54th Class Selected for California Agricultural Leadership Program September 09, 2024 MONTEREY – Twenty-four individuals have been selected for Class 54 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, an advanced leadership development experience for emerging, mid-career leaders in agriculture. The new fellows will be inaugurated into the program on Oct. 11 in Fresno. Through dynamic seminars during an intensive 17-month program, fellows are immersed in numerous topics, including leadership theory, effective communication, motivation, critical thinking, change management, emotional intelligence and other skills and tools that contribute to improved performance. Four partner universities – Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State and UC Davis – deliver integrated, comprehensive and diverse curriculum at the seminars. Fellows will participate in approximately 55 seminar days, including a 10-day national travel seminar and a 14-day international travel seminar. “The California Ag Leadership Foundation (CALF) grows leaders who go on to make a positive difference in their families, businesses, communities and ultimately, California agriculture,” said CALF President and CEO Dwight Ferguson. “Participating program alumni assemble a class of fellows that represents a broad cross section of the state’s ag industry and demonstrates the capacity to make real impact. We’re excited for the fellows to kick off their Ag Leadership journey next month!” CALF invests more than $50,000 per fellow to participate in the program, which is underwritten by individual and industry donations. Ag Leadership is considered one of the premier leadership programs in the United States. Since 1970, more than 1,400 California Agricultural Leadership Program fellows have become lifelong leaders who individually and collectively act as a catalyst for a vibrant agricultural community. For more information about the program, visit agleaders.org. Class 54 Fellows Marisa Alcorta, Center for Land-Based Learning, Winters Jake Barcellos, A-Bar Ag Enterprises, Los Banos Megan Bell, Margins Wine, Santa Cruz Hunter Berry, Yosemite Farm Credit ACA, Turlock Kelly Bishop, Imperial Irrigation District, El Centro Cameron Boomgaarden, Vann Brothers, Yuba City Hillary DeCarl, Del Rey Avocado Company, Fallbrook Allison Dericco, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg Will Dyt, Dyt Dairy, Nuevo Jarred Greene, Nickel Family, Firebaugh Rachael Laenen, Kimball Ranches – El Hogar, Santa Paula Lizandro Magana, California Olive Ranch, Red Bluff Patty Martinez, Marz Family Farms Inc., Somis Timothy “Boomer” Murray, Murray Ag Real Estate Team, Visalia Consuelo Fernandez Noguera, Brokaw Nursery, Ventura Carson Pettit, RPAC LLC, El Dorado Hills Janeth Quintero, Naturipe Berry Growers Inc., Salinas Jenny Scheer, Water and Land Solutions, Chico Theresa Schneider, A&J Family Farms Inc., Chico Tony Shelton, The Wonderful Company, Bakersfield Andrew Smith, County of Sonoma, Santa Rosa Trevor Tauzer, Tauzer Apiaries, Davis Linda Torres, Constellation Brands Inc., Healdsburg Jaime Valdovinos, USDA-Risk Management Agency, Windsor Media Contact: Meredith Rehrman Ritchie (28) CALF Marketing and Communications Coordinator mritchie@agleaders.org —