Members of the Almond Leadership Class of 2016 pose in front of Burchell Nursery, where they learned about the budding process for almond trees.After another successful year of participants learning about and experiencing the California Almond industry up close, the 2016 Almond Leadership program is about to end, which means applications for the 2017 program are now available. Almond Board of California (ABC) is looking for the industry’s best and brightest to apply for the 2017 Almond Leadership Program.
The Almond Leadership Program is an exciting opportunity for future industry leaders to explore the different facets of almond production, marketing and other issues regarding California Almonds. For 2016 Leadership participant Joe Barnett, Blue Diamond Growers operations excellence manager, the relationships he has developed have been the most rewarding part of the program.
Making Connections
“The connections, both with ABC staff and my fellow participants, have been my favorite part,” Barnett said. “The Almond Board has done a great job of selecting participants who are knowledgeable, passionate and are here to stay. Seeing the quality of people involved in the industry gives me a lot of confidence in the continued success of the California Almond industry.”
Through monthly seminars, the one-year Almond Leadership Program covers topics ranging from the budding process at a nursery to marketing almonds all around the world, along with every other aspect of growing, selling and promoting almonds. Current environmental, production, food safety and trade regulation topics are also discussed.
Another current participant, Rita Edwards, director of agricultural and commercial marketing for Sunworks, said the information provided at each seminar was one of the most valuable things she took away from the program.
A Learning Experience
“The program is structured in a way that made it easy to learn about the California Almond industry,” Edwards said. “The field trips were a profound learning experience for me, as well as extremely immersive. I learned how grafters can cover 2,000+ trees in a single day, the exciting introduction to honey bee handling, and the importance of safety regulations for food processing.”
For anyone contemplating applying for the program, Barnett says, “Just do it!”
“If you have the flexibility and ability to participate in the program, you won’t regret it,” he added. “Once in the program, take charge of the fact that you will get just as much out of this program as you put into it. Almond Board of California has a tremendous amount of resources for members of this industry to utilize.”
The Almond Leadership Program offers opportunities for professional and personal growth for young leaders in the industry. After completing the program, graduates are ready to shape the future as leaders in the California Almond industry.
If you or someone you know would like to participate in the Almond Leadership Program, visit Almonds.com/Growers, or, you can contact Jenny Nicolau by email or (209) 343-3248.
