As U.S. agriculture faces an aging population, the Hass Avocado Board isn’t just waiting for the next generation of leaders to sprout; it’s actively cultivating them. Through its Board Leadership Development Program, or BOLD, HAB is bridging a critical confidence gap to ensure the multimillion-dollar avocado industry remains in capable hands.
Launched in 2020 and graduating its first class in April 2021, BOLD was created to educate and prepare future industry leaders to serve on the HAB, the California Avocado Commission and other industry boards.
Gwen Jackimek, HAB’s recently named first female chair, is a testament to the program’s success. A graduate of Class 2 of the BOLD program, the senior director of sales for Fresh Del Monte credits her position on the board to the program.
BOLD stemmed from a need for new leadership in the avocado industry, says Emiliano Escobedo, HAB executive director.
“Across agriculture, and certainly the avocado industry, we are seeing an aging population and a need for succession,” says Escobedo. “The Hass Avocado Board is a volunteer board, and we have producers and importers who fill these seats. We like to have representation with people who come from different backgrounds in the industry, but several years ago we noticed that as our revenue was growing bigger and bigger, people increasingly felt intimidated to step up and say, ‘OK, I’m going to run for this board and make decisions on a multimillion dollar budget.”
As HAB attempted to recruit growers, importers and other players in the avocado industry, Escobedo says it encountered hesitation from the next generation of potential leaders.
“We realized they didn’t feel qualified to serve on the board,” he says. “So, we developed this program specifically targeting producers and importers of avocados to develop their skills and their confidence to be able to serve on the Hass Avocado Board but also on the boards of other associations that promote avocados here in the United States.”
How BOLD Builds Leaders
The BOLD leadership development program is a comprehensive, yearlong initiative designed to cultivate the next generation of industry leaders. At its core, the program emphasizes mentorship, immediately pairing each participant with a seasoned board member or senior executive. This relationship provides class members with direct access to high-level experience and guidance, ensuring they have a professional anchor as they navigate the complexities of industry governance throughout the year, says Escobedo.
A significant portion of the curriculum focuses on operational transparency and financial literacy. Participants engage in a deep dive into the inner workings of HAB and its various association partners, which collectively manage over $100 million in marketing and research funds. BOLD ensures that future leaders are not only adept at reading financial statements, balance sheets and audits but also deeply understand their fiduciary responsibility when managing programs funded by industry stakeholders, he says.
Fully funded by HAB and the different country-of-origin associations that promote avocados in the U.S., the program also seeks to bridge the gap between localized expertise and global industry dynamics. By moving beyond the specific silos of individual producers or importers, BOLD takes participants on a journey to understand the interplay between major global players like Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia. This holistic approach ensures that leaders can step back from their daily roles in sales or quality control to grasp the full, interconnected landscape of the U.S. avocado industry.
To round out their professional development, participants engage in a specialized academic partnership with the University of California, Davis, where they undergo intensive coursework focused on strategic marketing.
“Most of our money is spent on marketing,” says Escobedo. “A director on the board needs to understand how to develop a strategic plan to build consumption through a marketing program. They need to understand how marketing as a board works.”
The three-day UC Davis immersion equips future leaders with the unique ability to evaluate business plans and marketing programs from the perspective of a director rather than a staff member. By the end of this training, graduates possess a refined understanding of board governance and the specific oversight skills required to drive industry consumption and fulfill their roles as effective board members, says Escobedo.
BOLD participants also head to Washington, D.C., where they learn more about the role of the USDA specific to avocado boards.
“We do have USDA oversight, and so by the time they graduate, they are well versed in what these boards do and what it takes to be an effective director or board member,” says Escobedo.
The program has been so successful that demand is outpacing availability.
“BOLD recently graduated its Class 5 and announced Class 6, and it has been super, super successful in bringing in incredible talent — people who for various reasons were sitting on the sidelines,” says Escobedo. “We’ve been fortunate to have a lot of interest in our program, and we typically get many more applicants that we can actually accept.”
The Next Gen of Avocado Leadership
The BOLD program is designed specifically with fostering the next generation of avocado board leadership, while also creating global networking opportunities.
“I was at the D.C. event that we held earlier this year, and there was a California producer talking to a Colombian producer/exporter and a U.S. importer. ... If you’re a Colombian producer, you don’t have regular opportunities to talk to a California grower and spend two days traveling, sharing meals and going places together and learning about each other and learning about the industry together,” says Escobedo. “These individuals are exchanging information, life lessons and experiences. They understand each other, board leadership and the global avocado industry so much more.”
Who will be in Class 7? Open enrollment starts in January and runs for 30 days, says Escobedo.
To be considered for the BOLD Program, applicants have to be eligible to serve on the HAB or any importer association board.
“You have to show and truly be committed to wanting to serve on these boards after you finish the program,” says Escobedo. “That’s something that’s really important. This isn’t just a career builder. This is something that has a very specific objective for the industry, and it’s that we need people to go through this program, and then we need them to run for seats on the board.”
Escobedo says BOLD gives avocado industry professionals as much as it gets.
“I’ve been in my position for 14 years here at the Hass Avocado Board, and everyone that I’ve met who has served on the board has gotten equally as much, if not more, than what they’ve given,” he says. “They’ve all felt like through their service to this industry and through the board, they’ve gotten a lot back — contacts, information, friends and an increased understanding of how the industry works. It’s a very rewarding experience.”
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