Farm Hands West: Endean joins Department of Water Resources

The Washington Apple Commission has tapped Michael Schadler as president. A University of Washington graduate, Schadler has been executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange and coordinated international marketing programs for the Florida Department of Citrus. Schadler will assume the position in September 2024 upon the retirement of current executive director Todd Fryhover, who led the organization for 18 years.

The California Department of Water Resources named Ryan Endean deputy director of communications. Endean has been with the department since 2018 as acting deputy assistant director of the public affairs office and media, public information supervisor of the public affairs office and most recently acting deputy director of communications. He is a native of Sacramento and an alumnus of California State University, Sacramento.  

Agri-Service has appointed Cale Sledge president. Sledge was director of regional sales – West U.S. for AGCO Corp. He will be based in Idaho leading one of the largest AGCO dealerships. 

Drew Hodel has been appointed senior advisor on climate, legal and intergovernmental affairs at the California Public Utilities Commission. An Irvine native, Hodel has worked as a legal and policy advisor to the president of the California Public Utilities Commission and has been an associate at a private law firm.

The California Almond Growers announced their board of directors results. Selected for grower positions include Paul Ewing of Los Banos and Joe Gardiner of Earlimart. Garrett Bloemhof of Shafter and Katie Staack of Hughson are grower alternates. Bob Silveira of Williams and Darren Rigg of Le Grand were selected for handler positions. The group tapped Justin Morehead of Coalinga and Chad DeRose of McFarland for alternate handler positions. Finally, Christine Gemperle of Ceres was tapped to serve in the co-op grower position with Lucas Van Duyn of Ripon being the alternate co-op grower representative. The names have been submitted to USDA for approval to begin terms on Aug. 1. 

The California Energy Commission has appointed Ryan Briscoe Young deputy public advisor. Young held a variety of roles for the city and county of San Francisco and recently was policy director at Dream Corps. He earned a law degree from the University of California College of Law, San Francisco. 

Bloom Fresh has named Josep Jove Estiarte as chief executive officer. With over 20 years in the fresh produce industry, Estiarte will lead the world’s leading fruit breeder of table grapes, cherries and raisins after serving as interim CEO and chief innovation officer since February. 

The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation and the Ag Leadership Alumni Council will present the 2024 Lifetime Leadership Award to Mike Campbell, Paul Martin, Ed McLaughlin and John Muller. Hailing from Clarksburg, Campbell farmed in the Sacramento Delta in the 1970s and early 80s, was the second farmer ever to be selected as a White House Fellow, and spent much of his time giving back to the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the Cal Aggie Alumni Association. Martin of Petaluma has been a prominent leader in the dairy industry and rounded out his career as deputy director in the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development before retiring in 2014. McLaughlin, an almond and walnut farmer from Durham, contributed heavily to an array of local organizations, including Farm Bureau and Silver Dollar Fair and was a founding member of the Tuscan Water District and Ag Groundwater Users of Butte County. Hailing from Half Moon Bay, Muller has given back to his community at all levels serving as mayor, sitting on the Association of California Water Agencies – Region 5 and serving on a USDA trade advisory committee, which earned him a President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2008. 

Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary of agriculture for food, nutrition and consumer services, will step down from her position in July. She led the Biden administration's update of the Thrifty Food Plan and was nominated twice to be undersecretary but the Senate returned her nomination both times. Cindy Long, current administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service, will fill Dean's role after she leaves. Dean will become the newly created Carbonell Family Executive Director of the Global Food Institute at George Washington University. “Under the leadership of Stacy Dean, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has been innovative and forward-looking in their efforts to enhance nutrition security," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. "American families are better off thanks to Stacy’s work and will continue Stacy Dean, Executive Director of the GW University Global Food Institute. to be in her new role.”

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After 13 years, Mike Brown is retiring as president of the National Chicken Council. Sources who asked to remain confidential reported that Brown was arrested and charged with battery - touch or strike another against their will in Collier County, Florida, on June 7, 2024. Asked to confirm the report, NCC communications director Tom Super said in an email, "We are aware of the situation. Mike is no longer with NCC and is dealing with a personal matter." Gary Jay Kushner, NCC’s general counsel for more than 40 years, has been named interim vice president. NCC will conduct a nationwide search to select a new leader. 

Victoria Maloch has been named chief of staff for USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs. An Oxford, Cambridge and University of Arkansas graduate, she previously was special adviser for strategic communications in the USDA Office of Communications and communications director for House Agriculture Committee Democrats. She was a National FFA officer, Marshall Scholar and received a Senior Honor Citation from the University of Arkansas. 

A 37-year National Agricultural Statistics Service veteran, Joseph Parsons has been selected as the NASS administrator effective June 16. Previously Parsons served as acting administrator and associate administrator of NASS. He will succeed Hubert Hamer who retired in March. 

Rep. John Duarte, R- Calif., tapped Kyle Lombardi as deputy chief of staff. Lombardi has been senior policy adviser for Duarte since the beginning of the year and previously spent more than 15 years on staff with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Lombardi has handled agriculture, energy and environment issues. 

Erin Wilson left her position as member services and coalitions director for the House Agriculture Committee, a post she held since 2021 under Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson, R-Pa. With her departure, Tim Fitzgerald was promoted to director; he had been coordinator for member services and coalitions. 

Jill Reilly has been promoted to state press secretary for Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. Before joining Tester’s office in 2022, Reilly was staff assistant for Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. 

Claire Wengrod joined the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies as a professional staff member. She was in the personal office of Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., subcommittee chairman, since 2019, recently as legislative assistant.