Rick Kushman is the manager of media relations for global communications at the Almond Board of California, assisting all media – including agriculture-focused, trade, California and global outlets – in their connections to the almond industry and the Almond Board. He also oversees the Almond Board’s media outreach to help share the almond industry’s latest developments and wide range of positive stories.

Rick is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist and does on-air wine segments for Capital Public Radio, Sacramento’s NPR affiliate. He is also the creator and co-host of the popular podcast “Bottle Talk with Rick and Paul.” He has years of journalistic experience covering agriculture, wine, food, entertainment, business and politics from local to national. His writing has appeared in newspapers across the country and in publications ranging from Time Magazine to Sommelier Journal to Daily Variety.

Before joining the Almond Board, he worked as a columnist and reporter at The Sacramento Bee, in the wine industry as a consultant and as a communications strategist for E. & J. Gallo Winery, and as a public affairs senior writer and executive communications expert at UC Davis Health. He is the author of two books, and the second, “The Barefoot Spirit,” a business book set in the wine world, spent two months on the New York Times Bestseller list.

Rick is also an accomplished competitive runner and a professional wine judge. He lives in Sacramento with his wife, Deborah Meltvedt, a high school teacher, and with their rescued cat, Anchovy Jack, who they think used to be a pirate.