chair/ Jeff Elder Secretary - Treasurer/ Mary-Ann Warmerdam Edwin Camp John Colbert A.G. Kawamura Ejnar Knudsen Joe MacIlvaine Chris Nelson Rod Stark Pierre Tada Deanna van Klaveren Dr. Lester Young Rob Yraceburu

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COVER STORY

CALF STAFF President and CEO / Bob Gray | bob.gray@agleaders.org Director of Education / Dr. Michael Thomas | mthomas@agleaders.org Program Advisor / Dr. Charlie Crabb | ccrabb@agleaders.org Finance & Human Resources / Teresa Straub | tstraub@agleaders.org Program Coordinator / Judy Sparacino | jsparacino@agleaders.org Enterprise Coordinator / Emily Clark | eclark@agleaders.org WRITER/EDITOR Meredith Rehrman Ritchie mritchie@agleaders.org DESIGNER TMDcreative

1-3 6 11 17-19 18

Class 42 seminar, Santa Clara All Class Reunion, Ventura Common Threads, Fresno Class 43 seminar, Cal Poly Pomona CALF board meeting, Salinas

MAY

6-8 16-18 17 14

Class 42 seminar, Davis/Sacramento Class 43 seminar, SLO Region 7 recruitment event, Talley Vineyards Class 44 phase one application due

JUNE

3-5 5 5 5 5

Class 42 seminar, Pomona Class 42 Commencement Alumni Council meeting Education Team meeting CALF board of directors meeting

JULY

10-11 17-18 22-23 24-25 30-31

Screening committee, Pomona Screening committee, Fresno Screening committee, Chico Screening committee, Davis Screening committee, SLO

AUGUST

3-10

Washington, D.C. Educational Fellowship Program / Regions 6, 7 and 8

AG LEADERSHIP

Edwin Camp Named to CALF Board The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation has welcomed a new member to its board of directors. Edwin Camp (15), of Bakersfield, joined the board in January 2013.

Camp is president of D.M. Camp & Sons in Kern County. The farming operation was founded by his grandfather in 1936 and carried on by his father as W.B. Camp & Son, which grew cotton, potatoes, other row and field crops, and operated a Washingtonbased seed-potato farm and a South Carolina cattle operation Today, D.M. Camp & Sons farms wine and table grapes, almonds, carrots, garlic, potatoes, Clementine tangerines and wheat. The Camp family also operates a cold storage, three John Deere farm equipment dealerships, and a John Deere engine distributorship serving California, Hawaii and much of Nevada and Arizona.

Camp earned a bachelor’s degree in crop science in 1979 from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he graduated with honors, was president of the Crops Club, and involved with NAMA, Toastmasters and Alpha Zeta. He is active in many industry organizations, including director for the Arvin-Edison Water Storage District and North Kern Water Storage District. Camp is a director and former chairman of Western Growers Association and has served on the Cal Poly College of Agriculture Advisory Council since 2003. He is also a director on the Christian Performing Artist’s Fellowship.

Camp was in high school when he first became aware of the Ag Leadership Program, hearing about it from his former Sunday school teacher, Class 5 alumnus Tom Almberg. After graduating from Cal Poly to begin farming with his family, Camp’s future brother-in-law, Class 12 alumnus Jack Pandol, encouraged him to consider applying to the program.

>> Foundation News

Excellent Response to Challenge Grant The $1,000,000 matching challenge grant offered by the James G. Boswell Foundation last fall stimulated a generous response among alumni, industry partners and other friends of Ag Leadership.

At the end of February, some $800,000 in cash had been raised since the challenge grant was announced, with $146,000 of additional gifts pledged in multi-year installments. Of these totals, some $297,000 was earmarked for the endowment, which is about three times the pattern of recent years, not including the pledges!

Gifts have ranged in size from $20 to $100,000. Thank you all for contributing to this important milestone on our way to the goal.

This issue of Horizons is pleased to present several personal stories of warm and generous philanthropy, all inspired in different ways by the Ag Leadership Program. These donors were part of the reason that the 2012 fundraising appeal was so successful.

Compared to recent years, both dollars and participation rates were up, and it is noteworthy that every alumni class contributed to the campaign at the end of 2012.

With 80% of the challenge now in hand, we are confident that we will meet the threshold for the matching grant within the time frame set, which is Dec. 31, 2013. Once met, the James G. Boswell Foundation will issue its gift in honor of J.G. Boswell II. To sustain this program for the next 44 years (we are now recruiting Class 44), we must continue to grow our endowment in order to ease the financial burden placed on fundraising events and annual giving. One way to accomplish this is to be inspired by the example of the donors profiled in this issue, or via planned giving.

The foundation is happy to assist with estate and legacy planning.

If you haven’t done so already, we hope you will join the hundreds of others who believe in the mission of this program – “We grow leaders who make a difference” – and that you will decide to make a difference in the lives of others, for today and tomorrow. On behalf of all the graduates of this program – past, present and future – we extend our sincere appreciation for your support.

–Bob Gray

“I applied, not realizing the education and the challenges that would result from becoming a member of Class 15, much less the network of friends, teachers, coaches and ag industry colleagues that would develop,” said Camp.

CALF President and CEO Bob Gray is confident that Camp will be an excellent addition to the board. “As a successful businessman, leader in agriculture and Ag Leadership alumnus, Edwin will provide valuable expertise and input to help further our goals for the foundation and the program.”

CALF CHALLENGE GRANT

>> CALF’s New Fellowship Funds Four new fellowship funds have been established for the foundation. Read more about the people behind them on pages 16-17.

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“It is an honor to now be asked to serve as a director for the California Ag Leadership Foundation,” said Camp. “It is an organization that I believe in as a result of what it has meant to my life and to our industry, and which is healthy, relevant and positively affecting our industry due to the vision, hard work and generosity of many people yesterday and today. CALF is a quality program that produces great results!”

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Cover Story

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GEORGE SOARES

For more than four decades, George Soares has been an influential leader in California agriculture and a devoted advocate of higher education. A founding member and managing partner of the law firm of Kahn, Soares & Conway, Soares is considered one of the top ag lobbyists in the state. He appears regularly before the California State Legislature and various state and federal administrative agencies.

He and his firm – which has an extensive client list, including some of the biggest ag organizations and companies in the industry – have been responsible for drafting and influencing thousands of legislative and regulatory proposals. But Soares has always held tight to his dairy and farming roots.

Horizons spoke with Mr. Soares about his career, public service, leadership and Ag Leadership.

Commitment to Agriculture Soares was born on a small dairy farm in Harmony, Calif. and later moved with his family to Hanford where they continued in the dairy and farming business.

Agriculture has always been at my core – sometimes by design, sometimes by circumstance. I have personal and business interests well beyond agriculture but without exception, I am involved with the industry every day, one way or another. My formative years on the farm, FFA and then majoring in agricultural business management at Cal Poly set the stage.

After receiving my undergraduate degree, I worked as a pest control advisor before law school and serving as consultant to the State Legislature’s Assembly Committee on Agriculture, and participating in the Ag Leadership Program. Later, when we established our law practice, it was a logical extension of my past to include a major focus on agriculture. So, the commitment comes from the very beginning and then life

circumstances kept me in this big family of agriculture.

I count myself very fortunate for the experiences I have had. Agriculture is always where I have felt comfortable with the people and the issues. That enjoyment continues to this day whether I am in the State Capitol or at the dairy with a shovel in hand. In both instances, I have the opportunity to work with a team, develop ideas, and then make something positive happen.

Commitment to Cal Poly and the CSU Soares has served Cal Poly and the CSU system since his student days when he was student body president and Poly Royal superintendent.

I have a deep, lifelong connection to Cal Poly, starting with my grandfather, who was a student there in 1912. In many important ways, my life began at Cal Poly. A world opened up to me that I didn’t know existed. What I received from Cal Poly was life altering and has stayed with me to this day. I have a strongly held belief that those who receive have the responsibility to give and because of what I received from Cal

AG LEADERSHIP

I have been involved with the California State University system for many years.

It all began with an idea I shared with the chancellor. Since its inception, the CSU has graduated tens of thousands of agricultural students from its colleges of agriculture but it did not have an advisory committee to provide ongoing counsel to the chancellor, university presidents and deans of ways to partner on critical issues affecting the industry and the institution. The chancellor embraced the idea and I have been honored to serve on the committee since its inception.

Educating the Next Generation Nine years ago Soares helped develop a public policy course for students majoring in agriculture that is now being taught at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State and Cal Poly Pomona.

The creation of this course has been embraced by many in agriculture who give of their time, talent and resources to benefit the next generation. In its own way, it has similarity to the Ag Leadership Program.

With industry leaders serving as guest lecturers, eye opening experiences at the State Capitol and quality time with high ranking public officials, students are provided first hand experience to go with the theoretical training received in the classroom. It’s an intense effort to expose students to critical issues that probably will affect their futures, and it gives them the chance to develop relationships with people in public service who are influencing and making decisions impacting all of us in

agriculture. It’s a very hands-on program providing students a better sense of how they can effectively interact with government as they move into their careers, all brought to them compliments of California agriculture.

Mentoring Has an Impact A few years ago I gave a eulogy for a farmer who I had known since my college days. I told the gathering that he had been a mentor to me even though he may have not realized it. I have been very fortunate over the years to have been mentored in the traditional sense and through the conduct of others, both of which have had a big impact on my life. Perhaps each of us in our way is being a mentor to others like that farmer was to me and we may never know it.

For me, that’s okay. The important thing is to fulfill one’s obligation to the next generation. Set a positive example. Get engaged. Make a difference.

Leadership Traits for Success Honesty, integrity and loyalty are absolutes in my opinion. Learn and understand the thinking and needs of others; an important message delivered repeatedly during my time in the Ag Leadership Program. Build on ideas.

Learn from mistakes. Understand that often the solution to complexity is simplicity.

As simple as it sounds, leaders are inquisitive and often good listeners.

Each of us knows what we know. Some are content with that while others push the envelope, seek out others for opinion, challenge their knowledge and beliefs, and in the process, grow themselves and those around them.

For agriculture to continue to thrive in California with all of the state’s competing pressure points, I am certain that these leadership qualities – and probably a lot more I have not mentioned – must be a part of our future.

Fostering Ideas and Leadership at Work Every week our entire staff at the law firm, from the receptionist to the most senior members, meets to discuss pending issues. We do this for coordination but equally important, we do it to message an expectation of leadership, and to encourage involvement and bright ideas. From our experience, this model has added value in multiple ways, including individual growth of our team. I do the same at the dairy. Employees need to see leadership and need to be empowered with an expectation of leadership, which is directly tied to the success of the business, whether it be law, dairy or farming.

Teamwork is Essential Teamwork is a cornerstone to how we have built our law practice as well as the dairy and farming operation. I have never felt the need to be the smartest guy in the room. My need is to be in the room with talented, solution oriented people. Team may be an overused word but I am a big believer. I once heard a speaker on the subject break down the letters in the word team to mean together everyone accomplishes more. I think that says it all.

Opinions are Important An important leadership lesson for me is to be bigger than the moment and not allow self interest to narrow critical

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Poly, my commitment to return value is absolute.

>> Cover Story

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Cover Story

thinking. That means inviting opinion. It also means being comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable with the result of analysis and the pressure associated with implementation of a business plan.

Ideas Need Leadership The Agricultural Leadership Program and the World Ag Expo, to name just two great success stories, are glowing examples of the power of an idea backed up with leadership. No doubt, there are countless other great ideas floating around agriculture, but I worry that too often they fade away because they lack critical mass to get them up and running and sustainable for generations to come. In a state of 38 million residents, headed to 50 million in a few decades, we need more bright ideas. Otherwise, over time we as an industry will be guilty of isolating ourselves from the increasingly urban state in which we live.

Solutions Versus Problems Soares and his wife, Gloria, operate a dairy and grow walnuts, corn and wheat on their farm in Hanford.

I greatly value agriculture. It keeps me focused.

It’s an industry where we all confront and solve problems every day, assuming of course that we want to stay in business. This is such a contrast to the government process which, like agriculture, starts the day with its own set of problems but way too often ends the day in the same position or worse.

I often tell the next generation that their success in agriculture requires in all ways that their preparation and execution must surpass those who preceded them. Knowledge of the governmental process must be high on the list. With all of its intrusiveness and imperfection, it is and will continue to be a major factor in determining our success or failure.

The Agricultural Leadership Program Soares is a graduate and served on the CALF board of directors for nine years.

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One of the program’s great values was exposing me to the world beyond what I had previously experienced. I expect that many of the alums would say the same. Through the training I received from the program, my world expanded as did my curiosity about the human condition and the role agriculture could and should play in society.

About George Soares Education • Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: B.S., Ag Business, 1966 • University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law: J.D., 1973 Honors and Recognitions • CSU Board of Trustees: Honorary Degree / Doctor of Laws • CSU Alumni Council: 2007 Cal Poly Alumni Advocate of the Year • Cal Poly SLO Alumni Association: 2012 Distinguished Service Award • Cal Poly SLO: 1987 Honored Alumnus for College of Agriculture • Cal Poly SLO: Commencement speaker (1992, 2008) • California Ag Aircraft Association: Honorary Lifetime Member • Western Crop Protection Association: Honorary Lifetime Member • FFA: Honorary State Degree • American Crop Protection Association: Outstanding Service Award • California State Fair: Golden Bear Award for service to youth • California Ag Leadership Foundation: Profiles in Leadership Award • California Cotton Ginning Association: Distinguished Service Award • Capitol Weekly: Ranked #9 on 2010 list and #18 on 2009 list of top 100 California political power brokers Appointments • CSU Agricultural Advisory Committee: chair • Cal Poly Corporation board of directors: member for 25 years • Cal Poly Presidents’ Cabinet: member • Cal Poly Foundation board of directors: founding member • California Ag Leadership Foundation: former board member; Class 4 alumnus • San Joaquin College of Law Agricultural Advisory Board: member

I absolutely believe the Agricultural Leadership Program continues to have value. What the program founders conceived in the late 1960s is as timely today as it was then. I will always hold them in high regard. They were big thinkers who knew the value of and need for leadership in our evolving world. Shame on us if we don’t honor their vision and do all we can – not only in our careers, but beyond – to add value to our great industry. Otherwise, why be in the program? For those accepted to participate, the commitment for the betterment of agriculture must be absolute.

Photos by Vannesa Wright

CLASS 1

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Feature Story

They were the first. Almost 43 years ago, 30 men from across California were the trailblazers selected to the first class of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

It was a brand new program; the fellows didn’t know exactly what to expect or how it would have an impact. They didn’t have a website to look at or informational brochures to read or former fellows to talk to. But they knew it would be an incredible educational opportunity. Since Class 1’s inauguration in 1970, nearly 1,200 fellows have followed in their footsteps. Class 1 members Al Guilin, John Salisbury and Ralph De Leon have written retrospectives about those first three years.

By Al Guilin

“Good Lord, what do you mean it’s been 40 years?” responded my wife, Jo Ann,when I told her the Agricultural Leadership Program was celebrating its 40th anniversary a few years ago.

We were in Class 1 and somehow 43 years has now elapsed. Where did the time go? Has it really been more than four decades since a group of young men and their wives met for the first time? These strangers, for the most part, embarked on a program with imprecise goals hoping for a positive impact on California’s most important industry – agriculture. Not only that, it was a three-year personal commitment into the unknown (in a sense).

In all honesty, I was happy in my work at the Limoneira Company and in our small town. I knew the local people, I was enjoying a certain amount of success and there was no particular reason to rock my boat. Then came the concept of the Ag Leadership Program, mostly in the form of articles written by people I didn’t know, but with just enough information to arouse one’s curiosity. Thinking it an interesting opportunity, I spoke to a few people who were helping to form the program and decided to apply.

A short time thereafter we met as a class for the first time. With the exception of Ralph De Leon, who was from my area, I knew no one. I may have heard or read about some of my colleagues, but I had no clue who they were or why they were selected to be in the program. Frankly, I wasn’t too sure why I was selected.

After 43 years, the Ag Leadership Program has matured to a respected, well-organized educational program.

The initial class was a three-year program, which was a long commitment for us as individuals, our employers and the program. A handful of visionary California farmers saw a need to be well represented in the larger social order – not only in our local ag organizations, but in the entire spectrum of society from government to arts to the slums.

“What the heck were you doing in the slums of Los Angeles?” asked a friend when I mentioned the program. I can’t remember exactly how I responded.

However, unless one sees poverty, futility and despair in children’s faces, you can never know the real world we live in. Similarly, being stretched into the world of music, art and theater also broadens one’s world perspective.

Farmers listening to opera raised some

eyebrows!

“What the heck were you doing in the slums of Mexico?” asked a friend. When we looked at these same issues from the international perspective, the question becomes even more thought provoking.

I think about meeting and visiting with Earl Warren, who had served as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States for 16 years and governor of California for three terms. What a remarkable opportunity and experience for my fellow classmates (by now, friends) and me. It was this type of experience that the program intended to provide and it delivered.

In a way, all of these experiences take away one’s focus from growing lemons, broccoli or artichokes. These distractions can be detrimental to one’s day-to-day work. How can worrying about the plight of a hungry child in the inner city or international issues

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Retrospective

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Feature Story

increase the broccoli production in the Santa Maria Valley? For most of us, there is no direct connection or we just choose to ignore the problem. Perhaps even worse is that we can remain blissfully ignorant of these issues if we stay confined in our small world.

Perhaps these questions 43 years later can be answered more succinctly. We know that international trade is a fact of life. Even in agricultural products international trade is important, and in many California commodities it’s crucial. So political circumstances abroad can directly affect local growers.

It is a fact of life and being ignorant or ignoring these situations can be economically fatal.

An impressive part of the Ag Leadership Program has been its ability to transform itself to meet challenges and opportunities. Changing to a 16-month program recognized efficiencies that were needed.

Perhaps the most important change was accepting women in Class 7. It recognized the importance of this Retrospective

Credit must be given to that handful of growers and others in agricultural businesses that recognized the challenge over 40 years ago and were willing then and continue to support this great adventure. From my personal perspective my world had not changed much, but my perspective of the world is much different and perhaps much improved for participating in this dynamic and far-reaching educational program.

Perhaps just as far reaching are the friendships developed within each class and then similar connections that develop and thrive on a local and regional basis. There’s that common element and common experience that connect each of us. In many cases, even

when there is individual difference of opinions, there is still that common denominator that our experience in the Ag Leadership Program provides.

On a more practical level, it would be interesting to determine how many leadership positions in the agriculture industry have been filled by graduates.

Many members might have achieved positions without the program, but I strongly believe that leadership was developed and was more effective as a direct result of the Ag Leadership Program. Furthermore, these same skills are effective in the numerous organizations we belong to; Rotary Clubs, community groups, churches and public offices have benefited by the training and experience imparted by the Ag Leadership Program.

Many thanks to the visionaries who founded, supported and continue to support this important adventure in our extraordinarily productive agricultural state.

By Ralph De Leon

Being selected for the Agricultural Leadership Program is something I will cherish forever. Forty years have passed since we graduated; some things begin to escape my mind, but the important events will never be forgotten. There are so many stories I could tell!

I was selected simply by chance. I had just been discharged from the Army.

My superior (at work) was sent an application to the program, but he felt that it was more important that I apply and bring that knowledge and experience back to the company. We had just lost the Bracero Program and the company, like many companies that used braceros, was going through an adjustment period.

I was fortunate to have been selected to Class 1. During our monthly get togethers, it was interesting to hear the fellows from Northern California discuss water issues with the fellows from Southern California. We came from different backgrounds, grew different crops and had different perspectives.

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segment of the population. Women have assumed roles in agriculture that have been essential in the overall progress of the industry. One of California’s successes has been its ability to recognize changes and opportunities and its ability to change quickly to take advantage of these changes.

The camaraderie with the 30 of us was amazing. We all had something in common, but we learned so much from each other. There was no competition, no jealousies, just friendship.Through the program, you develop close friendships with some of your classmates. If I needed something, I could pick up the phone, call a classmate and they’d help me.

There were many seminars during our three years in the program. I recall the seminars being very informative and enlightening. It was an eye opener to meet our elected officials in California and Washington, D.C. Many people were instrumental in opening doors for us in Washington.

Our international trip was to Europe; most of us had not been there before, including me, so it was an incredible experience to see and learn about different cultures and issues abroad.

In addition to my Class 1 travels, I was asked to accompany Class 2 to Central America and Class 6 to South America to serve as an interpreter. So one of the highlights of the program for me was meeting 89 great fellows from all over California. I was fortunate because I had the pleasure of knowing my own class members, as well as members of Class 2 and Class 6. I learned so much from them.

I remember the time when we were in Rio de Janeiro (traveling to Brasília) and the luggage for the group did not arrive in time for the flight. I was forced to stay at the airport to wait for the luggage for the next flight, and I recall the controversy it created when I checked in with more than 70 pieces of luggage.

I give my appreciation to the founders, because without them we wouldn’t be

where we are today with this program.

I give much credit to Ag Leadership, UC Davis, Fresno State, Cal Poly SLO and Cal Poly Pomona for providing the staff, teachers, deans and others who did (and continue to do) so much for the program. I am grateful to the Boswell Foundation and all others that contributed financially to the program to sustain it for four decades.

The Ag Leadership Program allowed me to meet people that I would probably not have met in my lifetime. I credit my personal development to the program, as it allowed me to go into business on my own and to harvest fruit not only in California, but also in Hawaii, Florida and the Bahamas. Ag Leadership also encouraged me to be involved and take on leadership roles in the community, state and nationwide organizations, farm groups, University of California, President’s Commission, the Farmerto-Farmer Program to Paraguay, and many local and national ag employment groups.

I can truly say that if it not had been for the Ag Leadership Program, who knows what I would be doing today?

AG LEADERSHIP

By John Salisbury

It is amazing what four plus decades has wrought! The Agricultural Leadership Program, in which I was a proud Class 1 member, was a real extreme idea at the time that was sorely needed. The concept was not to teach us more about agriculture – most of us were already established – but to develop leaders in California agriculture that could stand up in front of a crowd or one-on-one with politicians, regulators and the general public, and defend and promote our livelihood with a united voice.

It wasn’t cowboy versus sodbuster or Nor Cal vs. So Cal, but a concept of unification along the lines of “all for one and one for all.” By selecting members from Modoc to the Imperial Valley and a mix of all types of ag producers, it brought about an appreciation of what was faced by other facets of agriculture and issues in their regions.

The program was not only heavily slanted to public speaking and discussion groups, but it educated us about music, social and political problems (Vietnam was still going on), financial markets, and many other topics. The idea was to round off our rough edges and get us out of the tunnel vision of our individual lives so that we could represent our industry with some sort of professionalism.

The theory was kind of like, but not as extreme as, the quote by Kathleen Mifsud: “Men are like fine wine. They start out like grapes and it’s our job to stomp on them and keep them in the dark until they mature into something you would like to have dinner with.”

Being exposed to different events and having personal contact with business leaders, politicians, celebrities and other very interesting people (foreign and domestic), gave us a strong base to feel comfortable outside of our agricultural oriented skins.

Our first year included a trip back east to the Kellogg headquarters in Michigan, Washington D.C., and the South. Touring the South, we tried to get a handle on the old plantation farming, slavery and sharecropper era, and then ended up in New Orleans. In D.C., I had the pleasure of spending about 20 minutes alone with and Chief Justice Earl Warren, a fellow Californian, before introducing him

to our class. He wanted to know who we were, and after explaining our backgrounds, I warned him it could be a tough crowd because of some of his stances.

The cutoff age for Class 1 was 40, so the majority of our classmates were in their late 30s because of the need to get some of the top candidates in before they were too old. I imagine we had the highest average age of any class, and I must say on the more cantankerous side. So we would ask Justice Warren a question, say, about his ruling on “One man, one vote,” and he would go into a 15-minute dissertation about the problem, the law and reasoning for the ruling to where no one could disagree with him. It was masterful.

of dedicated agricultural leaders from a bit of a rocky beginning – as is common with all new programs.

The dedicated founders, deans, professors, campus coordinators and staff made this program work and it is the basis for many similar programs across the nation. To all of them I say, “Congratulations and thanks for an experience of a lifetime.”

The second year we went to Mexico on a bus tour from the border to Mexico City. Not so much agriculture, but what Mexico was really about – which was surprisingly different in many ways than some of our preconceived notions.

During our third year we traveled to several of the Common Market countries, including England, Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy. We learned about how the European Common Market (EEU) worked, especially since the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark had recently joined. The highlight was a bus tour through France concentrating on the arts and the wine business. As a winegrape grower now (a tomato/ pear guy then), I wish I’d paid more attention when classmate Bob Steinhauer, Beringer’s viticulturist, kept trying to explain to me all the special nuances of French wine. I was more interested in getting my share!

An interesting side note is that six of our wives, including mine, demanded late in the planning that they should also be able to go to Europe. Was this the beginning of female equality in the program? Joining us wasn’t feasible, but they were allowed to make a parallel trip. At the end of our trip we met up in Milan, Italy, where our daughter Jennifer – forever known in our class as the “Milano Girl” and a brand name for our fresh roma tomatoes – was conceived (that’s another story…details not forthcoming!).

The Ag Leadership Program has certainly evolved into a large network

CLASS 1 FELLOWS Woody Barnes Donald Brockhoff Grant Chappell Richard Clauss Jim Coelho Jim Cooley Ralph De Leon Thomas Dungan Milo Ferini Kirk Fowler Ken Gardner Ron Gilman Al Guilin Less Guthrie Larry Hooker John Jackson Leo Lynch James Manassero Leo Marihart Ron Metzler John Nakamura James Rice Alfred Romo Joe Russ John Salisbury Thomas Smith Robert Steinhauer Henry Stone Howard Wackman Warren Weber

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Retrospective

>> Feature Story

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Reflections

40 YEARS

Class 31 international trip.

MY JOURNEY WITH AG LEADERSHIP

By Dr. Joe Sabol

“Joe, I need your help videotaping some ag leaders who are coming to Cal Poly this Saturday.”

Way back in the fall of 1972, my first year teaching at Cal Poly, Dean of Agriculture J. Cordner Gibson came to my office and asked for some help on a Saturday morning. Little did I know that this was the beginning of an amazing 40-year leadership journey for me.

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Back in the early days, the four deans from Cal Poly SLO, Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno State and UC Davis were also the coordinators who made all the program arrangements for the seminars on their respective campuses.

Every time the Ag Leadership Program came to Cal Poly, I would jump at the chance to help Mr. Gibson and Gene Rapp with videotaping and a whole host of other “chores” to make the seminars go smoothly.

(Gene was director of education and executive vice president at the Ag Education Foundation from 1974 to 1986).

As time went on, the Cal Poly deans – Gibson, Howard Brown, Lark Carter – had more and more responsibilities placed on them, and they slowly began to teach me and trust me with these precious guests who came to our campus. The other university deans had similar additional workloads, and they slowly and quietly shifted some of their Ag Leadership seminar responsibilities to a trusted faculty member.

The “Fab Four” Faculty Members

The four trusted faculty members at the four campuses got to know each other as

we each quietly took on more and more responsibilities with the leadership program.

Our biggest single moment in the sun came when Tim LaSalle (foundation president/ CEO from 1986-2002) insisted that all four of us take a “ropes course” to see if something like this might fit into the program. We agreed that the ropes course had great potential and must “fit” early in the program.

About this same time, we started to meet together with Tim for a full day of professional development and curriculum review in the summer. Dean Brown (longtime board chairman), Don Talley (Class 2 alumnus and board member) and Tim strongly encouraged us to become a stronger and more active team. We began to re-work the inaugural seminar and worked together to improve and perfect this important first seminar. We attended each other’s seminars, especially graduation, and gave feedback to each other, to Tim and to the deans. We also participated in the summer review sessions and served on screening committees. And every four years we would be invited to go on the national trip with our respective deans!!

I will never forget my first national trip with Class XIV and Gene Rapp. Gene put me to work!

The four of us read and evaluated all sorts of feedback on our speakers, our seminars, and the program in general. Most of this was formal feedback, but often the informal feedback we received was powerful and could not be ignored. We shared the written evaluations from each seminar. We listened to the current participants and to the alumni – and the seminars evolved and got better.

The four faculty members (campus coordinators) – Peggy McLaughlin Perry (9), Julian Whaley, Mike Campbell (3) and myself – were slowly becoming key players in the program. We were additional “eyes and ears” for the program and we all cared deeply about its success.

When we were asked to go on the international trip (every four years) with our respective deans, we said YES and we did not play a passive role on these trips. Quite often the class would be purposely divided up on these trips so we’d have more small group experiences, sometimes even in different countries! Our roles had evolved from videotaping on a Saturday afternoon to major responsibilities working with the presiding fellows and the entire class. Our official titles – campus coordinators – had evolved into much more than coordinators.

National Trip Memory

It was a distinct pleasure to go on four national travel seminars and I have fond memories of each trip and the fellows who “took good care of me.” In 1988, I traveled with Class 18 and we had a special treat in Washington, D.C. Tim LaSalle pulled all

AG LEADERSHIP

Teaching fellows at Cal Poly, SLO.

the strings in the book to get us into the Oval Office to meet with President Ronald Reagan. Tim introduced us, one at a time, and we shook hands and had our photo taken by the official photographer. Naturally, I kept my eyes closed for the photo! We were all impressed with the security, the Oval Office, and the distinct honor of meeting the 40th president of the United States.

International Trip Memory

In 2002, I traveled with Class 31 to Central America. We split into four groups to visit four different countries, and then we all came back together in Costa Rica. On a flight from the coast back to the Costa Rica capital of San Jose, several of us in the back of the plane began to discuss a “planned activity” that we could do every summer in the future. That conversation developed into a life-long learning experience together that has continued for 10 years. It is another example of how the Ag Leadership Program changes lives!

Relationships and Friendships

The 40-year journey allowed me to observe and get to know some amazing leaders in agriculture. Some of these relationships are life-long. Members of classes with whom I was so fortunate to travel...they are probably more special. I did my best to attend the graduations of the classes I traveled with.

Facebook has connected me to many graduates and we share personal and professional news regularly. Furthermore, four members of Class 31 have “adopted”

me, and every summer since their graduation we have a full day of professional growth together – visiting modern agriculture operations all over the state.

Pure Knowledge

Yes, I have heard hundreds of informative or persuasive speeches given by rather nervous class members. I have worked with Dave Garth and Richard Gearhart and have asked “horrible” questions of shy class members with a microphone in their faces.

I have worked with Dr. Michael Fahs for more than 20 years and lined up a tough “hostile audience” to grill class members on their preparation and their beliefs. I have developed and refined a dynamic “Microphone Manners” session with Dr. Robert Flores that has become a popular session repeated with other groups by others!!

The Good News?

The program has changed – nearly every year there were changes. These changes came only after review, discussion and sometimes disagreement! The changes made the program stronger and more relevant to a dynamic agriculture industry.

More good news: I have changed too. I cherish the memories, the friends, and the total experience!!! It has been an E-ticket ride for me personally! I continue to be honored by the invitations to conduct “lessons” when the classes come to the seminars at Cal Poly. I am so thankful that J. Cordner Gibson asked me to help him videotape a few agriculture leaders that Saturday morning, way back in 1972.

>> Reflections

Receiving the Honorary Fellow Award in 2004.

About the Author Dr. Joe Sabol (aka “Dr. Joe”) taught ag education at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for 30 years (1972-2002), along with teaching it at Cuesta Community College and San Luis Obispo High School. He may be retired, but he remains as busy as ever. He is still actively – and enthusiastically!!! – involved with the university, high school, Ag Leadership and his community. A well-known grafting guru, he shares his expertise with students and others as a volunteer member of the California Rare Fruit Growers Association.

With Class 28 at Vandenberg AFB.

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Leadership Focus

Contingency Theory Different styles of leadership – and types of leaders – are appropriate for different situations best way” for leadership or organization.

By Dr. Sara Daubert

Contingency theory is a class of behavioral theory that claims that there is no best way to organize a corporation, to lead a company, or to make decisions. Instead, the optimal course of action is contingent (dependent) upon the internal and external situation.

Contingency theories became popular in the late 1960s and are especially important in modern leadership thought.

Contingency theory suggests that the success of a leader isn’t up to the skills of the leader, but rather how those skills might line up with certain factors that cannot be controlled by the leader.

Contingency theorists might suggest that previous theories, such as Weber’s bureaucracy and Taylor’s scientific management, had failed because they neglected that management style and organizational structure were influenced by various aspects of the environment: the contingency factors. There could not be “one

Fred Fiedler’s contingency model (1967) focused on a contingency model of leadership in organizations. This model contains the relationship between leadership style and the favorableness of the situation. Situational favorableness was described by Fiedler in terms of three empirically derived dimensions: 1. The leader-member relationship – the most important variable in determining the leadership situation’s favorableness.

2. The degree of task structure – how rigid work assignments are.

3. The leader’s position power obtained through formal authority.

Situations are favorable to the leader if all three of these dimensions are high. That is, if the leader is generally accepted and respected by followers (first dimension), if the task is very structured (second dimension), and if a great deal of authority and power are formally attributed to the leader’s position (third dimension), then the situation is favorable.

Likewise, lacking these three in the right combination will result in leadership failure. *

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Evolution of Leadership Theory

(1930s -1940s)

Fielder’s work helped to bring other contingency theories into the spotlight. Other notable authors and theories include: Situational leadership theory: Put forth by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard in 1969, this theory proposes that leadership effectiveness depends on the leader’s ability to tailor his or her behavior to the demands of the situation and namely, the level of the subordinate’s maturity.

Path-goal theory: Originally developed in the 1970s and expanded on by Robert House, drawing on the expectancy theory and behavior studies.

The theory identifies four types of leader behavior – supportive, directive, achievement oriented and participative – as well as two aspects of the situation, follower and task characteristics.

Normative decision model: This model originally developed

by Vroom and Yetton in 1973 has a focus on providing ways to maximize a leader’s decision-making process. This theory emphasizes situational factors more than leadership behaviors and outlines a set of five different decision-making strategies ranging from directive to participative.

Putting Theory Into Practice: What can leaders do?

Contingency theories of leadership are important to the understanding of leadership effectiveness. How can we apply?

1. Recognize that leadership and management style can change with different organizational situations and remember that there is no one best way of organizing. Leaders must think about the task and the environment that they are dealing with.

2. Leaders need to be adaptable! If the leader recognizes that success can be a product of having the right mix of skill and opportunity, they can evaluate how to make the best decisions.

3. Management must be concerned with matching tasks and people and making “good fits” in the organization.

*Fiedler, F.E. (1967) A Theory of Leadership Effectiveness, New York: McGraw-Hill.

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Guest Column

CULTIVATING TOMORROW'S AG LEADERS TODAY

By Devin Nunes, Class 29

Today, it’s crucial for California to cultivate leaders with an understanding of international trade. Between 2000 and 2010, the value of California agricultural exports more than doubled from $6.5 billion to $14.7 billion, rising in nine of those 10 years. Trade with the billion-plus people who comprise the China market is a particularly fast-growing trend with big possibilities for future growth.

Furthermore, major new freetrade agreements (FTAs) may be negotiated in the near future, potentially boosting demand for U.S. agricultural products even further. There is a rising movement

on both sides of the Atlantic for an FTA between Europe, which is the second biggest consumer of California agricultural exports, and the United States. In the Pacific, the Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative could result in the formation of a huge free-trade bloc offering vast new opportunities for California food growers.

Our state needs leaders who can help expand our trading ties with foreign countries. Naturally, developing a well-rounded knowledge of agriculture and agricultural policy is crucial, as is a solid grounding in economics, business, and tariff mechanisms.

Proficiency in the languages of our key trading partners – Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese, German, Portuguese and Korean – will be increasingly useful.

Aside from these specific areas of knowledge, general leadership skills will always be valuable. The

Ag Leadership Program, which I once participated in, is a great place to develop these skills.

Negotiating skills, which are sometimes easier to learn through practice than in a classroom setting, will also be helpful to anyone hoping to influence agriculture policy.

Although it would seem to go without saying that communication is important, I’ve found it to be one of the most underrated leadership skills. I constantly solicit input from my constituents and look for new ways to keep them informed about my activities. I maintain a website at nunes.house.gov, where people can sign up for my email list, send me emails, download my free cell phone app, or browse the in-depth feature articles collected in the Nunes Digest. I am developing a new text messaging service as well.

Policies adopted both in Washington and in Sacramento

Congressman Nunes speaks to Class 42 (L) and discusses water policy with San Joaquin Valley farmers (R).

are not always helpful to the agriculture sector. Sometimes, harmful policies stem from simple ignorance among policy-makers of the basic demands and needs of agriculture. In the future, the more leaders we have who understand agricultural issues and can explain the benefits of free and fair trade, the more we can expect to see progrowth policies that will benefit agricultural workers, consumers, and the country overall.

About Devin Nunes

Devin has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2003. He currently represents California’s 22nd congressional district, which is located in the San Joaquin Valley and includes portions of Tulare and Fresno counties. Devin is a member of the Committee on Ways and Means and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. At the beginning of the 113th Congress, he was selected to serve as chair of the Trade Subcommittee of Ways and Means. Devin was born and raised in Tulare and his family has operated a farm in Tulare County for three generations. He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and a master’s degree in agriculture.

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As California agriculture faces serious challenges, including a government-induced drought, it’s more important than ever for us to train knowledgeable, proactive leaders who can help improve conditions for California farmers and agriculture workers.

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Alumni Events

Alumni Events Kick off 2013 The big three alumni events in January and February – the Agricultural and Government Leaders Reception, Colusa Farm Show Breakfast and Ag Leadership World Ag Expo Breakfast – were highly successful thanks to the organizing committees, sponsors, donors, attendees and speakers.

The reception had an excellent turnout and showcased dozens of California commodities. Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture secretary, and Ernie Hodges, Farm Credit West executive vice president, made positive remarks about Ag Leadership to the crowd. More than 1,000 pounds of produce – generously provided by 22 donors for the display – was donated to the River City Food Bank.

The Colusa breakfast featured Gov. Jerry Brown and Vernon Crowder (22), senior vice president and ag economist at Rabobank, as speakers. The fundraiser, which drew 400 people, garnered extensive news coverage and raised more than $13,000 for Ag Leadership.

PAGE >> 14

The World Ag Expo Breakfast was a sold-out affair with more than 600 attendees. The audience heard the inspirational story of keynote speaker Dave Dravecky, who spoke about his baseball career and incredible journey dealing with cancer.

The event raised $80,000 for Ag Leadership, bringing the total raised over the past 19 years to nearly $900,000.

CLASSES 1-9

Ron Metzler (1) received the

San Joaquin Valley Wine Growers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He was recognized for producing the award-winning wines that his family first cultivated from the Sanger vineyard more than 100 years ago.

John Muller (8) was appointed

by Gov. Brown to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

CLASSES 10-19

Ben Drake (12) received the 2013 Leader of the Year Award from the California Association of Winegrape Growers. The award is presented to the grower whose personal commitment and record of leadership has benefitted California’s wine industry. The award created to acknowledge exemplary industry members and to inspire future leadership.

Lucinda Chipponeri (13)

was elected 2013 president of the Gold Country Wildlife Rescue. She is trained and certified to assist first responders as a member of Lincoln’s Community Emergency Response Team.

Steve OIson (13) will receive

Dan Dooley (18) was ap-

pointed by Gov. Brown to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, where he has served since 2008.

elected to the California Farm Bureau Federation board as director of district 8.

Lino Bozzano (38) was selected as one of The Tribune’s Top 20 Under 40 award winners for 2013.

The award honors accomplished men and women in San Luis Obispo County under the age of 40 who have demonstrated excellence in their professions and commitment to community service.

Steve McIntyre (21) re-

Lisa Bodrogi (39) was named

CLASSES 20-29

Steve Arnold (20) was re-

ceived the 2013 Grower of the Year Award from the California Association of Winegrape Growers. The award is the highest honor given by CAWG and is bestowed to an individual, family or company who represents an outstanding example of excellence in viticulture and management, and is recognized by others for innovation and leadership within the industry.

executive director of the Central Coast Wine Growers Association.

Paul Betancourt (25) au-

an extensive tour last October for 15 Ukrainian visitors who came to California to learn about the walnut and almond industry. CALF’s Dr. Michael Thomas asked him to help with the tour after being contacted by the Ukrainian Embassy’s ag attache, who had helped extensively during Class 41’s visit in 2012.

thored a new book, “Ten Reasons: Finding Balance on Environmental Issues.” The book is available through Amazon or www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/.

Ellen Way (28) was appointed

by Gov. Brown to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board.

the 2013 President’s Medallion of Honor from Santa Rosa Junior College at a May 30 event. The award recognizes outstanding service and other significant contributions that have enhanced SRJC.

Laura Giudici Mills (29)

Steve Murrill (17) is the new executive director of the Capital Region Family Business Center.

CLASSES 30-39

Mark Chandler (18) was

appointed executive director of WineAmerica in Washington, D.C.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

IN YOUR LIFE?

PLEASE SEND ANNOUNCEMENTS OR NEWS TO:

mritchie@agleaders.org

Bob’s involvement in the program with local schools.

was a guest speaker at a food safety professional development training course titled “Keeping Produce Safe on the Farm.”

Bob Knight (36) was featured in a TODAY show video in January about a farm-to-school program that gives children fresh fruits and vegetables. The story, reported by NBC’s Dr. Nancy Snyderman, highlighted

Greg Wegis (39) and his wife,

Gina, were named National Outstanding Young Farmer winners at the 2013 NOYF Awards Congress in Albuquerque, N.M.

CLASSES 40-43

Jim Peterson (40) hosted

Todd Snider (41) was elected as an affiliate member rep of the American Association of Crop Insurers board of directors. He will serve for 2013 and 2014.

Heidi Harris (43) was ap-

pointed by Gov. Brown to the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.

ALUMNI AND STAFF

Laura Giudici Mills (29) and CALF President and CEO Bob Gray will each receive the Ag

>> Alumni / Fellows / Staff News Leader Award as part of the 2013 Valley of the World Awards from the National Steinbeck Center. The award honors individuals whose work has broken new ground and/ or who has added significantly to the industry while making a difference in the community in which they live. The event is April 25 in Salinas.

REGIONAL On Jan. 10, about 50 alumni and local industry leaders gathered in Yuba City to hear from new Congressman John Garamendi. Alumni organizers wanted to reach out to him, since he newly represents the area and he was trying to get appointed to the House Ag Committee. The informal luncheon was a “get acquainted” event where Garamendi addressed international ag trade, water infrastructure, health care reform and immigration reform.

IN MEMORIAM

Ron Gilman (1)

January 29, 2013 Ron was a resident of Lincoln, but was formerly a resident of Santa Barbara for more than 20 years. A 1959 graduate of Atascadero High School, he served as the agricultural commissioner for Santa Barbara County from 1984 to 1993. Ron lived his life to the fullest. He was extremely active playing tennis several days a week, snow skiing each winter, and spending time with his family and friends each day. He was very active in every community he lived in and made such a difference in so many lives. He will be missed by so many people. Ron is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ronda; his son, Brett; daughter, Tami; son-inlaw, Eric; and his granddaughters, Emma and Hannah.

PAGE >> 15

AG LEADERSHIP

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Alumni Giving

ALUMNI GIVE BACK With Fellowship Funds Several alumni recently established fellowship funds to support Ag Leadership.

“ON BEHALF OF THE FOUNDATION, WE ARE EXTREMELY HONORED THAT THESE ALUMNI HAVE CHOSEN TO GIVE BACK TO AG LEADERSHIP IN SUCH A MEANINGFUL AND PERSONAL WAY,” SAID CALF PRESIDENT AND CEO BOB GRAY. “THEIR GENEROSITY WILL MAKE A LASTING IMPACT BY HELPING US SUSTAIN OUR PREMIER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AND FOR CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE.”

PAGE >> 16

Fellowship funds are “special purpose funds” that are part of the foundation’s permanent restricted endowment.

They are invested by the foundation to generate growth of fund principal and income with the objective of maintaining a long-term, reliable source of financial support for the Ag Leadership Program. Since the original fund principal is never expended, the named endowed fund continues in perpetuity.

Creating an endowed fund is a wonderful way to honor your family, a loved one, a mentor or an organization while also contributing to Ag Leadership.

Gene Rapp Fellowship Fund To honor Gene Rapp for his important contributions to Ag Leadership and positive influence on fellows, Charlie Mathews (6) established the Gene Rapp Fellowship Fund. Initial support also came from fellow alum Edwin Camp (15) and Robert Sheesley (2).

“I am humbled to receive the honor of a fellowship fund and grateful to those who initiated it,” said Rapp. “I am also exceptionally proud of the development of Ag Leadership and pleased that it has survived all these years. I believe a major factor of its success is the people. People make the program – always have.”

Rapp was the third individual to lead the former Agricultural Education Foundation (AEF) – as director of education and executive vice president. He was hired in 1974, after he spent a year working for the Council of California Growers, the organization that created AEF. During his 14-year Ag Leadership tenure, Rapp worked with AEF board members and founders, coordinated with deans and campus coordinators for seminars, and ran all of the national and international trips.

He traveled with Class 2 through Class 16 to dozens of states and countries, with his last international trip in 1982.

Through the years with the classes, Rapp met with George Bush, Sr., Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Indira Gandhi, Ferdinand Marcos, Richard Nixon and Nelson Rockefeller, as well as many other diplomats, politicians and dignitaries.

He said that former Congressmen Tony Coelho and Jerry Lewis were instrumental in helping him secure meetings with people nationally and abroad.

Rapp is a link to Ag Leadership’s past, having worked closely with the founders and original players: J.G. “Jim” Boswell, Dean Brown, Ralph Bunje, Allen Christensen, Don Curlee, O.J. Fillerup, Cordner Gibson, Lester Heringer (Sr.), Gaylord Siner, Allen Christensen, George Johannessen, Bruce Obbink, Frank Saviez, B.F. Sisk, Bob White, Bill Williams and others. “There were a number of dynamic people behind the inception of Ag Leadership,” said Rapp. “Dean and Jim were two people that I held in high regard – they made it all happen.”

Said Charlie Mathews, “We were fortunate enough to know many of the key players who started and guided the Ag Leadership Program. But for 14 years Gene Rapp was the man who executed their vision through his leadership and dedication to the program. The fellowship fund is a special tribute to him.”

Thomas Mulholland Fellowship Fund Tom Mulholland (18) moved from his grandfather’s ranch in Los Angeles to his father’s ranch in eastern San Joaquin Valley in 1955. For most of his life he has lived and worked in the small town of Orange Cove. His world got bigger when he was selected to Ag Leadership.

“I wanted to venture out and explore the big arena of agriculture,” said Mulholland, owner of Mulholland Citrus. “The Ag Leadership Program moved me from being a farmer to an agriculturalist. The scope and size of the produce world changed with the introduction of new ideas from my classmates. They expanded my vision of agriculture.”

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Alumni Giving

FELLOWSHIP FUNDS ARE INVESTED BY THE FOUNDATION TO GENERATE GROWTH OF FUND PRINCIPAL AND INCOME WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF MAINTAINING A LONG-TERM, RELIABLE SOURCE OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE AG LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.

With Ag Leadership, Mulholland discovered that there was much more beyond the family farm, local fertilizer dealer and local cooperative. “Now there were trade organizations working with the legislature, rules and regulations, world markets, food safety, worker safety and insurance programs. All the controversy of political persuasions and their ramifications were discussed and vetted. Personal opinion was allowed and owned. The take home message was usually a changed personal vision.”

Mulholland said he has been rewarded from participating in Ag Leadership through personal growth and economic reward from lucky farming. “With the fellowship fund, I wanted to contribute to an excellent program with a strong future and allow the next budding farmers a similar opportunity to see the larger world of agriculture.”

Jim and Betsy Hansen Family Fellowship Fund Jim Hansen (2) knows that investing in the future of Ag Leadership will definitely benefit the agriculture industry. “California agriculture needs all the help it can get; the better educated our future ag leaders are,

the better we’ll be. Ag Leadership is a great program that I believe in and want to see continue.”

Born and raised in Corcoran, Hansen is a fourth generation farmer and owner/ operator of Hansen Ranches. He started running the family’s small farming operation in 1963, a year after graduating from UC Davis. His brother, Jess (5), joined him two years later and they grew the business into a sizeable farming operation. Ken Gardner (1) was part of their expansion in almonds on the Westside.

Today, Hansen Ranches farms about 19,000 acres: 7,000 acres of Pima cotton, 3,000 acres of almonds and pistachios, and the rest in wheat, alfalfa and corn silage. Hansen’s two sons and nephew handle the day-today operations, while he stays connected in strategic issues and long term planning.

Over the years, Hansen has held many leadership roles. He is past chairman of the Cotton Board, Cotton Incorporated, and SuPima Cotton Board. He is past president of the Tulare Lake Drainage District and former chairman of the Corcoran Community Foundation. Hansen also served in the Air National Guard from 1962 to 1968.

Jim and Betsy met at UC Davis and were married in 1964. They split their time between Corcoran and Indian Wells. The Hansens enjoy many outdoor activities and spending time with their three children, seven grandsons and two stepgrandchildren. They also support Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Desert.

Forty-two years after being selected for Ag Leadership, Hansen reflects on the experience as a big step in his life. “The program exposed me to areas that I would’ve never experienced before. I also established many wonderful friendships and gained knowledge as to what makes this great country work.”

Paul and Yvonne Murai Fellowship Fund Paul and Yvonne Murai are among a rare group of married couples that participated in the Ag Leadership Program.

Paul is a Class 22 graduate and Yvonne is a Class 30 graduate and former Alumni Council regional director.

They formed their own business in Orange County in 1991 – with nothing but a dream to continue in an industry they loved.

Paul loves farming; it is his heart and soul.

Strawberries were their main crop, but they also grew other crops. Their son and daughter helped with the formation of the business in the beginning.

Paul and Yvonne retired in 2005. Since their retirement they have devoted their time and efforts toward community and philanthropic endeavors. Paul recently served as president of the San Juan Capistrano Rotary. Yvonne has been active in helping Marine families in the area. Recently, they traveled with a group to Tijuana with more than 120 pairs of shoes and gifts for underprivileged children.

Paul said that the Ag Leadership Program “took the farmer out of the field” and gave him the confidence and knowledge to serve as a leader on many industry boards. Yvonne said she is forever grateful to the program because she learned that “even a chipped cup can hold water.”

“The endowment was a way for us to show our gratitude and indebtedness to a program that has forever impacted our lives on many different levels,” said the Murais. “It is important for us to see that it continues to engage, educate and enlighten everyone about how vital agriculture is to our county.”

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A decade before joining Ag Leadership, Mulholland started his own citrus nursery in 1976. Since then he has propagated citrus trees for the industry using innovative techniques and advancements to help promote early production with the healthiest trees possible. In 1980, he built an insectary for rearing aphytis melinus, a micro wasp used for red scale control. Eventually, new orchards were developed with new varieties as they became available – including the popular W. Murcott / Tango mandarin varieties.

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Thank You

Donor Support $100,000 Anonymous $75,000 Justina Borba

$3,000 John Colbert Janette Smith

$30,000 John and Sheila Lake

$2,500 Rose Marie Burroughs Edwin Camp Gary Cusumano James Finch Gail Gray Jack Greening Benina Montes Rolling Ridge Ranch Rod Stark

$25,000 Borba Family – Mark and Sharon Borba D’Arrigo Brothers Co. of California ( John D’Arrigo)

$2,000-$2,499 Leslie Leavens-Crowe Peggy Perry Marcia Wolfe Ken Zimmerman

$15,000 Bowles Farming Company (Philip Bowles) The Norton Foundation ( John and Lil Norton)

$1,500-$1,999 Class 40 Cade Johnson Monte Person, DDS and Person & Son Cattle Co. Rick Vorpe and Evelyn Matteucci

$50,000 Mission Produce, Inc. (Steve Barnard) Mulholland Citrus (Tom Mulholland)

$10,000 Denise Godfrey Family Farm Credit Alliance (Ernie Hodges): American Ag Credit, CoBank, Farm Credit West Ladera Foundation (George and Kathleen Myers) Lagomarsino Group (Fred Lagomarsino) Charlie and Sheila Mathews Paul and Yvonne Murai Syngenta (Dennis Kelley) The Klassen Corporation $8,000 Azzule Systems

PAGE >> 18

Nov 1, 2012 – Jan 31, 2013

$5,000 Abundant Harvest Organics (Vernon Peterson) Philip E. and Jamie N. Bowles Greenleaf Farms, Inc. ( John Colbert) Bradford and Randall Lange Mann Packing Company (Lorri Koster and Mike Jarrard) Tom and Brianne McGrath (in memory of Arden Kashishian, Mel Oneto, Brian Davies) Monsanto Company (George Gough) Peter Peterson Richard Pidduck

$1,000-$1,499 Karm Bains Daniel Balbas Tom Beardsley James Beecher Hugh Bello Benden Farms (Ben and Denise Carter) Jeff Bitter Art Bliss Bonita Packing Co. Cameron Boswell Ed and Rosa Boutonnet Richard Bozzano Kimberly Clauss Richard Clauss Pete Colburn Darrell Cordova David Costa Donald Driscoll Harold Edwards Russel Efird Milo Ferini Roberta Firoved Donna France John Garner Glen Goto Bob Gray Bruce Hall Kevin Herman George and Janice Higashi

Jeana Hultquist Julia Inestroza Sarbjit Johl John Ledbetter Michael Marsh Catarino Martinez Steve McIntyre Craig Miller Karen Murakami Cindy Myers Ralph Myers Bart Nelson Chris Nelson Paul Newton Christopher Nichols John Nock Jacqueline Pucheu Sherm Railsback Gerry Rominger Leland Ruiz Ted Sheely Richard Smith Pierre Tada Rosemary Talley Craig Underwood Nita Vail Deanna van Klaveren Ray Gene Veldhuis Paul Wenger $600-$750 Karen Ross Mary-Ann Warmerdam $500-$599 Anonymous Dennis Albiani Art Barrientos Barry Bedwell Bill Chandler Grant Chappell Les Crutcher John Draxler Melissa Duflock Bob Ferguson Kay Filice Louise Fisher Mike Fitch Robert Flores Robin Flournoy John Giovannetti Jody Graves Philip Henry Nick Huntington Dale Huss Mark Jacobs Janis Jones Anthony Laney

Stan Lester Bill Mattos – CA Poultry Federation Mark McKean Kent McKenzie Jeff Merwin Roy Nishimori Oji Brothers Farm ( John Weiler) Ben Olson Pete Pankey Garry Pearson John Pucheu Gary Robinson John Salmonson Charles Sherrill Henry Stone Dana Thomas Raymond Tonella Ulash Turkhan Raymond Van Beek Scott Van Der Kar Richard Zinser $300-$399 Chris Amble Randy Asadoor Mike Boggiatto John Boyes Noelle Cremers Nicole Hayden Robert Kayda Jon Munger Bob Rathbone Meredith Rehrman Ritchie Stasi Seay $200-$299 Scott Anderson Lewis Bair Yissel Barajas Rick Barnes Rob Beard Robert Cadenazzi Bill Carriere Carlos Castaneda William Chamberlin Ned Coe Jeff Colombini Vernon Crowder Steve Danna Steven Dennis Doug DeVaney John Diener Terry Fleming Ducato Duda Farm Fresh Foods (Sammy Duda) Thomas Dungan Troy Edwards Fred Ferro

AG LEADERSHIP

>> Thank You

Special Thanks to Our Major Contributors Since July 1, 2011

Russell Turner William Van Leeuwen Anthony Van Ruiten Timothy Vaux David Warter John Weiler Michael Wackman Roger Wood Stuart Yamamoto Victor Yamamoto Norman Yenni $100-$199 Keith Abercrombie Juliet Allen Emily Ayala Richard Bennett William Bennett Scott Beylik Jeff Boldt Jeff Brothers Michael Chrisman Tyler Christensen Hal Collin Cynthia Cory Peter DeGroot Nat DiBuduo Sue DiTomaso Miguel Errea Pete Fallini Larry Ford William Gisvold Kyle Goehring Donald Gordon Joseph Grainger Jerry and Lisa Gross Mica Heilmann Cesar Hernandez Phil Hogan Josh Huntsinger Erik Jertberg Matt Jones Cathie Joughin Gary Kaprielian Deidre Kelsey Larry Layne Larry Lemke Chuck Lohse Ronald Macedo Kandi Manhart Petrea Marchand Paul Martin Stuart Mast Roz McGrath Curt Miller Rob Moser Samuel Nevis Joanne Nissen

Kevin Olsen Stephen Olson Libby Ouellette Lane Parker Steve Pastor Mike Poindexter Lynnel Pollock Joe Russ Cliff Sadoian Michael Sarabian Rick Schellenberg William Scott David Sharp David Silva Jerry Spencer Mark Turula Erik Vink Paul Violett Rex Whittle Mary Zischke Up to $100 Linda Ballentine Bob Dempel Marc Faye Christina Fischer Missy Gable Cathy Haas Robert Harris Bart Hill Michele Laverty Daniel Marcum Nicholas Miller Richard Morgantini Julie Morris Julie Spezia Lloyd Stueve Alumni Fundraising Events Dean Brown Golf Tournament: $41,000 Region 9 Golf Tournament: $40,000 In-Kind Darlene Din: $11,175 Meredith Rehrman Ritchie: $5,040 TMD Creative: $3,225

Founders’ Leadership Circle $1,000,000 and above James G. Boswell Foundation Otis Booth Foundation

Legacy Leadership Circle $500,000 and above Boswell Family Foundation

Pioneer Leadership Circle $250,000 and above Susan Dulin (in memory of J.G. Boswell II)

Chairman’s Leadership Circle $100,000 and above Anonymous John and Sheila Lake Taylor Farms California

Alumni Leadership Circle $50,000 and above

Justina Borba J.F. Maddox Foundation (in memory of J.G. Boswell II) Mission Produce, Inc. Mulholland Citrus Reiter Affiliated Companies Wells Fargo

President’s Leadership Circle $25,000 and above Bank of America Merrill Lynch The Borba Families – Mark and Sharon Borba Bowles Farming Company / Philip E. and Janie N. Bowles D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California TMD Creative Western Growers Association

The 1970 Leadership Circle $10,000 and above Azzule Systems Booth Ranches Capital Insurance Group C.H. Robinson Worldwide Class 39 Farm Credit Alliance: American Ag Credit, CoBank, Farm Credit West Denise Godfrey Family / Olive Hill, LLC Kevin Grizzle Farms, LLC Harden Foundation International Paper Company The Johannessen Trust The Klassen Corporation Lagomarsino Group Charlie and Sheila Mathews George and Kathleen Myers Paul and Yvonne Murai The Norton Foundation Rabobank, N.A. Syngenta Corporation Rick Vorpe and Evelyn Matteucci Wegis and Young

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Bryan Foley Loren Freeman John Frye Christopher Giannini Roy Gill Ashley Gill George Gough Clay Groefsema Wayne Gularte Less Guthrie Chris Hurd Deborah Hurley Kevin Jones Stephen Kautz Gregory Kirkpatrick Link Leavens Fred LoBue Eva Lopez Lex McCorvey Leo McGuire Ed McLaughlin Craig McNamara George Meek Jeff Meger Clint Miller Soapy Mulholland James Neeley Cynthia Noble John Orr Larry Ott Brenda Ouwerkerk Garrett Patricio Jim Peterson Doug Phillips Todd Rehrman Alan Reynolds Sarah Reynolds Mike Richardson Don Roberts Hal Robertson Douglas Rudd Leanne Rutherford Bob Samuelson David Sasaki Ryan Schohr Tracy Schohr Karen Wetzel Schott Rick Sellers John Slinkard Mark Sorensen Robert Steinhauer Terrell Storm Keith Swinger Audrey Tennis Matthew Toste Tim Treichelt John Tufenkjian Joe Turkovich

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