The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation has hired Raven Mariani as its alumni engagement manager, effective July 22.
Mariani’s primary responsibilities include the advancement of the foundation through the development and implementation of alumni relations programs and outreach strategies, according to a news release. The position promotes a culture of service volunteerism among the alumni in a supportive and background role, the foundation said.
“We are delighted to welcome Raven to CALF’s dedicated team of professionals, and she will be a key partner in our continued engagement with alumni leaders throughout the state and beyond,” CALF Executive Vice President Abby Taylor-Silva said in the release. “Raven’s background as an educator and her work experience supporting and positively impacting California agriculture complements our mission, vision and values and will positively influence CALF’s alumni community today and into the future.”
Mariani joins the foundation after eight years as an agriculture instructor and FFA program coordinator in Northern California, the release said. Prior to teaching, she served as the member relations and marketing coordinator at the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Mariani is deeply rooted in the agriculture industry, drawing from her family’s six-generation farming heritage in Yolo County, the release said. Growing up, her family tended to diverse crops — from rice ranches to walnut orchards — instilling in her a profound commitment to land preservation and sustainable farming practices.
Mariani earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communication from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a master’s degree in agriculture education from the University of California, Davis. She is involved with Young Farmers & Ranchers and the Yolo Food Bank.
“As a steadfast advocate for agriculture, I am very excited to embrace a new opportunity as the alumni engagement manager for the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation,” Mariani said in the release. “I look forward to leveraging my skills and passion to connect with and inspire alumni, fostering a vibrant community dedicated to advancing agriculture.”
