In an effort to address both the extraordinary opportunities and the extraordinary challenges the industry faces, the Hass Avocado Board (HAB), with industry participation, has developed BOLD: The Hass Avocado Industry Board Leadership Development Program. Helping the industry face an increasingly complex marketplace with sophisticated problem-solvers, BOLD is designed to develop emerging leaders who are both motivated and equipped to meet those opportunities and challenges.
“This is the first program of its kind for the avocado industry, and we’ve received enthusiastic and unanimous support from our stakeholders,” said Emiliano Escobedo, HAB Executive Director. “We’ve been pleased to see a diversity of interested class participants that are Hass avocado producers and importers, and we are very proud to welcome them to our inaugural BOLD class.”
BOLD is intended to bring out the best in both participants and boards, ultimately resulting in an ever-growing group of credible and stead-fast advocates for the industry. The program offers individuals who want to make a difference in the industry they love with a productive pathway to do so. BOLD also provides industry boards with a continuous infusion of well-rounded professional perspectives to help them stay ahead of market opportunities and to address industry challenges.
Content for this avocado industry program will be developed and taught by relevant professionals, ranging from industry veterans to top academic professionals in food and agriculture at the University of California-Davis.
BOLD graduates will discover ways to turn their personal passion for avocados into a professional asset that can help improve profitability and increase the effectiveness of a growing industry that creates jobs, improves the well-being of consumers, and benefits entire communities.
Backed by HAB, the only independent avocado organization that equips the entire industry for success, and financially supported by industry associations, BOLD focuses on nurturing the potential of the individual for the benefit of the entire industry.
The 12-member inaugural 2021 class of the BOLD program includes:
- Brock Becker – Importer
- Gerardo Huerta – Importer
- Rachael Laenen – Producer
- Jaime Rivas – Producer
- Peter Romero – Producer
- Erika Vega – Importer
- Sean Bettles – Producer
- Connor Huser – Importer
- Juan Monsalve – Importer
- Monica Robles – Importer
- David Ruiz, Jr. – Producer
- Ricardo Vega, Jr. – Producer
