In his first week as president pro tem, Mike McGuire of Healdsburg has changed up the leadership in the California Senate. Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco will chair the Budget Committee, Sen. Anna Caballero of Merced, a former ag chair and moderate Democrat, will oversee Appropriations, and Sen. Angelique Ashby of Sacramento will chair the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee. Ashby will also serve as the assistant majority leader. McGuire tapped Sen. Lena Gonzalez of Long Beach as the new majority leader.
FIVS, the global federation for wine and spirits, has appointed Julie Hesketh-Laird as the new CEO. She previously worked for Food Standards Scotland as the deputy chief executive and director of strategy and governance. Before that, she was the chief executive of Scottish Salmon Producers Organization.
Gary Millerchip has accepted the position of executive vice president and chief financial officer at Costco. He previously was the senior vice president and chief financial officer at Kroger.
Gary Millerchip, CostcoDobler & Sons has hired industry veteran Jeff Oberman as the new chief operating officer. He previously worked at the California Avocado Commission as the president and CEO. He has also worked at United Fresh Produce Association, now the International Fresh Produce Association.
Chris Rheault has been named president of Produce Alliance, which is a part of the Buyers Edge Platform Fresh Division. He previously served as the executive vice president of produce operations for Buyers Edge Platform Fresh Division.
Beth Tritter now serves as a partner at FGS Global in the government affairs division. She comes to the firm after working for two years at USAID, where she most recently was the director of the COVID-19 response team.
Farmers National Co., has announced the addition of two regional vice presidents. Grant Fitzgerald has been promoted to regional vice president of farm and ranch management. He previously was the vice president of farm and ranch management operations based out of Omaha. Mike Janssen has also been hired as a regional vice president of farm and ranch management. He most recently was a district manager for Iowa with Syngenta Seeds.
Bill Hendricks was tapped as the interim dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences at Cal Poly. He most recently served as an associate dean for CAFES. A national search for a permanent dean for the college is underway.
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John Rozum has moved over to senior director of industry sectors at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. He previously was the senior director of ag and utility exhibitions and events.
Emily Welch is the new staff assistant for the minority side of the Senate Ag Committee. She replaces Bryce McWilliams, who was promoted to legislative aide and special assistant. Welch is a graduate of the University of Florida with a double major in economics and biology. She previously was a park ranger in the Grand Teton National Park and Glacier National Park.
Bryson Henriott has joined the staff of House Speaker Mike Johnson as the new press assistant. He previously was a legislative correspondent and special assistant to Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.
DeShawn BlandingDeShawn Blanding has left the House Ag Committee, where he worked for ranking member David Scott, D-Ga., as a senior policy analyst on issues related to local and regional food systems, specialty crops, organic and urban agriculture, historically underserved producers, civil rights and racial justice, agricultural credit, and rural health. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Senate Ag Committee and the Rural Coalition. He has not announced his next job.
The California Farm Bureau has selected the individuals who will participate in the 2024 Leadership Farm Bureau program, which consists of a 10-month educational and development initiative that prepares them for leadership roles in Farm Bureau and the agriculture industry. The members include: Ben Abatti III of Imperial County, Alex Arroyo of Monterey County, Tanya Brouse of Butte County, Sy Honig of Sutter County, Jackie Kennedy of Glenn County, James Moller of Shasta County, Rachel Nettleton of Kern County, Harsimerdip “Harry” Sidhu of Sutter County, and Danielle Vietti of Tulare County.
Wyatt Brummer has been re-elected chairman and Greg Beck as first vice chairman of the Transportation, Elevator and Grain Merchants Association (TEGMA). Brummer is the vice president-western rail grains at The Scoular Co., and Beck is the chief administrative officer and senior vice president of CGB Enterprises. Aaron Reid, chief operating officer of J.D. Heiskell and Co., was elected second vice chairman. Other officers newly elected include Angela Caddell, BNSF Railway; Jason Hess, Union Pacific Railroad; Greg Beck, CGB Enterprises; Justin Cauley, CHS Inc.; Shaun Meiners, The Andersons; and Trent Schairer, Bartlett Grain Co.
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