President's Advisory Commission

Purpose

The President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources (PAC) brings together senior leaders from the University of California and the agricultural, natural resources and related human resources sectors twice a year. Participants share new information and ideas, surface emerging issues facing agriculture, the environment, the food system and human nutrition in California, and gain exposure to the breadth and range of UC research and Cooperative Extension programs. The end objectives are to increase awareness of priority areas and issues where the University can make a difference through research, instruction and public service, and to strengthen private-sector support and appreciation for the University.

Biographies of Members

Membership

Chuck Ahlem
Owner and Operator
Charles Ahlem Ranch

Manpreet Bains
Partner
Manseena Orchards

Ashley Boren
Chief Executive Officer
Sustainable Conservation

Jaron Brandon
Supervisor, District 5
Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors

Don Bransford
Owner and Operator
Bransford Farms

Celeste Cantú
Vice Chair
San Diego Water Quality Control Board

Patricia Carrillo
Executive Director
Agriculture & Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)

Carol Chandler
Partner
Chandler Farms, L.P.

Paula Daniels
Co-Founder and Chair
Center for Good Food Purchasing

Grant Davis
General Manager
Sonoma County Water Agency

John De Luca, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor to UC President

Matt Dias
President and CEO
California Forestry Association

Lucas Frerichs
Supervisor, District 2
Yolo County Board of Supervisors

Bill Frost
UC Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus and former Associate Vice President
UC ANR

Luawanna Hallstrom
Principal
Collaborative Communications™

Jack Hanson
President and Owner
Willow Creek Ranch

Lon Hatamiya
President and Chief Executive Officer
The Hatamiya Group

Ismael (Ish) Herrera
Executive Director
CA Stewardship Network,
CA Forward

Eric Holst
Associate Vice President Ecosystems Program,
Environmental Defense Fund

Luna Latimer
Director
Mid Klamath Watershed Council

Jerry Lohr
Founder
J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines

Juliet Maestas
Executive Director
California Tribal College

Corinne Martinez
President and Chief Operations Officer
Berryessa Gap Vineyards

Mike Mellano
Chairman of the Board and Vice President of Farming
Mellano & Company

Soapy Mulholland
Principal
Sopac & Associates LLC

Sharon Nance
President
NTAPROBLEM LLC Consulting

Alejandra Sanchez
Corporate Social Responsibility Marketing Manager
Driscoll's

Kathie Sowa
Senior Vice President
Commercial Banking Executive
Bank of America (retired)

Connie Stewart
Executive Director of Initiatives
Humboldt State University

Jacqueline (Jackie) Tinetti
Policy Analyst
Council of State Governments West (CSG-West)

Mary-Ann Warmerdam
Sr. Vice President
Governmental Affairs, Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC)
and Managing Director, Milkshed Partners, LLC

Rodger Wasson
Owner and President
Wasson & Associates

Cher Watte Angulo
Executive Director
Buy California Marketing Agreement

Paul Wenger
Owner
Wenger Ranch

Stuart Woolf
President and Chief Executive Officer
Woolf Enterprises, Inc.

Ex-Officio Members

Wade Crowfoot
Secretary
California Natural Resources Agency

Glenda Humiston
Vice President
UC ANR

Karen Ross
Secretary
California Department of Food and Agriculture

Kim Wilcox
Chair
UC ANR Governing Council and Chancellor, UC Riverside

Academic Advisors

David Ackerly
Dean
Rausser College of Natural Resources, UC Berkeley

Peter Atkinson
Interim Dean
College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, UC Riverside

Helene Dillard
Dean
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis

Rakesh Goel
Dean
College of Engineering, UC Merced

Katharyne Mitchell
Dean
College of the Social Sciences, UC Santa Cruz

Mark D. Stetter
Dean
School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis

Commissioners are appointed by the President of the University of California. Commissioners receive no compensation, but are reimbursed for reasonable travel costs associated with meetings.

Background

UC President Richard C. Atkinson established the President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources in 1998 to strengthen communication with California’s agricultural interests, reinvigorate the University’s land grant mission, and build greater understanding and support for UC research, Cooperative Extension and teaching programs. The first PAC meeting was held in Oakland in September 1998.

The President’s Advisory Commission has been successful in strengthening support for research, public service and teaching programs at UC, communicating the University’s role in creating and disseminating new technologies and scientific advances that make a difference for Californians and the nation, and expanding the network of influential advocates working on behalf of UC in Washington D.C. and Sacramento.