EFI adds two key certification support roles to aid program growth

Equitable Food Initiative has expanded its staff by adding two new positions; Adriana Martinez has joined EFI as director of certification programs and Elvia Gonzalez joined as client manager, according to a news release.

“2022 was a year of realignment for EFI as we launched a new strategy and diversified our program offerings to better deliver on our mission. We’re excited to welcome Adriana and Elvia to the team,” EFI Executive Director Peter O’Driscoll said in the release. “They bring rich real-world experience from produce operations and program management, and a customer-centered approach. Their roles are integral to scaling our proven certification program, and I’m sure that current and prospective growers will appreciate their knowledge and skills.”

Related news: EFI hires business development manager

After a career in various sectors, including government, corporate and as a consultant in community and economic development, Martinez enters the produce industry to oversee all aspects of the certification program and streamline EFI processes to ensure efficient and satisfying customer experiences, according to the release. Martinez earned a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a master’s degree from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

“As a young girl I admired my father’s determination as a seasonal farmworker traveling to Salinas during the summers,” said Martinez in the release. “My knowledge about and appreciation for the produce industry has been a part of my reality for as long as I can remember, and I love that I have come full circle to a role where I can now support and champion how farmworkers make their companies more efficient and productive.”

Gonzalez also recently joined EFI as a client manager to assist grower-shipper partners in reaching and maintaining their EFI certification. Her career in the produce industry began 25 years ago as a seasonal migrant farmworker, giving her a unique perspective and inside knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of farmworkers, according to the release.

Prior to joining EFI, Gonzalez managed policies and procedures to address and improve operations in fresh produce organizations. Her work has included managing supply chain operations and creating standards for best practices, EFI said.

“As somebody who has worked at many levels in the produce industry — from fields to distribution centers — I am excited to use my knowledge to partner with grower-shippers and introduce EFI’s training and collaboration model to their operations. I have seen firsthand how creating positive workplaces that integrate voices from all levels of the workforce can pay big dividends in efficiencies and innovation,” Gonzalez said in the release.

EFI works with 22 grower-shipper companies on more than 60 farming operations. Through the EFI program, more than 4,000 farmworkers and managers have been trained in problem-solving, communication and conflict resolution practices that are improving labor, food safety and pest management standards for more than 55,000 workers, according to the release.