AREAS OF EXPERTISE Administrative and Financial Management Agricultural Production (Dairy, Field & Row Crop, and Harvesting)  Crisis Management, Transitional and Restructuring, Negotiations Grants, Contracts and Fund-raising Industry and Government Relations Local, Regional and State Government Policy Market Development and Marketing Mergers and Acquisitions Rural Health and Welfare Policy University/Industry & Agency Research and Financial Partnerships

EDUCATION

California Agricultural Leadership Fellowship 1988-1990
  University of California, Davis - Economics and Biotechnology
  California State University, Fresno - Government
  California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo - Communications & Stress Management
  California State Polytechnic University, Pomona - Social & Cultural Arts
  National and International Travel

California State University, Fresno 1968-1971
  Bachelor of Science degree with emphases in animal science and agricultural business, 1971.

West Hill Community College 1966-1968
  General education and courses in agricultural sciences.
 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION/RESEARCH

Executive Director - California State University Agricultural Research Initiative (ARI), July 1999 to present

Provide leadership, direction, strategic planning coordination, policy and procedures implementation and oversight, and administrative and financial management; lead the effort to identify and solicit external funding support; serve as ARI liaison with other universities, industry organizations, public interest groups, the media and the public; ensure that ARI activities are integrated with academic programs of the CSU; work closely with faculty and research staff to establish strong collaborative relationships; serve as the principal author and industry/legislative advocate for ARI establishment and growth; in two years, expanded a single-college $3 million annual agricultural research program to a multiple-campus, greater than $12 million annual agriculture and natural resources research and development program; increased (over fivefold) inter-and intra-campus collaboration, CSU/UC cooperation, and university/industry partnerships.

 

Director of Operations - California Agricultural Technology Institute (CATI), December 1996 to present.

Provide for administrative and financial management, direction, coordination and oversight of operations and policies and procedures; development of innovative applications for new and existing technologies through the academic departments and ancillary units of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at California State University, Fresno, including the Center for Agricultural Business, the Center for Food Science and Nutrition Research, the Center for Irrigation Technology, the Viticulture and Enology Research Center, and the Advanced Technology Information Network; serve as liaison with the industry, government, other universities, the media and the public.

 

Interim Julio R. Gallo Director's Chair - Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC), California State University, Fresno, August 1998 to May 2000.

Provided leadership, direction, organizational restructuring and administrative and financial management, market development, and community relations expertise as necessary to advance the center's mission in cooperation with the California grape and wine industry, governmental agencies, academic departments of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at California State University, Fresno and other universities; provided oversight and coordination for diverse center research and continuing education programs; served as the center's administrative and research program liaison with the Center's Industry Advisory Board, external funding entities, the media and the public.

 

Raisin/Wine Grape Research Program Leader - Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC), California State University, Fresno, August 1998 to February 1999.

Provided economic and programmatic leadership, direction and coordination for twenty active viticulture research projects; supervised research technicians and assistant technicians, as well as graduate and undergraduate students; worked collaboratively with other program leaders and the university farm laboratory director of operations to implement an annual raisin/wine grape enterprise operating plan.

 

Interim Center Director - Center for Food Science and Nutrition Research (CFSNR), June 1998 to the present.

Provide center leadership, direction, and administrative and financial management, grant writing and research assistance for center researchers and affiliates; promote center-related university/industry partnerships with the food processing and health care industries, professional organizations, and public agencies interested in food and nutrition sciences; promote applied research and educational activities in food processing, new product development, sensory evaluation, dietary intake, nutrition education, and nutrition-related human health; promote professional continuing education activities with a focus on food safety and technology implementation.

 

Interim Center Director - Center for Agricultural Business (CAB) - California State University, Fresno June 1999 to present

Provide center leadership, direction, and administrative and financial management; assist with grant writing and facilitate research activities for center researchers and affiliates; integrate CAB research activities with other CATI centers and CSU academic programs; promote linkages with other institutions; represent the center to external audiences; develop positive relationships and university partnerships with the agricultural industry, other relevant organizations and agencies; assist research staff to generate external funding support for center- related research, development, dissemination and outreach programs.

 

Teaching Assistant - Agricultural Accounting and Farm Management - Dr. Wilbur Ball College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology - California State University, Fresno, September 1968 to January 1971.

Provided college (undergraduate) classroom instruction in agricultural accounting and farm management studies, prepared classroom materials, and evaluated and graded student work projects.
 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE

County Supervisor - Kings County Board of Supervisors, January 1991 to January 1995.

Collaboratively with other board members, provided for the growth, economic development, financial stability, public and environmental health, and public safety of Kings County and its constituents; developed, analyzed, and monitored polices and priorities necessary for implementation of an annual public service budget in excess of $100 million; provided oversight for twenty-four departments with a staff of 1050; analyzed, negotiated and resolved constituent issues; lobbied county issues regionally and in Sacramento; served as a board liaison to city councils, businesses and community organizations.

 

Chairman - California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Health and Human Services Policy Committee, July 1993 to January 1995.

Provided committee leadership and direction; annually negotiated CSAC consensus policy positions on state health, mental health, emergency medical serves and welfare issues among California's fifty-eight counties; annually negotiated CSAC policy positions with special interest advocacy groups, the Legislature, and the state administration; was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson and CSAC to represent CSAC on various gubernatorial restructuring task forces such as (but not limited to) EMS, IHSS, CCS, GAIN and State Realignment 1&2; worked collaboratively with other county representatives and CSAC lobbyists and staff to establish CSAC legislative positions on a wide variety of other legislative and regulatory issues impacting counties.

 

Executive Board Chair/Chairman of the Board/Founding Member - California Rural Health Alliance (CRHA), July 1993 to January 1995.

Provided leadership and direction to develop, finance and implement a statewide operational, governance and program delivery system for California's thirty-four rural counties to provide essential rural health care services for indigent and working poor populations; worked collaboratively with rural county representatives, the Legislature, and state administration to draft and obtain approval of enabling legislation.

 

Regional Government Representative - Central Valley Regional Military Base Closure & Realignment Commission, 1993 and 1995.

Coordinated a collaboration of regional community representatives, governmental agencies and representatives of the local military community to promote expansion of the Lemoore Naval Air Station in a national military downsizing environment; analyzed and presented the potential regional economic impacts of future growth or downsizing of the Lemoore Naval Air Station; successfully lobbied the United States Department of Defense and the National Base Closure and Realignment Commission on behalf of Lemoore Naval Air Station expansion.

 

Board of Directors - County Medical Services Program (CMSP) - appointed by Governor Pete Wilson, 1991-1995.

Worked collaboratively with other board members to provide direction and leadership, as well as programmatic and financial accountability, for the administration and delivery of health care services to California's thirty-four "small" counties. The board is responsible for annually negotiating program budgets and service levels with the State administration and the Legislature.

 

Rural County Representative - California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Finance Committee July 1993 to January 1995.

Annually analyzed the State legislative and administrative proposed budges relative to their impacts on the state's 58 counties' ability to provide crucial public services such as, but not limited to, criminal justice, land use, air and water policy implementation, transportation and infrastructure maintenance; provided rural county representation toward developing a 58 county consensus position on state budget policy and allocation issues; assisted in negotiating CSAC positions with the legislature, state administration and other special interest stakeholders; appointed by Governor Pete Wilson and CSAC to represented CSAC on various gubernatorial restructuring task forces such as, but not limited to, State Realignment 1&2.

 

Board of Directors /Chairman - Kings County Board of Equalization, 1991- 1995.

Board members collectively serve as an administrative appeals body that interprets and applies California's tax laws and ensures that they are enforced correctly, consistently, and fairly; reviews staff evaluations of secured and unsecured property tax assessments, as well as additional information set forth in the written record or provided at public hearings; and makes final tax assessment determinations in county taxpayer disputes.

 

Commissioner - Kings County Water Commission, 1991-1995.

Commissioners, which are elected and/or appointed representatives of county agricultural, municipal and industrial water providers, are collectively responsible for advising the Board of Supervisors on water policy issues including, but not limited to, surface and groundwater management as well as water quality, transfer, banking and marketing issues.

 

Board of Directors - Mid Valley Water Authority, 1991-1995.

Board members, which are elected and/or appointed representatives from Central Valley water districts and agencies and county and city governments, are collectively charged with the responsibility of exploring and facilitating promising means and opportunities of alleviating groundwater overdraft along the east side of the San Joaquin Valley; restoring wetlands habitat in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys; and integrating wetlands return flows with other Central Valley Project water supplies through short and intermediate term water exchanges, water wheeling agreements, and/or construction and operation of conveyance and storage systems.

 

Board of Directors /Alternate - San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, 1991-1995.

Collaboratively with other founding board members, provided for the planning, institutionalization, financing and implementation of the eight county San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (District). The board provides leadership and direction of air pollution activities in the District and serves as an administrative appeals body that interprets and ensures that state and federal health and safety codes and air pollution mandates are enforced correctly, consistently, and fairly; reviews staff evaluations of enforcement actions and new rule adoption, as well as additional information set forth in the written record or provided at public hearings; and makes final determinations on district disputes.

 

Board of Directors / Founding Board Member - Kings County Waste Management Authority (KCWMA), 1991-1995.

Worked collaboratively with other board members to assure regional compliance with the requirements of the California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB939) and other Public Resources codes; established and implemented a multi-jurisdictional source reduction and recycling element; provided for the establishment of a regional joint powers agreement and independent operating authority; acquired, developed, financed, maintained, operated, disposed of, cleaned-up and closed solid waste landfills and material recovery facilities; directed the flow of solid waste generation in each of its member agencies; secured financing and operating capital for the construction and operation of a $10 million recycling facility; developed new regional solid waste landfill alternatives; provided for a coordinated and comprehensive solid waste management policy and plan; ensured regional compliance with landfill diversion goals.

 

Board of Directors /Chairman - Kings County Housing Authority, 1991-1995.

Worked collaboratively with other board members to facilitate, plan, develop, build, acquire, manage, rent, sell, finance, maintain and improve properties and/or housing for low- and moderate-income families. Board members, which are elected and/or appointed county, city and/or tenant representatives, serve as an administrative appeals body that interprets and applies California's Health and Safety codes pertaining to low- and moderate-income housing; ensured that codes are enforced correctly, consistently, and fairly; reviewed staff evaluations regarding operations, as well as information set forth in the written record or provided at public hearings; made final determinations regarding rate increases and/or decreases as well as agency/tenant disputes.

 

Board of Directors / Founding Board Member - Kings Intra-Departmental Services, 1993-1995.

Provided leadership and direction to establish and facilitate an ongoing countywide children's services collaborative that strives to eliminate interagency barriers to information sharing among all local, state and federal agencies impacting the lives of county children, including, but not limited to, school districts, health and human services agencies, county and cities police and probation departments and the juvenile justice and court systems.

 

Board of Directors - Kings County School Boards Association - elected 1985-1991.

Worked collaboratively with other board members to develop and promote inter- district board of trustees' cooperation and uniform regional policies and procedures, and to establish annually collaborative association positions relevant to priority K-12 educational issues, standards and pending legislation.

 

Board of Trustees /Chairman - Island Union School District - elected 1980-1991.

Provided board leadership and direction; worked collaboratively with other board members to monitor and annually update and implement long-term strategic and financial planning; ensured that the district maintained strong K-12 academic standards and relevant programs; provided for a positive learning environment for the district's students as well as for its faculty and staff; served as a board liaison to other educational, governmental and community boards and commissions, as well as to district's parents and general electorate. Board members collectively served as an administrative appeals body that interpreted and applied California's education codes and the district's policies and procedures to ensure that they were enforced correctly, consistently, and fairly. Reviewed staff evaluations as well as additional information set forth in the written record or provided at public hearings and made final determinations on district disputes.
 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN INDUSTRY

Senior Consultant - Confab Consulting, July 1985 to present.

Provided clients with analytical business and risk management assessments; developed strategic business plans and policies and procedures relevant to mergers and acquisitions, crisis management, financial restructuring, transitional contract management, legislative and media representation and public relation campaigns, some in excess of $19 million.

 

General Manager / Founder / Chairman of the Board - Independent Milk Producers Cooperative (IMPC), July 1985 to July 1992.

Established IMPC as an interim crisis management solution for California independent milk producers following the financial collapse of California's dominate milk-manufacturing processor; developed an organizational and operating structure; secured start-up financing and State licensing; negotiated and consummated manufacturing, trucking and marketing contracts within thirty days; negotiated membership, third-party processing and annual sales contracts in excess of $18 million; provided corporate administrative and financial management; represented, reported to, and served as an advisor to a board of directors; implemented board polices, procedures and directives; served as the corporate liaison/representative to the membership, industry, media and public; served as the state's independent producer representative on both the statewide creditor committee and the lender liability negotiating team that successfully recovered $25 million; negotiated individual member sales contracts with reputable processors and dissolved the IMPC.

 

General Manager - J. A. Bezerra Enterprises, July 1977 to July 1992.

Provided leadership, direction and strategic planning, as well as administrative and financial management; annually prepared and implemented a consolidated budget of over $2 million; negotiated and managed all purchase, sales, service and personnel agreements and contracts; coordinated and directed the activities of an administrative, clerical and production staff of twenty and provided for staff training, annual personnel performance evaluations and personnel disciplinary actions.

 

Operations/Human Resources Manager - J. F. Bezerra Farms, January 1971 to June 1977.

Provided assistance to the general manager, including daily cultural practices and production operational oversight; monitoring of financial and governmental programs; coordination and performance of production and staff activities including, but not limited to, planting and harvesting as well as staff training; preparation of annual personnel performance evaluations and implementation of personnel disciplinary actions.

 

State Producer Review Panel California Bureau of State Milk Stabilization - 1980-1984, appointed by Governor Gerald Brown.

Served as an appointed industry advisor to the State Bureau of Milk Stabilization and the Brown administration on State dairy issues, including, but not limited to, milk quality standards, pooling, pricing, supply/demand strategic planning and intra/interstate shipments.

 

Board of Directors Kings County Farm Services Agency - elected.

Worked collaboratively with other board members. Board members collectively served as an administrative oversight and appeals body that interpreted and applied state and federal agricultural conservation, assistance and subsidy program guidelines to ensure that they were enforced correctly, consistently, and fairy. Reviewed staff evaluations and producer appeals and made final determinations on disputes.

 

Board of Directors - California Milk Advisory Board District 9 - elected 1971-1978.

Represented Southern San Joaquin Valley dairymen, providing district leadership and direction for a statewide dairy industry-funded generic fluid milk promotion and sales advertising campaign.

 

Board of Directors - Kings County Farm Bureau Board of Directors - elected.

Represented the county's dairy and diversified field and row crop producers in developing and promoting local Farm Bureau policies, procedures, and programs, and in providing local advisories to the State Farm Bureau on administrative and legislative issues.

 

Board of Directors - Kings County Dairy Herd Improvement Association - elected.

Collaboratively with other board members, provided policy leadership, direction and administrative oversight for independent dairy herd testing and record keeping programs that facilitated increased animal production and health through improved genetics, nutrition and overall improved management practices; reviewed staff evaluations and producer appeals and made final determinations on disputes.
 

SIGNIFICANT GRANTS & CONTRACTS (RECENT)

2000-2001 California State University Competitive Workforce Grant; $198,000.

2000-2001 California State University Agricultural Research Initiative (ARI); $5,000,000 annual funding.

1999-2000 California Agricultural Research Institute High Cost Research Equipment Proposal; $3,500,000; California State General Fund.

1999-2000 Wet Bench Research Facility Proposal (College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, College of Sciences and Mathematics, and College of Engineering & Computer Sciences).

1999-2000 California State University Agricultural Research Initiative (ARI); $5,000,000 annual funding; funded by the California State General Fund.

1998-1999 California Agricultural Technology Institute Legislative Budget Change Proposal $2,297,000.
 

HONORS & AWARDS

International WHO's WHO of Professionals Award 1998
California Department of Health Services Certificate of Appreciation for Leadership on the County Medical Services Program 1995
County Health Executives Association of California Certificate of Dedication and Advocacy Leadership 1994
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Certificate of Legislative Leadership 1994
California Department of Social Services Certificate of Leadership 1994
California Mental Health Directors Association Certificate of Leadership 1994
American Heart Association Division President/Leadership Award 1994
American Heart Association Special Events Leadership Award
Lemoore High School Agricultural Department /FFA Outstanding Service Award "Honorary Chapter Farmer Degree" 1993
Lemoore High School Agricultural Department /FFA Outstanding Service Award "Honorary Chapter Farmer Degree" 1991
Island Union School District President/Outstanding Service Award 1991
DHIA High Herd Production Increase Award 1989
California Legislative Assembly Certificate of Appreciation 1988
Regional Farmer of the Year 1982
 

PRESENTATIONS

19^th Annual Agribusiness Management Conference
18^th Annual Agribusiness Management Conference
California Cotton Research Council
California State Legislature
California Enology Strategic Planning Consortium
California State University Campuses (8)
Central Coast Irrigated Viticulture Conference
Central Coast Viticulture and Enology Issues Symposium
International Fertilizer Development Group
Lodi Woodbridge Wine Grape Commission
Los Angeles County Community College Board of Trustees
San Joaquin Valley Rural Agricultural Crime Consortium
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Agricultural Technical Group
San Joaquin Valley County Supervisors Association
San Joaquin Valley River Parkway Conservancy
San Joaquin Valley Wine Makers Association
North Fresno Rotary and North Fresno Kiwanis
Okanagan Valley British Columbia Wine Grape Growers Conference
University of California San Francisco Medical Center Rural Health Forum
University of California 2000 Cotton Research Field Day
USDA Intersegmental Coordinated Outreach Program (ICOP)
 

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES/AFFILIATIONS (CURRENT AND PAST)

American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV)
American Society of Animal Scientists
American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA)
American Society for Horticultural Sciences (ASHS)
California Agricultural Leadership Alumni Association (ALA)
California Agricultural Production Consultants Association (CAPCA)
California Cotton Research Council (Founding Board Member)
California Wine Industry Strategic Planning "Brain Trust"
Irrigation Journal Magazine Editorial Review Board
International WHO's WHO of Professionals
National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA)
National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA)
National Society of Fund Raising Executives (NSFRE)
Society of Research Administrators(SRA)

 { page top }