California Fresh Fruit Association Holds 86th Annual Meeting
LAGUNA BEACH, CA - The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) has something to celebrate as the association wrapped up its 86th Annual Membership Meeting in sunny Laguna Beach, California. At the event held on March 15, the organization officially kicked off its new fiscal year with the election of the Board of Directors and Chairman in addition to honoring several past members.
At the annual meeting, Wayde Kirschenman of Kirschenman Enterprises was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2022/23 fiscal year, a press release relayed. Also elected was Melissa Frank of Wonderful Orchards who now stands as First Vice Chair, and Louis Pandol of Pandol Bros who now holds the position of Secretary and Treasurer.
These new officers have been nominated to serve for a one-year period and were selected by a committee of past Board Chairs. They stand amongst the other 35 men and women from operations across California that make up CFFA’s Board of Directors.
In addition to electing its Board, the association also honored past CFFA President Barry Bedwell with the coveted Mentor’s Award, which is given to an individual who has displayed exceptional dedication to the fresh grape, berry, and treefruit communities throughout their leadership in the industry. Dean Thonesen of Riverwest Farming and John Giumarra, Jr. of Giumarra Vineyards were honored posthumously as the 2020 and 2021 Mentor’s Award recipients.
CFFA and the California Table Grape Commission (CTGC) also presented a special award to the Parnagian family for their service to the fresh produce industry. The honor was accepted by Dennis Parnagian on behalf of the family and Fowler Packing Company.
Rounding out the event, the Annual Industry Workshop featured three panel discussions focused on redistricting, water, and pesticide use. Each of which had panels of industry experts offering key insights in the issues that face the California agricultural industry.
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