Ag Leadership Program names 24 to its new class

Twenty-four individuals have been selected for Class 42 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, an advanced leadership development program for emerging agricultural leaders. The fellows will begin the 20-month program on Nov. 3 in Fresno.

Class 42 fellows include Joe Ange, Markon Cooperative, Salinas; Rachelle Antinetti, Mid Valley Ag Services, Linden; Carol Arnold, Foothill Farmers Market Association, Auburn; Ara Azhderian, San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, Los Banos; Paul Basila, Basila Farms LLC, Fresno; Cameron Boswell, J.G. Boswell Co., Corcoran; Anne Coates, Cachuma Resource Conservation District, Santa Maria; Jason Cole, Cole Ranch, Santa Paula; Nathan Dorn, Reiter Affiliated Cos., Salinas; Brenda Farias, USDA Farm Service Agency, Santa Maria; Ashley Gill, Green Acres Nursery & Supply, Sacramento; and Robert Grether, Cultiva Consulting, Somis.

The other members of Class 42 will be Jared Gross, Wilbur-Ellis Co., Colusa; Cade Johnson, LeafWorks, Blythe; Denise Junqueiro, California Olive Committee, Fresno; Karl Lehman, Allied Grape Growers, Fresno; Justin Micheli, Micheli Family Farms, Live Oak; Chris Nichols, Chino Valley Ranchers, Arcadia; Elisa Noble, California Farm Bureau Federation, Sacramento; Ryan Person, Ryan Person Consulting Services, Clovis; Sonny Pulido, Primus Labs, Santa Maria; Michael Rivera, Westside Trading Co., Fresno; Michael Testa, E. & J. Gallo Winery, Pope Valley; and Ulash Turkhan, Turkhan Foods, Ripon.

Operated by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, the Ag Leadership Program consists of monthly seminars, where fellows will focus on team building, communication skills, self reflection, self discipline, strategic thinking, leadership theory, social and cultural awareness, ethics, political systems and legislative processes, and current national and international issues.

Seminars are delivered by instructors from California Polytechnic State University, Pomona; Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; California State University, Fresno; and the University of California, Davis. Additional segments are provided by Santa Clara University and National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Fellows participate in a 10-day national travel seminar during the first year and a 15-day international travel seminar during the second year.

Since it was first developed in 1970, the foundation said more than 1,100 men and women have participated in the Ag Leadership Program.