Jackie Beckley ’72
Food Science
Jacqueline is founder of the highly successful boutique consultancy, The Understanding & Insight Group LLC, a business development and products research technology firm with long term practices in the area of design thinking which transforms businesses profit trajectories through human connectivity. She is also a Trustee for the UC Davis Foundation.
Mark Couchman ’80
Agricultural Economics and Business Management
Mark is President/CEO of Silverado Investment Management, an investment fund that oversees more than 10,000 acres of winegrapes in Napa Valley, Sonoma, and the Central Coast regions of California and sells grapes to more than 100 wineries. He founded the company with partner David Freed in 1997. He is also a Trustee for the UC Davis Foundation.
Ernie Farley ’87
Agricultural Sciences and Management
Ernie is a partner in Andrew Williamson Fresh Produce. He received a CA&ES Award of Distinction in 2018. He has been active in several industry leadership posts, including with the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California and the Produce Marketing Association. He is also part of the Equitable Food Initiative, a solutions-oriented stakeholder group addressing social justice and environmental issues. He has frequently hosted tours of coastal produce operations for UC Davis students.
Gina V. Hall '82
Agricultural Economics
Gina has over 15 years’ experience in the climate change space. She was Investment Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance at the Carbon Trust and is now Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, teaching “Business and Climate Change.” Gina also has entrepreneurial and venture capital experience, starting her own gourmet ice cream company from scratch and acting as a board member for early stage cleantech companies. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (1986) and a BS in Agricultural Economics from UC Davis (1982).
Eric Holst ’91
Botany
Eric is Associate Vice President of Natural Climate Solutions with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). He is an expert in developing innovative strategies for environmental management on working forests, farms, and ranches. He has been with the EDF since 2006 and started his current role in 2021. He also holds a Master of Engineering Management in Natural Resource Ecology from Duke (’94).
Elizabeth Karbousky ’05
Managerial Economics
Elizabeth is a Senior Vice President and Market Manager with Bank of America, a role she has held since 2022. Before that, she spent a year as the Chief Operating Officer at Shannon Family of Wines and nearly eleven years in various roles at Union Bank. She also holds an M.B.A. ’09 from Trinity College Dublin.
Francois is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Seed Central a role he has held since 2010. Seed Central is a public-private partnership that energizes the seed and ag-biotech industry cluster surrounding UC Davis by facilitating communication and research collaborations to bring science to market more quickly. He is also Founder and Managing Director of SeedQuest, roles he has held since 1992. SeedQuest is the central web resource for the global seed industry. He is a Consultant with the UC Davis World Food Center and a Lifetime Honorary Member of the American Seed Trade Association In 2014, he received the CA&ES Award of Distinction as a Friend of the College.
Cynthia is Co-Owner and Chief Brand Officer for J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines She joined the family company in 2002 after building a reputation for herself in strategic marketing communications and brand and business development at several internet and technology companies. She became the Chief Brand Officer in 2019. Cynthia is active with several organizations, including the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance Trade Committee, Central Coast Insights, Dream Big Darling, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and Women of the Vine & Spirits. She joined the DAC in 2016
Martin farms almonds and walnuts and is a partner in Mariani Nut Company in Winters. He is also a managing member of Monticello Farming Company and Scribe Winery. Martin was a director of North Valley Bancorp from 2004 until its merger with TriCo in 2014. Previously, he was a director of Yolo Community Bank. He is a board member, treasurer, and chairman of the audit committee of the California Walnut Marketing Board; a member of the advisory board of the Santa Clara University’s Food & Agribusiness Institute, and a board member of the Specialty Crop Council.
Pamela Marrone spent her long and distinguished career focused on biological products for pest management and plant health. She is currently co-founder and Executive Chair of the Invasive Species Corporation and the associated not for profit Invasive Species Research Institute, formed to deploy biologicals for control of invasive species in water, forestry, and agriculture. In August 2020, Marrone retired as chief executive officer of Marrone Bio Innovations (MBI), an agricultural biological company she founded in 2006. Prior to establishing MBI, Marrone founded AgraQuest in 1995, where she served as its CEO, chairman and president until 2006.
Whitney is currently the Executive Director of the Muse Family Foundation and an advisor with Victory Hemp Foods. She is based out of Dallas, Texas.
Chuck Nichols is a longtime leader of California agriculture and the president of Nichols Farms, one of the largest family-owned pistachio growing, processing and marketing companies in the state. Chuck comes from a multigenerational farming and Aggie family, and has also led the California Pistachio Commission, Tulare County Farm Bureau and Central California Almond Growers Association and served as a director of the California Farm Bureau Federation’s board of directors. Chuck has also been a past Cal Aggie Alumni Association President and UC Davis Foundation Trustee.
Janet Roser, M.S. ’78
Animal Science, Ph.D. ’82 Physiology
Janet is a Professor Emeritus at UC Davis. She was an active faculty member in Animal Science studying reproductive endocrinology mainly in stallions and mares for 29 years. She taught Horse Husbandry, Horse Production and Management and Equine Reproduction. Throughout her career, she published over 120 scientific journals and developed three distance learning courses with Cal Poly and Fresno State.
Karen Ross
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
Karen was appointed to another term as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture in January 2019 by Governor Newsom. She has experience leading on topics including environmental stewardship, climate change adaptation, and trade. Prior to her appointment in 2011, Karen was chief of staff for U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack from 2009-2011, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers from 1996-2009, and Vice President of the Agricultural Council of California from 1989-1996. She is originally from western Nebraska, where she grew up on a farm.
Abby Taylor-Silva ’01
Political Science and Government
Abby has been the Executive Vice President with the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation since 2020. She was part of Class 45. Before that, she was the Vice President, Policy & Communications with the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California from 2010-2020, Executive Director of Ag Against Hunger from 2005-2010, and Communications Specialist with the California Strawberry Commission from 2000-2005.
Daniel Vincent ’80
Agricultural Economics
Daniel is the President/CEO of Pacific Coast Producers, a role he has held since 1985. The organization serves 165 family farms through manufacturing and marketing their products to every national retailer and food service distributor. He also holds an M.B.A. (’83) in Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations from Santa Clara University.
Christopher Zanobini ’88
Plant Science, M.B.A. ’20
Chris is the President/CEO of Ag Association Management Services, a role he has held since 2011. He is also the CEO of the California Grain and Feed Association. He has also served as the Executive Director of the California Pear Advisory Board since 1996. He is also a board member for the California 4-H Foundation. Chris is a native of Northern California.