Newly minted members of the Almond Leadership Program, class of 2017, met at the Almond Board of California (ABC) offices in January to kick off their yearlong education to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the California Almond industry in preparation for becoming tomorrow’s leaders. The two-day event included an orientation to the program and state-of-the-industry presentation by ABC’s president and CEO, Richard Waycott. The class was briefly exposed to all program areas of ABC, including production and environmental research, almond quality and food safety, global marketing and more. Each participant brought four tangible items that helped to describe themselves to one another.
“It was an amazing two days of getting to know more about Almond Board of California,” said participant Bret Sill, Sill Properties. “As a grower, it really helps to know where the funds are going and what the Almond Board of California is doing to develop markets for the future growth of the industry. I also really enjoyed the team-bonding experience in which we learned more about each other.”
On Tuesday, the participants met the pool of almond industry member volunteers with whom they will be working throughout the course of the program. Each participant selected a different mentor for each season, which will help to expose the participants to a wide network of industry professionals who will share their knowledge and passion with them.
Wednesday afternoon, the 18 program participants visited Escape Modesto, a team-building event site. The class was split into two groups and then 'locked' in a room full of clues requiring them to break the code and unlock the door. The team-building exercise required out-of-the-box problem-solving skills, communication, and a sense of humor. “I loved all the team-building activities, even though I was skeptical about the escape room,” said Ryan Sunzeri of Sunworks (the 2017 program sponsor). “In the end, that was my favorite part: to watch us all come together as a team to accomplish the task at hand.”
Program participant Bikram Singh went on to say, “It's amazing to see the unity in diversity; we have growers, handlers, PCAs, etc., sitting together and telling their stories. I’m looking forward to making lifelong friendships and working together for the almond industry."
The Almond Leadership Program is pleased to announce its class for 2017:
- Lucas Avila, Farmland Management Services
- Annie Benisch, Stewart & Jasper
- Christina Brichetto, Terra Nova Trading Inc.
- Brennon Christopher, Semios
- Devin Clarke, Stanislaus Farm Supply
- Kevin Esau, Arysta LifeScience
- Luke Heuer, Heuer Farms
- Ashley Hollis, Almond Alliance of California
- Robert Holtermann, Holtermann Farms
- Marcus McClure, Gar Tootelian, Inc.
- Chris Parreira, RPAC
- Michelle Penney, Del Rio Nut Company
- Sharon Rucker, Law Office of Sharon E. Rucker, PC
- Bret Sill, Sill Properties Inc.
- Bikramjit Singh, Bapu Almond Co., Inc.
- Katelynn Staack, Grizzly Nut
- Ryan Sunzeri, Sunworks
- Cameron White, Sierra View Ranch
The Almond Leadership Program is now in its ninth year and has had more than 115 graduates. The program encourages individuals in the almond industry to participate in leadership training and take a leadership role in the future of the California Almond industry. For more information and to watch a short testimonial video on Growing the Next Generation of Almonds, visit Almonds.com/AlmondLeadershipProgram.
