The California Walnut Board hired Saarah Kuzay as director of research and technical affairs. She will be responsible for guiding the walnut industry in addressing the evolving production, postharvest, technical and regulatory landscape, and will oversee the full production and postharvest research program, among other programs. Kuzay was previously director of product development at Norfolk Healthy Produce in Davis, California, and completed consulting work for AgroTech Research Inc., Rare Flora LLC, and Magnit at Meta. She earned her doctorate in horticulture and agronomy with an emphasis in genetics and biotechnology at UC Davis and completed graduate research in wheat and pepper breeding programs to deploy new genes for higher wheat yields.
Saarah Kuzay (California Walnut Board photo)Leticia Palamidessi of West Sacramento was appointed assistant secretary for communications at the California Natural Resources Agency. She was previously deputy director of communications at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation. Earlier she was lead communications officer at the California Strategic Growth Council. Palamidessi has also held roles at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and California Department of Water Resources.
David Silva of Buellton was appointed to the California Air Resources Board by Gov. Gavin Newsom. He has been the mayor of the city of Buellton and senior director of development for annual giving programs at the University of California, Santa Barbara, since 2024. Silva is on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.
The National Council of Agricultural Employers promoted Susan Lester to director of external affairs and operations. She has been with the organization over four and a half years, recently as manager of association services. In her new expanded role, Lester will join NCAE President and CEO John Hollay on public-facing initiatives, lead efforts to drive strategic communications, and oversee internal operations to better serve NCAE’s community nationwide.
David Hinojosa has been named CEO of Heritage Grocers Group. The 115-store ethnic grocery operator plans to accelerate strategic growth across its banners while continuing to invest in fresh foods, operational excellence and community-driven retail experiences under Hinojosa’s leadership. He has worked in the retail space for 30 years across the U.S., Australia and Asia, most recently as COO at Vallarta Supermarkets. He also worked at H-E-B for 17 years and held executive roles at ShopRite.
Interested in more news on farm programs, trade and rural issues? Sign up for a four-week free trial to Agri-Pulse. You’ll receive our content - absolutely free - during the trial period.
Stimera, the crop science company formerly known as BioAge, appointed Lon Kreger as CEO. He has previously held roles at Prodigal Holdings, Ceradis Crop Protection B.V., and New Leaf Symbiotics. Kreger’s appointment comes as Stimera expands from regional product development to global commercialization of the patent-pending molecular foliar fertilizers designed to make nutrients behave like biostimulants. Stimera’s technology was developed by Reuben R. Rampersad, Founder and President, who will continue in that role leading product development, formulation strategy, and pipeline expansion.
Lon Kreger (Stimera photo)Jazmin Rodriguez is now a scheduler and legislative aide to Assemblymember Heather Hadwick, who represents Modoc County in the northeast corner of the state. Raised in the Central Valley, Rodriguez earned a degree in sustainable agriculture and food systems from the University of California, Davis, and completed a semester studying abroad at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Rodriguez completed internships with the California Rangeland Trust and Horwath Biogeochemistry and Nutrient Cycling Lab on campus.
Herminia “Minnie” Santillan of Sacramento was appointed to the 52nd District Agricultural Association Sacramento County Fair Board. She is currently deputy director of strategic member support in the Office of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas in the California State Assembly, and has held numerous roles supporting assemblymembers since 2012. Santillan is also CEO of Santillan Strategies and owner of Santillan and Devlin LLC. She is a member of the Fresno State Alumni Association and the National Core Hope for Housing Board of Directors.
Utah State University student Sara Bair won the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Collegiate Discussion Meet after a dynamic discussion on how communities can grow responsibly while protecting farms, ranches and the agricultural way of life. College student participants are judged on their ability to exchange ideas and information on an agricultural topic and work toward practical answers or solutions. Bair will receive her degree in spring 2027. Three additional finalists advanced through three rounds of discussion to earn a spot in the Final Four: Torrie Reed of Georgia, Courtney Taibi of New York, and Brooke Beamesderfer of Pennsylvania. Thirty-six competitors from across the country participated in this year’s Collegiate Discussion Meet.
Lisa Van Doren (AFFI photo)
The American Frozen Food Institute hired Lisa Van Doren as chief of government affairs. She had been chief of staff for government affairs at the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives for the last 18 years. Earlier, she held roles with the National Corn Growers Association and House Agriculture Committee.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies named Joseph Dunford CEO. He will succeed John Hamre, who announced last year that he will retire as CEO after 26 years leading the organization. Dunford is a retired general and served as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2015 to 2019. Earlier, he was the 36th commandant of the Marine Corps and commanded the International Security Assistance Force and United States Forces–Afghanistan. Dunford will begin the new role May 7.
Lauren Wilbor was promoted to political director at the Specialty Equipment Market Association. She was previously manager of digital communications and partnerships at the organization.
The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) announced 2026 industry award recipients. Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board, was named the Ag Association Leader of the Year. The award recognizes senior executives who demonstrate exceptional leadership through their organization or association. According to a NAMA release, Metz transformed the American Egg Board through a modern, data-driven strategy that integrates advanced analytics, consumer insights and marketing performance. Under her leadership, the organization delivers more than $10 in industry revenue for every dollar invested on behalf of U.S. egg farmers, NAMA says. She has also strengthened the industry’s ability to respond to disruption, guiding the egg sector through challenges such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) while launching the industry’s first national crisis communications program, NAMA says.
Additionally, NAMA named Brian Knifong, who serves as head of marketing and customer experience for Nutrien Ag Solutions, as the agribusiness leader of the year. The award marks the association’s most prestigious honor recognizing exceptional leadership across the private, public and academic sectors. Over the past year, he led a restructuring of Nutrien’s retail marketing organization to improve alignment and efficiency. NAMA says his field-first mindset ensures marketing strategies reflect real grower needs while positioning marketing as a strategic driver of business growth. Tom Posta, president and COO of Bader Rutter, was named marketer of the year. NAMA says he has helped the agency expand into adjacent sectors such as food and beverage and pet care while investing in artificial intelligence capabilities to enhance client insights and marketing performance during his nearly three decades at the agency.
Orion Samuelson broadcasting at WGN (NAFB photo)The Data Center Coalition added Keylin Lopez to staff as manager of federal affairs. She was a senior associate at Lot Sixteen.
Orion Samuelson, a legendary farm broadcaster known for his iconic voice and ability to distill complex farm topics into relatable news for urban audiences, died Monday, two weeks from his 92nd birthday. Samuelson was the voice of agriculture on Chicago’s WGN radio for 60 years, starting in 1960 until his retirement in 2020. His career took him to 43 countries, including Cuba, where he met with Fidel Castro, and to Moscow where he met with Mikhail Gorbachev, according to Wikipedia. Over his distinguished career, he interviewed or met with every president from Dwight Eisenhower to Donald J. Trump. He annually interviewed every secretary of agriculture during those same years and was the host of the popular “This Week in Agribusiness” television show. Samuelson received numerous awards and honors throughout his career including: the American Farm Bureau Federation Distinguished Service Award, Heifer Project International “Man of the Year,” Honorary FFA American Farmer Degree, National 4-H Hall of Fame, NAFB Hall of Fame, and the National Radio Hall of Fame.
Are you changing jobs, getting promoted or receiving an award? Know someone who is? Email Lydia@Agri-Pulse.com to be featured in next week’s edition of Farm Hands on the Potomac.
