Pamela Marrone, company founder of Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc., announced she will retire from her position as CEO. Marrone will continue as CEO until the board of directors have named a successor. She will continue to serve on the company’s board of directors as a non-executive member. Following her retirement, she will also serve as a consultant to Marrone Bio to advocate for the company and its mission. Marrone Bio is a sustainable bioprotection and plant health solutions company.
Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross appointed four new board members to serve on the Dairy Council of California. The board members are: Leanie Souza, Sherrie DeVries, Stacy Heaton, and Tyler Ribeiro. Souza is the member relations manager for Land O’ Lakes West region, overseeing milk quality and safety. DeVries is a dairywoman in Hinkley, Calif., who hosts school tours and field trips. She also leads nutrition groups and hosts at-home cooking sessions. Heaton is the director of communications for California Dairies Inc. Ribeiro is a fourth-generation dairy farmer at Rib-Arrow Dairy in Tulare, Calif.
Bobalu Berries, based in Oxnard, Calif., has selected Anthony Gallino to become the firm’s first vice president of sales as the company works to bring sales and marketing in-house. Gallino entered the berry industry 25 years ago first connecting with Bob Jones, grandfather of Bobby and RC Jones. Gallino will work alongside David Ollivier, Bobby and RC Jones and the rest of the Western Veg sales group to boast berry sales for the 2020 and 2021 year.
American Agri-Women elected its new national officers at its 2019 national convention, including: Karolyn Zurn of Minnesota Agri-Women as AAW President; Jane Marshall of Ohio Agri-Women was elected to a two-year term as First Vice President of Vital Issues. Carie Marshall-Moore of North Dakota Agri-Women was elected to a two-term as Vice President of Communications. Jeanette Lombardo of California Women for Agriculture is now the current past president. Officers returning for their second year of a two-year term are: Lesley Schmidt of Kansas Agri-Women, Vice President of Education; Katie Yost of Montana Agri-Women, Treasurer; and Natalina Sents from Iowa Agri-Women, Secretary.
The Bureau of Reclamation selected Richard Welsh to assume the newly created position of principal deputy regional director. Welsh began working for Reclamation in 1985 and has overseen the region’s Construction Office for the past 22 years. In this new role, Welsh will focus on building relationships and providing technical oversight for the California-Great Basin region’s projects. Projects he has worked on in the past includes: the Red Bluff Pumping Plant and Fish Screen and serving as Reclamation’s construction representative for the Battle Creek Restoration and Safety of Dam Programs.
Marvin Meyers passed away on November 19. After graduating from Fresno State University with a degree in animal science he joined the U.S. Army. With his animal science background he was drafted by the Walter Reed Medical Center to work with the live chimps in the Space Program. After the Army, he worked for the Wilbur Ellis Fertilizer Co. he then created his own ag chemical business, Meyers Ag Chem. Through his career, he served as president of the San Luis Water District and was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve on the Governor’s Agriculture Advisory Commission. While serving on the board of the San Luis Water District, Meyers created the first private water bank. The water bank Meyers created is also an educational program for children of all ages to come and learn about the importance of water and wildlife to the Central Valley. Meyers was awarded the Chamber of Commerce Agriculturist of the year in 2010.
