College Dean's Advisory Council
The mission of the College's Dean's Advisory Council is to support and promote the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences in its program and activities. These dedicated industry leaders provide counsel, focus and direction and assist the university president and college dean in carrying out the Learn by Doing mission of the college and the university.
Dean's Advisory Council Members (* denotes alumnus, 1 denotes council chair, 2 denotes council vice chair)
Name | Title | Company, Location |
Dennis Albiani* | Vice President | California Advocates, Sacramento |
Ken Altman | CEO | Altman Plants, Salinas |
Irene Bernal* | Head of Capital Deployments | Private venture firm, Seattle |
Kiran Black | Marketing Manager | Sacramento Valley Walnut Growers, Yuba City |
Louie Brown* | Partner | Kahn, Soares & Conway LLP, Sacramento |
Chris Drew* | President and CEO | Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville |
Kimo Falconer* | President |
MauiGrown Coffee, Lahaina, HI |
Jim Fipp* | Partner | Berg Hill Greenleaf Ruscitti, LLP, Boulder, CO |
Bob Gray | President/CEO (retired) | California Ag Leadership Foundation, Salinas |
Luawanna Hallstrom* | Chief Operating Officer & Principal | Collaborative Communications, Washington, D.C. |
Heather Hammack* | President | Famous Software, Fresno |
Jeff Huckaby | President | Grimmway Farms, Bakersfield |
Mike Jani | Senior Forestry Advisor | Humboldt Redwood Company, LLC and Mendocino Redwood Company, LLC, Ukiah |
Merle Jensen* | Director | Greenhouse Vegetable Consultants, Tucson |
Steve Junqueiro | President & CEO | Steve Junqueiro & Associates, Modesto |
Ejnar Knudsen | CEO | AGR Partners |
Lauren Layne*2 | Attorney | BAKER MANOCK & JENSEN, PC, Fresno |
Jim Marderosian* | Owner | Bee Sweet Citrus, Fowler |
Richard Matteis* | Administrator | California Farm Bureau Federation, Sacramento |
Kirk Messick* 2 | President & CEO | Messick International Trade & Consulting LLC, Sacramento |
Jon Munger* | Vice President of Operations | Montna Farms, Yuba City |
David Nickum | President and CEO | Valley Farm Transport, Inc., Dixon |
Tracy Pezzini* | Director of Livestock Operations | Bengard Ranch, Salinas |
Walter Ruzzo* | Director of Security (retired) | Gilead Sciences, Foster City |
John Salmonson* 2 | Consultant | Brandt Consolidated, Fresno |
Yvonne Sams* | Vice President, Sales and Marketing | Flory Industries, Modesto |
Robert Taylor | Attorney and Trustee | Robert C. Taylor, Attorney at Law, Salinas |
Dan Tomascheski | Vice President, Timber Resources | Sierra Pacific Industries, Anderson |
Rick Tomlinson | President | California Strawberry Commission, Watsonville |
Rob Trice | Founder | The Mixing Bowl, San Francisco |
Yen Tsutsumi | Senior Vice President | George P. Johnson, San Francisco |
Mary Wagner | President | MK Wagner & Associates |
Charles Walton* | Chairman of the Board | Smithers-Oasis Company, Kent, Ohio |
Karen Watts* 1 | Market Manager, West Region | Nutrien Ag Solutions, Anaheim |
Lynn White* 2 | Managing Director | Twemlow Group, LLC, Charleston, S.C. |
Jean-Pierre Wolff | Owner and Vintner | Wolff Vineyards, San Luis Obispo |
George Wurzel* | Vice President & COO | J.G. Boswell Company, Corcoran |
Donn Zea | Executive Director | California Dried Plum Board, Sacramento |
Jim Zion*2 | Managing Partner | Meridian Growers, Fresno |