The Almond Board of California is proud to announce the Almond Leadership Program class of 2025, a group of 18 exceptional professionals expected to help lead the industry into the future.
Bayer Crop Science has sponsored the Almond Leadership Program (ALP) for a number of years and is again the sponsor of this 2025 class of next-generation leaders who were chosen from more than 40 highly qualified applicants. They come from diverse backgrounds across the full range of the industry and include growers and processors, sales representatives, agronomists, pest control advisors, supply chain analysts, ag realtors and more.
ALP began in 2009 and has graduated 244 industry members. Dozens now serve on ABC workgroups, committees and even the Board of Directors.
“This 2025 class is outstanding. They are bright, accomplished and they care about our industry,” said Rebecca Bailey, the ABC senior specialist who oversees ALP. “This program helps great people become great leaders and our industry continues to see the huge benefits from 16 years of this program. We are certain these 18 people will continue to be great assets and advocates for the almond industry.”
Members of this 16th class – while still working at their jobs – will be immersed in every aspect of the industry, including ABC activities in global marketing, production, nutrition research, food safety and more. They’ll sharpen their communication skills and build lasting relationships with industry leaders, ABC staff and each other.
“The Almond Leadership Program brings together passionate people from all parts of the industry to learn, collaborate and grow,” said Katie Driver, a class member and technical service manager with UPL. “Through this experience, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the almond industry so that I can better support the growers, who make it all happen.”
Class members are guided by volunteer mentors – many of them ALP graduates – who will help them develop the skills, knowledge and perspective to improve their industry and their communities.
“Being a mentor gives me the chance to pass along not just what I’ve learned in the last 25 years as a farmer and a conservation biologist but the new challenges we face every year,” said mentor Christine Gemperle, a grower and member of ABC’s Board of Directors. “I believe this next generation of industry leaders has the ability to take that knowledge and grow an even better future for California almonds.”
The leadership program will also offer class members thorough looks at the impacts on the industry of social, economic, environmental and regulatory issues. In addition,
participants will take on a yearlong, self-directed project focused on improving the California almond industry. Some past projects have led to important breakthroughs for the industry.
Leadership class members kicked off their training with a two-day orientation at the ABC offices in Modesto, which included one-on-one talks with their mentors and hearing from ABC CEO Clarice Turner.
Once again, class members will raise money for California FFA, pledging to raise more than $25,000 in scholarships for high school students interested in pursuing agriculture in college. Through the years, ALP has raised more than $320,000 for FFA.
The 2025 Almond Leadership class members are:
- Arik Bains of Turlock, a pest control advisor with Wilbur Ellis.
- Cristal Da Silveria of Modesto, a plant and food safety supervisor with Grizzly Nut.
- Katie Driver of Woodland, a technical service manager with UPL.
- Raquel Gomez of Atwater, a technical agronomist with Brandt.
- Zach Harcksen of Ballico, a pest control advisor with Mid Valley Agricultural Services.
- Evan Koftinow of Los Banos, an operations manager with RPAC.
- Laine LaGrande of Colusa, a product and system specialist of high value crops with John Deere.
- Brenden Lusk of Modesto, an ag realtor with Real Broker.
- Joseph McManus of Shafter, a farm manager with Wilson Ag.
- Luis Mendoza of Denair, a sales representative with Syngenta.
- Rajan Nagra of Yuba City, a sales representative with Flory Industries/COE Orchard Equipment.
- Crystal Nay of Manteca, the managing editor of Modern Ag Media.
- Ricky Robledo of Colusa, a sales manager with TRECE Inc.
- Kiki Sandrini of Bakersfield, a regional sales manager with Chandler Automation.
- Ranvir Tung of Selma, the general manager of Tung Corporation.
- Elizabeth Vander Weide of Sacramento, a supply chain analyst for Blue Diamond Growers.
- Jake Wiley of Chico, a sales manager with ProFarm Group.
- Bobbie Williams of Tracy, a clinical dietitian and almond grower with Sutter Memorial Medical Center in Modesto and WMD Farms.