Dan Sumner
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Califorina, Davis
Frank H. Buck Jr. Distinguished Professor
Daniel A. Sumner is the Frank H. Buck Jr. Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis. Sumner teaches “Economics of Agricultural Sustainability” to a diverse group of undergraduates and “Agricultural Economics” to graduate students. Sumner’s academic research, teaching, and outreach concentrate on challenges facing farms, agribusinesses, and agricultural industries, including global markets, costs, and government programs and policies.

Earlier, he was Professor of Economics at N.C. State, a senior economist at President Reagan’s Council of Economic Advisers, and the Assistant Secretary for Economics at USDA. Sumner earned his Ph.D. in economics, with specialty fields in agricultural and labor economics, from the University of Chicago. He holds a BS in agricultural management from Cal Poly and is a native of Suisun Valley, California, where he was active in 4-H and FFA.

Adria Tinnin
The Utility Reform Network (TURN)
Director of Race Equity and Legislative Policy
Adria Tinnin joined TURN in March 2022 as Race Impact Policy Analyst. Adria examines TURN’s policies, practices and positions on utility-consumer advocacy work to eradicate structural and/or institutional racism that exists in utility regulatory practice and ultimately improve energy and telecommunications outcomes for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. In May 2023, she became the Director of Race Equity Policy.

Before coming to TURN, Adria was a researcher and lecturer in the Political Science Department at UCLA, teaching courses in American politics and environmental justice politics. Her research focused on inequities in regulatory enforcement in low-income communities and communities of color. She also worked as a political risk analyst for GeoQuant, a geopolitical risk analysis firm.

Adria earned a B.A, M.A. and PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Tara Beaver Coronado
Beaver Vineyards
Owner
Tara Beaver Coronado is a 5th generation farmer in the Sacramento River Delta, where she grows wine grapes on her family’s farm. She is also the host of Field Trips with Tara, a video series that highlights the people and stories behind California agriculture. Through both farming and storytelling, she is passionate about helping consumers better understand where their food comes from and why agriculture matters.

Josh Pippitt
Upper Butte Farm
Farmer, PCA, CCA
My name is Josh Pippitt and am both a crop advisor as well as farmer. I hold a PCA, CCA, and QAL license advising on approximately twenty thousand acres in the Northern Sacramento Valley. Those crops include medium grain rice, walnuts, almonds, peaches, prunes, and pistachios. As a grower, I farm rice, almonds, and walnuts.

Kelly Damewood
California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
Chief Executive Officer
Kelly Damewood serves as the CEO of California Certified Organic Farmers, Inc (CCOF), a nonprofit and member-based organization that works to advance organic agriculture for a healthy world. She leads teams who provide a range of services to organic and transitioning producers, including organic, food safety, and regenerative certifications; California and federal advocacy; and grant and education programs. Kelly is passionate about expanding access to organic goods through market development and policy initiatives.

Kelly is known as a people-first leader committed to building cohesive and highly engaged teams. Her executive expertise includes multi-entity governance and financial management, organizational development, strategic planning, and public speaking.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Portland, a Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School, and a Master of Laws degree in agricultural and food law from the University of Arkansas School of Law. Her passion for organic agriculture began with her own experiences running a small farm earlier in her career. She lives in North Lake Tahoe with her family, and she is a certified yoga and meditation instructor.

Shannon Douglass
California Farm Bureau
President
Shannon Douglass was elected president of the California Farm Bureau in December 2023, having previously served three terms as first vice president.

Douglass has served as director of the Glenn County Farm Bureau and as chair of the CAFB Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) State Committee. She is a graduate of the Leadership Farm Bureau program and participated in the American Farm Bureau Federation Partners in Advocacy Leadership program. She won the California YF&R
Discussion Meet in 2007 and is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

Douglass is a proud alumna of the East Nicolaus FFA Chapter. Her deep-rooted commitment to agricultural education continues today, as a member of the California FFA
Foundation Board of Directors, an advisory committee member for Hamilton City FFA and an FFA mom.

Her Farm Bureau service has also included numerous Farm Bureau committees at the state and national levels.

She is an owner of Douglass Ranch, which raises beef cattle, walnuts, sunflowers, pumpkins, corn, and forage crops in Orland. Additionally, she co-founded CalAgJobs, an online listing of employment opportunities in California agriculture. Douglass serves on the Glenn County Fair Board of Directors and is a former director of the Glenn County Resource Conservation District.

Her previous experience includes serving as a consultant on ag career awareness and talent recruitment, and lecturing on agricultural topics at both Butte College and California State University, Chico.

Douglass earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s degree focused on agricultural policy, each from CSU Chico.

Chris Zanobini
Ag Association Management Services
President & CEO
Chris Zanobini is the CEO of Ag Association Management Services Inc. In this role Chris and his team of professionals provide management and specialized services to a number of agriculture-based organizations. Chris serves as the CEO of several key agricultural organizations in California. In his career, Chris has served as President of the California Ag Export Council, President, Treasurer and Secretary of the Ag Issues Forum, President and Vice President of the World Apple and Pear Association and Chairman of the Buy California Marketing Agreement.

Chris also serves on the Deans Advisory Committee for the UC Davis School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center, the Clear Center and is the Chair of the Alfalfa and Forage Scholarship and Research Foundation and the past Chair and a member of the California State Fair Ag Advisory Committee. He is a board member of numerous agricultural organizations in and outside of California. He is also a member of the advisory board for the Sacramento Region St. Vincent de Paul Society.

Chris graduated from the University of California at Davis with a degree in Plant Science and an emphasis in Agricultural Management. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the U.C. Davis Graduate School of Management.

Michael Boccadoro
Agricultural Energy Consumers Association
Executive Director
Mr. Boccadoro has worked extensively for more than forty years in public affairs and government relations. As Executive Director of the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association, Mr. Boccadoro is responsible for overseeing the association’s regulatory and legislative affairs before the Public Utilities Commission, California Energy Commission, California Air Resources Board, and the California state Legislature. Mr. Boccadoro has been deeply engaged in California’s climate, energy, and environmental policy debates on behalf of the state’s agriculture industries. He has also been instrumental in the development of California’s distributed-renewable energy programs related to bioenergy. Mr. Boccadoro received his B.A. in economics and political science from the University of California, Davis.

Dave Cortese
California State Senate
Senator
Senator Dave Cortese represents District 15 which encompasses much of Santa Clara County in the heart of Silicon Valley. Along with his accomplished career as an attorney and business owner, the Senator previously served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, the San Jose City Council, and the East Side Union High School District Board. Dave’s business involvement includes his early agricultural role as principal in his family farm (wholesale and retail fruit and produce), cattle ranch and other organizations, all of which are thriving businesses today.

José Atilio Hernández
Little Hoover Commission
Commissioner
Appointed by Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon in April 2023. Founder and CEO of IDEATE California. Also, Founder and Board Chairman of ideateLABS non profit.

Jenny Maloney
Bayer
Director of Industry Relations, Bayer Vegetable Seeds
Jenny’s career spans more than 25 years across government, private sector, and agricultural trade associations. She began her career in public service, working in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, where she focused on legislative issues impacting American agriculture. Jenny then joined the U.S.D.A., where her work centered on critical topics such as international trade, farm program payments, and agency coordination with Capitol Hill.

Following her federal service, Jenny transitioned to the private sector, joining John Deere as a state lobbyist. Her career evolved and she later took on leadership roles in John Deere Water, where she helped implement a new marketing structure and new product development strategy.

Most recently, Jenny works at Bayer helping drive initiatives on the crop protection and Vegetable Seed Divisions. She has built and managed multi-stakeholder relationships, helping to create demand for new technologies and sustainable products that meet grower and consumer needs.

Throughout her career, Jenny has been deeply engaged in trade associations and industry organizations, serving on multiple boards and committees. Her leadership in these arenas reflects her commitment to advancing agricultural innovation, strengthening grower voices, and fostering collaboration across public and private sectors to ensure the long-term vitality of agriculture.

Andrea Travnicek
U.S. Department of the Interior Office
Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science
Over 20 years of research and work experience within the natural resources, communication, and public policy fields. Ph.D. in Natural Resources Management (NRM)/Communication, professional experience in private, public, and non-profit sectors, Washington D.C. and international experience.

Specialties: Natural resources and energy policy, government relations and strategies, coalition building, public policy development, strategic planning, risk management, disaster response, communication (written and verbal) and management skills, media strategy and relations, education, technical capabilities, negotiations, federal and state legislation and regulation.