Introducing BOLD Class 5

We are pleased to announce the participants who make up our fifth Board Leadership Development (BOLD) Class 5 that was initiated the last week of March.

The program has become a surprising success, and applications for a place in BOLD Class 5 were very competitive. We had 36 applications for the 13 spots we eventually seated, so demand exceeds supply, just like we like it! We had so many qualified applicants for this year’s program and so much interest from the avocado industry associations and commissions to sponsor the candidates, proof that the program is working as intended.

These individuals are now on a yearlong journey, of education, learning and instruction on how to be the best board member they can be – if and when they get the opportunity to run for and get elected/selected to sit on an industry board of directors.

Seventeen of our previous BOLD Class graduates are currently sitting on avocado boards, and another four are in the nomination/election/selection process for this year’s open board seats! So BOLD is WORKING!

These 13 members of the avocado supply chain, either as producers or importers who meet the criteria for board service, will now step into the curriculum that our previous 50 participants shared. They will learn about the industry in a deep and meaningful way and be as prepared as possible to lean into industry volunteer service and give their knowledge, skill, time, and energy to one of the associations or commissions board.

The BOLD 5 Class recently spent three days at the University of California at Davis, learning about agricultural marketing, the economic impacts of avocados in the marketplace, and the elasticity of supply and demand and its implications as we move our fruit through the supply chain. These are great lessons for our future Board Leaders.