CAFES Dean’s Advisory Council Charles Ahlem
Robert Graf
Kirk Messick
Anthony Van Ruiten
Partner, Hilmar Cheese Co.
Former President/CEO, California League of Food Processors
President & CEO, Farmers’ Rice Cooperative
Attorney, Van Ruiten Law Corp.
Lawyer, California Advocates
Luawanna Hallstrom
Al Montna
Chairman & Partner, Downey Brand LLP
Rick Antle
Chief Operating Officer & Principal, Collaborative Communications
Owner, Montna Farms and American Commodity Co.
Jeff Huckaby
Peter Oppenheimer
President, Grimmway Farms
Retired/Former CFO, Apple
Merle Jensen
Kristin Power
Director, Greenhouse Vegetable Consultants
Vice President, State Affairs, Consumer Specialty Products Association
Dennis Albiani
Chief Executive Officer, Tanimura & Antle Inc.
Stephen Barnard President & CEO, Mission Produce Inc.
Irene Bernal
Stan Van Vleck Mary Wagner Senior Vice President, Global Product Innovation/Food Safety and Quality
Charles Walton Chairman of the Board, Smithers-Oasis Co.
Karen Watts
Senior Product Manager, Amazon.com
Steve Junqueiro President, Save Mart Supermarkets
John Salmonson
West Region Professional Products Manager, Crop Production Services Inc.
Kiran Black
Debbie Lohmeyer
Lynn White
Marketing Manager, Sacramento Valley Walnut Growers
Director, The National Food Lab
Consultant, Brandt Consolidated Inc.
Ed Boutonnet
Attorney & Trustee, Robert C. Taylor, Attorney at Law
Jean-Pierre Wolff
President, Paramount Farming Co.
Jim Marderosian
Brian Ternan
George Wurzel
President & CEO, Ocean Mist Farms
James Brabeck President & CEO, San Luis Obispo County Farm Supply Co.
John Franzia Jr. Co-President, Bronco Wine Co.
Troy Gillespie The Wagner Foundation
Joseph MacIlvaine
Founder & Owner, Bee Sweet Citrus
Managing Director, Twemlow Group
Robert Taylor
Owner & Vintner, Wolff Vineyards
President of Commercial Business, Anthem Blue Cross
Vice President & COO, J. G. Boswell Co.
Administrator, California Farm Bureau Federation
Rob Trice
Timothy York
Founder, The Mixing Bowl
President, Markon Cooperative
Paul McFadden
Kerry Tucker
Donn Zea
Richard Matteis
Senior Sales Manager, Toro Micro-Irrigation
Chief Executive Officer, Nuffer, Smith and Tucke
Executive Director, California Dried Plum Board
Meet the Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council Karen Watts is the professional products market manager for Crop Production Services (CPS).
She has been employed by CPS, formerly known as Western Farm Service (WFS), since 1985 in a variety of sales and management positions. As a member of the Agrium Women’s Leadership Group, she is involved with encouraging the
women of Agrium as they become more involved in positions of leadership within the company. She was appointed to Cal Poly’s College of
Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Dean’s Advisory Council in 1999 and currently
serves as its chair.. Watts is a founding member of the Cal Poly Kappa Delta Sorority San Luis
Obispo chapter and has served her community in various positions with her church and local schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree in
“ When I attended Cal Poly 40 years ago, there were faculty and alumni who made sure that I was exposed to the diversity of California’s agriculture and horticulture industries,” said Karen Watts. “Because of their profound influence on me, I strive to make an equal investment in the students, faculty, staff, administrators and alumni who I am privileged to serve as an advisory council member.” — Karen Watts
ornamental horticulture from Cal Poly.
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