California Walnut Board shares election results

Through a press release, the California Walnut Board announced the election results for its Board of Directors. The process began in February this year and officially ended with the certification by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 

The new roster of board officials consists of ten growers and eight handlers, and has three new faces: Daniel Bays, Aaron Martella, and John Heier. They will serve on the California Walnut Board for a two-year term that starts September 1st and ends August 31st, 2027

For District 1, the elected officials are as follows:

• Grower Member: William D. Carriere
• Grower Member: Ben Walsh
• Handler Member: Jack Mariani
• Grower Alternate: Jeff Gallagher
• Grower Alternate: Michael Petz
• Handler Alternate: John Aguiar
• Handler Alternate: Dick Wolf

For District 2, the elected officials are as follows:

• Grower Member: Brent Barton
• Grower Alternate: Daniel Bays
• Grower Member: Greg Wiersma
• Grower Alternate: Benjamin Crane
• Handler Member: Frank Guerra
• Handler Alternate: Brock Middleton
• Handler Member: Mike Poindexter
• Handler Alternate: Aaron Martella

Serving the board at large are Michael Machado (as a grower member) and John Heier (as a grower alternate).

California Walnut Board executive director Robert Verloop underscored the valuable experience and fresh perspectives of the newly elected members, which will greatly benefit the organization. "Importantly, they are not only committed to their own operations, but also to the broader success of the walnut industry,” he added. 

Verloop said this new board is entrusted with leading the execution of the organization’s 2023 strategic plan, which emphasizes quality, global expansion, innovation and sustainability, goal-oriented production and post-harvest research, and revitalizing the board and commission for industry cohesion.

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