Stuart Woolf Rises to Chair of the Board for Western Growers; Dave Puglia Comments
KAUAI, HI - Western Growers is seeing a new hand take up the gavel with the election of Stuart Woolf, President and Chief Executive Officer of Woolf Farming and Processing, as Chair of the Board of Directors. Woolf was first elected to the Western Growers Board in 2015 and will now serve a two-year term in the new leadership role.
"Western Growers is set up to meet the needs of the fresh produce industry in the Western United States by focusing on issues like immigration, labor, and water rights," Woolf stated. "We need a good, strong, trusted voice. As Chair, I know that Western Growers will continue to be that voice for issues that impact all of agriculture."
Outgoing Western Growers Chair Albert Keck passed the gavel to Woolf during the Western Growers 2023 Annual Meeting in Kauai, Hawaii, according to a press release.
“My team and I are profoundly grateful to Albert Keck for going all-in during his two-year term as Chair,” shared President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Puglia. “We are better today for Albert’s thoughtful approach to protecting and strengthening America’s fresh produce growers in the face of daunting economic and regulatory pressures.”
On the latest appointment of Woolf, Puglia reflected on how resilience and adaptability are among the many attributes that define our industry.
“Stuart Woolf perfectly embodies those characteristics, bolstered by a knack for pragmatic collaboration in even the toughest situations,” he said. “I am excited to work with him even more closely as he takes the Chair’s gavel.”
In addition to Woolf’s election, other officers of the Association include Puglia as well as Vice Chair Rob Yraceburu, President of Wonderful Orchards; Treasurer Neill Callis, General Manager, Turlock Fruit Co.; and Executive Secretary, Don Cameron, Vice President and General Manager of Terranova Ranch. The Executive Committee also include Past Chair Keck and EC Members at Large Ryan Talley of Talley Farms and Catherine Fanucchi of Tri-Fanucchi Farms. To read more about this powerful team, click here.
Congratulations to Stuart Woolf and the Western Growers Board on this new chapter!
