Twenty-four individuals have been selected for Class 49 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, an advanced leadership development experience for emerging agricultural leaders. The new fellows will be inaugurated into the program on Oct. 11 at the Clovis Veterans Memorial District.
Through dynamic seminars during an intensive 17-month program, fellows will study leadership theory, effective communication, motivation, critical and strategic thinking, change management, emotional intelligence and complex social and cultural issues. Seminars are delivered by four partner universities: Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State and UC Davis. Fellows will participate in 55 seminar days, including an eight-day national travel seminar and a 15-day international travel seminar.
“These 24 outstanding individuals, evenly split between men and women, come from all areas of the state and represent many diverse sectors of production,” said Barry Bedwell, president of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF). “What they have in common is a fervent desire to improve themselves as leaders who can further benefit California agriculture. We are excited to assist them in that journey.”
CALF invests approximately $55,000 per fellow to participate in the program, which is underwritten by individual and industry donations. Ag Leadership is considered to be one of the premier leadership programs in the United States. Since it was first delivered in 1970, more than 1,300 men and women have participated in the program and have become influential leaders and active volunteers in the agriculture industry and other areas.
Class 49 Fellows:
Brean Bettencourt, Bella Viva Orchards, Turlock
Adam Borchard, Association of California Water Agencies, Sacramento
Luis Calderon, Reiter Affiliated Companies, Oxnard
John Dmytriw, Index Fresh, Riverside
Steven Dodge, Acuity Agriculture, San Francisco
Miranda Driver, CalAgJobs, Woodland
Lesa Eidman, Superior Farms, Sacramento
Kate Elmore, Vail Ranches LLC, Brawley
James Ewart, Delicato Family Vineyards, King City
Brittany Fagundes, California Olive Ranch, Gridley
Steven Filter, Filter Farms Inc., Live Oak
Cherie France, Homegrown Organic Farms, Visalia
Daniel Hartwig, Woolf Enterprises, Fresno
Alyssa Houtby, California Citrus Mutual, Visalia
Betty Lindeman, Stevinson Water District, Los Banos
Melissa Macfarlane, Driscoll’s Nursery, Red Bluff
Adam Martinez, Driscoll’s, Watsonville
Daryn Miller, Monterey Pacific Inc., Templeton
Sara Neagu-Reed, California Farm Bureau Federation, Sacramento
Laura Pires, Cargill Animal Nutrition, Tulare
Jared Plumlee, Booth Ranches LLC, Orange Cove
Taylor Serres, Serres Ranch, Sonoma
Mark Unruh, J.G. Boswell Company, Corcoran
Jake Wenger, Wenger Ranch Inc., Modesto