MODESTO, Calif. — Voting begins Friday, April 21, to select one independent grower position and two independent handler positions on the Almond Board of California (ABC) Board of Directors. Alternate seats for those spots are also open as well as a second grower alternate seat that was not filled in 2022. Voting ends May 25.
Candidates for the independent grower positions:
Grower Position #1, Member (1-year term):
Mallvinder Singh Kahal, Madera, (petitioner)
Paul Ewing, Los Banos (incumbent)
Grower Position #1, Alternate:
Katie Staack, Hughson (incumbent)
Grower Position #2 Alternate (3-year term**):
Brad Klump, Escalon, (petitioner)
Jaime Silva Esteves, Denair (petitioner)
**2 years remaining on term.
Candidates for the independent handler positions:
Handler Position #1, Member (3-year term):
Alexi Rodriguez, Caruthers (incumbent)
Handler Position #3, Member (1-year term):
Darren Rigg, Le Grand (incumbent)
Handler Position #1, Alternate:
Ron Fisher, Modesto (incumbent)
Handler Position #3, Alternate:
Chad DeRose, McFarland (incumbent)
“Every vote is important, and it’s equally important to have as much of the industry as possible represented in the voting,” said ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott. “The Board of Directors represents more than 7,600 growers and 100 handlers and guides the work of the Almond Board to help the industry succeed in these continuing complicated times.”
Learn more about the candidates here.
The ABC board, made up of five handler and five grower representatives, sets policy and recommends budgets in major areas, including marketing, production research, public relations and advertising, nutrition research, statistical reporting, quality control and food safety.
Results will be announced June 1 and the new board will start its term Aug. 1.
