The 54th class of the California Agricultural Leadership Program – an advanced leadership development experience for emerging, mid-career leaders in agriculture – has been announced. The 24 individuals will go through a 17-month intensive program with some 55 seminar days, including a 10-day national travel seminar and a 14-day international travel seminar. CALF invests over $50,000 per fellow in the program. The fellows selected for the 54th class along with their company and home town:
- Marisa Alcorta, Center for Land-Based Learning, Winters
- Jake Barcellos, A-Bar Ag Enterprises, Los Banos
- Megan Bell, Margins Wine, Santa Cruz
- Hunter Berry, Yosemite Farm Credit ACA, Turlock
- Kelly Bishop, Imperial Irrigation District, El Centro
- Cameron Boomgaarden, Vann Brothers, Yuba City
- Hillary DeCarl, Del Rey Avocado Co., Fallbrook
- Allison Dericco, Rodney Strong Vineyards, Healdsburg
- Will Dyt, Dyt Dairy, Nuevo
- Jarred Greene, Nickel Family, Firebaugh
- Rachael Laenen, Kimball Ranches – El Hogar, Santa Paula
- Lizandro Magana, California Olive Ranch, Red Bluff
- Patty Martinez, Marz Family Farms Inc., Somis
- Timothy “Boomer” Murray, Murray Ag Real Estate Team, Visalia
- Consuelo Fernandez Noguera, Brokaw Nursery, Ventura
- Carson Pettit, RPAC LLC, El Dorado Hills
- Janeth Quintero, Naturipe Berry Growers Inc., Salinas
- Jenny Scheer, Water and Land Solutions, Chico
- Theresa Schneider, A&J Family Farms Inc., Chico
- Tony Shelton, The Wonderful Company, Bakersfield
- Andrew Smith, County of Sonoma, Santa Rosa
- Trevor Tauzer, Tauzer Apiaries, Davis
- Linda Torres, Constellation Brands Inc., Healdsburg
- Jamie Valdovinos, USDA Risk Management Agency, Windsor
The Rancho California Water District board appointed Jason Martin general manager. Martin has been with Rancho Water since 2006, most recently as interim general manager as well as leading the CropSWAP program and water resource program.
Former Senate Ag Committee chief economist John Newton is joining Terrain, where he will lead a team of economists and analysts. Newton worked for Ranking Member John Boozman, R-Ark., for three years, after leading economics at the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Milk Producers Federation. Terrain serves AgCountry Farm Credit Services, American AgCredit, Farm Credit Services of America and Frontier Farm Credit with analysis of a range of agricultural sectors — "from cattle and corn to wine, dairy and tree nuts — as well as the macroeconomy and its impact on rural America,” Terrain said Monday.
Tara Sweeney joined the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources – UCANR – supporting F3Local. Headquartered in the Central Valley, she will focus on F3
Chris Hill, Conservation Lands Foundation Local’s work strengthening the local food system through technology advancement and enterprise growth by coordinating educational and outreach programs. Sweeney previously worked at Fresno Metro Ministry and West Coast Industrial Magazine.
The Conservation Lands Foundation tapped Chris Hill as CEO. With more than a decade of experience as an environmental lobbyist, Hill served as the first chief conservation officer at the Sierra Club and led the organization’s legacy campaigns on lands conservation, water and wildlife.
The World Shipping Council appointed Tamekia Flack as director of U.S. government relations, leading safety, security and environmental programs. Flack was chief counsel and deputy administrator of the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration.
Butch Hill was named general manager at Quebec Distributing Co. He will split his time with the Northern California-based direct distributor’s office and warehouse location in Tracy and the company’s new Los Angeles office. Before joining Quebec Distributing, Hill worked for Golden Gate Produce Terminal in South San Francisco.
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The Environmental Council of the States tapped Jon Niermann as the group’s next president. He currently chairs the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Darryl Blakey joined BASF as manager of government affairs. He was with FMC as an associate director of U.S. government affairs. Blakey was a policy adviser at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and worked for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and House Agriculture Committee.
Jamila Thompson was appointed chief of staff for United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai. Thompson was the office's acting chief of staff and senior adviser. Before joining USTR, she had worked in Democratic congressional offices since 2001.
The Office of the USTR appointed Jon Hurst as special adviser for agriculture. He had been special assistant to Doug McKalip, USTR's chief agricultural negotiator, and as a special assistant at the USDA. Hurst also worked on the 2020 Biden for President campaign in the Carolinas.
The World Shipping Council appointed Tamekia Flack as director of U.S. government relations, leading safety, security and environmental programs. Flack was chief counsel and deputy administrator of the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. 
Emma Scott, Vermont Law
Emma Scott was appointed director of the food and agriculture clinic at Vermont Law and Graduate School. Scott was an instructor and associate director at the Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic focused on food system sustainability, farm bill policy, food system labor and USDA program equity. She also led the Mississippi Delta Project and was an attorney-fellow at the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation focused on representing farmworkers under the H-2A visa program.
John Strom left his position as senior counsel on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He will now practice law and lobby for Foley & Lardner, focused on energy.
Jennifer Clever started a detail position as senior adviser for agricultural affairs at the Department of State’s East Asian and Pacific Bureau. Clever has held an array of positions in USDA’s Foreign Ag Service, including roles in Spain, China, Japan and Washington.
Brian Diffell launched a boutique lobbying firm – Ridge View Strategies – focused on international trade, supply chains, tax policy and telecommunications. Diffell was previously an investor at Berg Capital Group, partner at the Washington Tax and Public Policy Group and legislative director for Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Brad Doyle, Solutions from the Land s. Cara Barrett was promoted to senior manager of professional education at Integra LifeSciences. Barrett worked at the Renewable Fuels Association and ACell Inc.
Karis Gutter, head of government and industry affairs at Corteva, is the newest member of the National 4-H Council board of trustees. Gutter has held appointments at USDA and as a legislative director and deputy chief of staff on Capitol Hill. The 4-H programs affect more than 6 million young people in every county and parish in the U.S. each year.
Dennis Beesigamukama, a postdoctoral fellow at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, Kenya, was given the 2024 Norman E. Borlaug Field Research and Application award. Beesigamukama was recognized for developing low-cost technologies that recycle organic waste into nutrient-rich, insect-composted organic fertilizers. The announcement was made by 2021 World Food Prize Laureate Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted.
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