on the WG Board of Directors: Brandon Grimm (Grimmway Farms); Eric Reiter (Reiter Affiliated Companies); Kelly Strickland (Five Crowns Marketing); J.P. LaBrucherie (LaBrucherie Produce); Neill Callis (Turlock Fruit Company); Stephen Martori (Martori Farms); and Alex Muller (Pasquinelli Produce Company). “When I started in the Future Volunteer Leaders Program, I was the food safety manager, and in the few years since graduating, I have become the president at Pasquinelli Produce,” said Muller, who also serves on WG’s current 2021-2022 board. “During my time in the program, I got to sit at the table and hear from and communicate with industry leaders. Some of the discussions I recall having span topics from E. coli outbreak response, the ever-changing world of H-2A, the
perceptions of GMOs, to balancing family life in a demanding industry.” Muller notes how one of the most impactful activities from the program was his interactions with Karen Timmins (WG senior vice president, Human Resources) while learning how to elevate his company and workforce through the principles of the Arbinger Institute. “I believe that if you build a strong and healthy work environment, employees will see Pasquinelli as an extension of their own personal success. At the end of the day, we are a family business and we never want to lose sight of that,” said Muller. To further develop the agricultural workforce, Muller has also introduced students to the various careers offered at Pasquinelli through the WG’s rising career
WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2021 RYAN TALLEY , Chairman ALBERT KECK , Senior Vice Chair STUART WOOLF , Vice Chair CAROL CHANDLER , Treasurer VICTOR SMITH , Executive Secretary DAVE PUGLIA, President DIRECTORS – 2021 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California ALEXANDRA ALLEN Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Illume Agriculture, Bakersfield, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP, Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BARDIN E. BENGARD Bengard Ranch, Salinas, California LOREN BOOTH Booth Ranches, Orange Cove, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California RODNEY BRAGA Braga Ranch, Soledad, California NEILL CALLIS Turlock Fruit Company, Turlock, California EDWIN A. CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LAWRENCE W. COX Lawrence Cox Ranches, Brawley, California STEPHEN F. DANNA Danna Farms, Inc., Yuba City, California JOHN C. D’ARRIGO D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Salinas, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California FRANZ W. DE KLOTZ Peter Rabbit Farms, Coachella, California SAMUEL D. DUDA Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, California CATHERINE A. FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID L. GILL Rio Farms, King City, California BRANDON A. GRIMM Grimmway Farms, Arvin, California JOHN JACKSON Beachside Produce, LLC, Nipomo, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Irvine, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens, Thermal, California J.P. LABRUCHERIE LaBrucherie Produce, El Centro, California FRANK MACONACHY Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, California JOHN S. MANFRE Frank Capurro and Son, Moss Landing, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California TOM MULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California ALEXANDER T. MULLER Pasquinelli Produce Co., Yuma, Arizona DOMINIC J. MUZZI Muzzi Family Farms, LLC, Moss Landing, California MARK NICKERSON Prime Time International, Coachella, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California RON RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California ERIC T. REITER Reiter Affiliated Companies, Oxnard, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona WILL ROUSSEAU Rousseau Farming Company, Tolleson, Arizona VICTOR SMITH JV Smith Companies, Yuma, Arizona RYAN TALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C. TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California STUART WOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROB YRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
Careers in Ag alumna Anahi Huerta currently serves as food safety coordinator at Prime Time International
MARCH | APRIL 2021
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Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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