Alexandra (Alex) Dunn has been named the new president and CEO of CropLife America. She has been a partner in the environmental, safety and incident response group at the international law firm Baker Botts since 2021. She previously served as assistant administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. She will begin her new role in March.
Alex Dunn, incoming CLA president Ana Jovel Melendez has been appointed as the deputy secretary of legislative affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Melendez most recently was the director of legislative affairs at the State Water Resources Control Board since 2021.
David Sindall is now the partnership coordinator at the U.S. Forest Service. He previously was a management analyst at USDA.
The Port of Oakland has appointed Carolyn Almquist to be the new maritime marketing manager. She brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, previously working with American President Lines, most recently as head of cargo flow for the Americas.
Lia Biondo has joined the Congressional Research Service as an ag policy analyst covering the livestock, dairy and commodities portfolio. She spent the last nine years at Western Skies Strategies, most recently as senior associate.
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has hired more UC Cooperative Extension experts to work in communities throughout the state. Mackenzie Patton has been brought on as a integrated pest management adviser for the Central Sierra. She serves El Dorado, Amador, Tuolumne and Calaveras counties. She earned a master’s degree in plant pathology and phytopathology at UC Davis and a bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Texas at Tyler. Crystele Leauthaud has been hired as an agroecology specialist based at UC Santa Cruz working on agroecology, climate change and water management. From 2016 to 2023, she researched agronomy of hydrosystems at the CIRAD institute in France. Simarjeet Singh is a new irrigated grass systems area adviser for Modoc, Lassen and Shasta counties. Singh previously worked in the private agricultural sector on soil amendments and nitrogen management plans for pasture farms in Merced, Sacramento and Solano counties. Jennifer Smilowitz is settling into her new role as an UC Cooperative Extension specialist in nutrition and health equity in the Department of Nutrition at UC Davis. Smilowitz holds a bachelor’s degree in molecular, cell and developmental biology at UCLA and a doctoral degree in nutritional biology with an emphasis in endocrinology from UC Davis. Brian Woodward has been brought on as a forest adviser for Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. He earned a bachelor’s in environmental studies from Sonoma State University, followed by a master’s in forest sciences and a Ph.D. in ecology from Colorado State University. His doctoral research investigated the response of coast redwood forest systems to fire and disturbance. Bruno Pitton has been hired as the environmental horticulture adviser for Placer and Nevada counties, bringing over 20 years of experience in environmental horticulture. He previously worked in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, administering a grant-funded research and extension program for California’s nursery and greenhouse industry.
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DeShawn Blanding has joined the Union of Concerned Scientists as the senior Washington representative for the food and environment program. He previously was a senior policy analyst on the minority staff of the House Ag Committee.
Ivan Goh has returned to the U.S. Wheat Associates as the biscuit, bakery and noodle technologist in the South and Southeast Asia market, based in Singapore. He will also take on the additional responsibility of running courses at the UFM Baking and Cooking School in Bangkok, Thailand. Goh joined USW in March 2018 and left in late 2022 to work in the private industry.
Lillie Zeng has left the American Sugar Alliance where she was the director of communications. Before going to the Sugar Alliance she was the press secretary for Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., on the Senate Ag Committee. Before that she worked at USDA as a public affairs specialist.
Nikki Cossio, California Agricultural Leadership FoundationThe California Agricultural Leadership Foundation has added Nikki Cossio and Sal Parra Jr. to its board of directors. Cossio is the founder and CEO of Measure to Improve, which supports fresh produce industry producers and processors in improving and building sustainability programs. Parra Jr. is the director of farming for Burford Ranch, a multigenerational family operation that grows nuts, vegetables and row crops.
Dan Glickman has been tapped to chair the board of directors for Hunger Free America. He has served on the board since 2020. Glickman was secretary of agriculture during the Bill Clinton administration.
Vern Hawkins has been appointed to serve on Taranis’ board of directors. Hawkins is Syngenta’s president of crop protection and regional director of North America.
The National Association of Conservation Districts has elected Gary Blair as president-elect of the organization. He will assume the role of NACD president in 2025. He has been on the NACD board since 2015. He most recently served as the first vice president.
Joe Nicosia has been selected chairman of the National Cotton Council for 2024. Nicosia has been a member of the board of directors since 2011. Patrick Johnson has been tapped as vice chairman.
Cotton Council International has tapped Lee Cromley to serve as president for 2024. Other officers elected were first vice president Carlo Bocardo, second vice president John C. King, III, secretary Gary Adams, treasurer Richard Gaona, and assistant secretary Bruce Atherley. CCI is the National Cotton Council’s export promotion arm.
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