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NOTE:
Many reports contain multiple sections, which can be easily accessed through "Bookmarks" in the PDF file
About Us
Leadership
A.G. Kawamura ~ Secretary, California Department of Food & Agriculture
A.G. Kawamura is a produce grower and shipper from Orange County, where his family grows strawberries, green beans and other specialty crops. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed him CDFA Secretary in November 2003. At the time of his appointment, he was a member of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, where he had served since 1998. He is the immediate past chairman of the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee, a USDA advisory position for international trade. Kawamura has served as president of the Orange County Farm Bureau, chairman of Western Growers Association, and president of the Orange County Agricultural Association. He is widely known for his passion for education and his commitment to the issues of hunger and nutrition. Kawamura has a bachelor's degree in comparative literature from U.C. Berkeley.
Dr. David J. Wehner ~ Dean, Cal Poly College of Agriculture
Dave Wehner was named Dean of the Cal Poly College of Agriculture in April 2002. As dean, he is responsible for the operation of one of the largest colleges of agriculture in the United States with over 3700 students. Prior to this appointment, he served as associate dean with responsibilities for operation of the undergraduate program, curriculum development, student progress, advising and outreach. He also served as an assistant dean, coordinating the graduate program and aiding faculty with research and public service programs. Wehner joined the Cal Poly faculty in 1994 as head of the Environmental Horticultural Science Department and a professor of turfgrass science. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of Notre Dame and a master's and doctorate in agronomy from Pennsylvania State University. In October 2003, Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman named him to the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics Advisory Board.
Staff
Dr. Jay Noel, Director
Jay Noel is a professor in Cal Poly's Agribusiness Department. Noel earned his Ph.D. in agricultural economics from the University of California at Davis. Prior to joining the agribusiness faculty he was the chief operating officer for the California Rice Growers Association. He teaches courses in agricultural marketing, agricultural policy, international trade, and quantitative methods. His research activities are focused in areas of performance and feasibility of agricultural cooperatives, industrial organization of agricultural markets, agricultural policy, and trade.
Contact Information:
California Institute for the Study of Specialty Crops
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Cal Poly State University
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
p: (805) 756-5014
f: (805) 756-5040
jnoel@calpoly.edu
Board of Directors
Edwin Camp
Edwin Camp is president of D.M. Camp & Sons, a Bakersfield grape and vegetable operation founded by his grandfather. Camp is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Robert Crudup
Robert Crudup is president of Calabasas-based Valley Crest Tree Company, the largest producer of containerized specimen trees in the Western United States. He earned a degree in natural resources from the University of Rhode Island.
Steve Danna
Steve Danna is manager of operations for San Jose-based Danna & Danna, Inc., producers of fruits, nuts, grains and vegetables. Danna earned a degree in civil engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Ron Fisher
Ron Fisher is founder and president/CEO of Fisher Nut Company, a Modesto-based almond processor. He earned master's and bachelor's degrees from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
David Gill
David Gill is a partner in Rio Farms/Gills Onion of King City, a grower-shipper-processor of fresh vegetables. Gill earned a bachelor's degree in crop science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Bob Gray
Bob Gray is president of Salinas-based Duda Vegetable Company and Gene Jackson Farms, Inc. Gray earned a bachelor's from the University of Arizona and a master's from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
John Hayashi
John Hayashi is general manager of Y. Hayashi & Sons and a member of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. He studied agriculture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
William Lyons
William Lyons served as secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 1999 to 2003. His Modesto-area ranch produces a number of crop and livestock commodities. Lyons is a graduate of California State University Chico.
Joe MacIlvaine
Joe MacIlvaine is president of Paramount Farming Company, the country's largest producer of almonds, pistachios and pomegranates. MacIlvaine earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a master's from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dana Merrill
Dana Merrill operates Mesa Vineyard Management based in Templeton. He also serves on the Pierce's Disease/Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Board for the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Marvin Meyers
Marvin Meyers operates a diversified farming operation in partnership with his son and daughter through Meyers Farming, Oxford Farms and Meyers Farms Family Trust. Meyers earned a bachelor of science degree from California State University Fresno.
George Soares
George Soares is the managing partner in the law firm of Kahn, Soares & Conway, a governmental advocacy firm with particular focus in agriculture. Soares also operates a dairy and farming business in Hanford.
Bruce Taylor
Bruce Taylor is chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms California. He earned a master's in business administration from Harvard University.