Daniel Hartwig has been tapped as the new president of the California Fresh Fruit Association, succeeding Ian LeMay, who has held the position since 2019. LeMay has accepted the new role of president and CEO of the California Table Grape Commission. Hartwig most recently was the director of sustainability for Woolf Enterprises. Before that, he was the vice president of grower relations for the Nisei Farmers League.
The Department of Agriculture has brought on three individuals to hold senior staff positions. Eric Womack has been named deputy general counsel in the Office of General Counsel. Womack most recently served on detail as an associate counsel for the Litigation Group in the White House Counsel’s Office. Brian Sowyrda is now the director of external affairs in the Office of Congressional Relations. Sowyrda previously served as chief of staff for Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., and before that for former Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, D-N.M. Elaine Trevino has been appointed associate administrator in the Foreign Agricultural Service. Trevino most recently served on detail to the Department of Transportation. In that position, she helped address bottlenecks to improve the movement of U.S. exports and imports with a focus on agriculture. She also previously served as president of the Almond Alliance of California.
Daniel Hartwig, California Fresh Fruit AssociationVic Savanello has joined FreshPro Foods as vice president of merchandising, sales and business development. He most recently worked at SpartanNash as the vice president of produce and floral. He has also held leadership roles with Wakefern Foods, Allegiance Retail Services and The Fresh Market.
Bernardo Calvo has joined Sun World International as president and chief operating officer. He brings over 25 years of experience in the global agricultural industry, most recently as president of Bayer's Crop Science business in Latin America. In his new role at Sun World, Calvo will be responsible for leading the company's global operations and driving growth across its portfolio of fresh fruit brands.
Nobuyuki Ishii has been tapped as Kubota North America’s new CEO and senior managing executive officer of the Kubota Corp. Todd Stucke has been moved over to serve as president of Kubota Tractor Corp. and executive officer of KBT. Both appointments take effect Jan. 1. Shingo Hanada has been promoted to director and senior managing executive officer at Kubota Corp. in Japan.
Salaam Bhatti has been named the new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program director of the Food Research and Action Center. He brings 11 years of experience in social justice, public benefits, and human rights. Bhatti previously served as a public benefits attorney and deputy director of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, where he specialized in public benefits law.
Angela Anandappa has been selected as executive director of the Animal Digestible Food Packaging Initiative, effective Jan. 1. She is currently CEO of the Alliance for Advanced Sanitation.
Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., has added Taylor Tougaw to his staff as a policy adviser covering the energy, mining, renewables, research and development, permitting, and public lands portfolio. Tougaw is a Colorado native and previously worked for Reps. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Doug Lamborn, R-Colo. He received two undergraduate degrees from Colorado State University before going on to earn a master’s from the University of Newcastle in England.
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Stuart Woolf has been elected to serve as the new chair of the Western Growers Board. Woolf is the president and CEO of Woolf Farming and Processing, a family-owned operation. He has previously served as chairman of the California League of Food Processors, the Almond Board of California, and the UC President’s Commission of Agriculture and Natural Resources. He is currently on the board of the California Chamber of Commerce and the newly formed California Agave Council.
The California Association of Winegrape Growers has elected new board officers and directors. Gregg Hibbits of Grapevine Capital Partners in San Luis Obispo was elected as chairman, succeeding Tom Slater of Slater Farms, who served in the role since 2021. Other officers include Jeff Bitter, a winegrape grower in Madera, and John Chandler of Chandler Farms, vice-chairs; Duff Bevill of Bevill Vineyard Management, secretary; and Jason Smith of Valley Farm Management, treasurer.
Delegates of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation reelected Cyndi Johnson as president. Johnson is a wheat farmer from Conrad, Montana. Gary Heibertshausen was re-elected as vice president.
Randy Reinke has been elected as the new president of the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association. He is the president and CEO of Custom Products of Litchfield. He succeeds Ben Hellbusch of Duo Lift Manufacturing. Craig Harthoorn was selected to serve as first vice president, Mark Ivey as second vice president, Tim Burenga as treasurer, and Scott Eisenmenger as secretary.
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