Bob's Red Mill, Limoneira and Sorghum Checkoff Fill Key Posts in Ag Leadership Shuffle

Bob's Red Mill has promoted Daniel Barba to chief commercial officer, moving him up from the vice president of marketing role he took in 2024 at the Oregon-based whole-grain and natural-foods company. The promotion places a single executive over commercial strategy at a brand whose grain sourcing decisions ripple through specialty-crop and milling supply chains.

Limoneira made the most operationally significant appointment of the week. The agribusiness named Ryan Young executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective Nov. 9. Young comes from Sun Pacific Shippers, where he was senior vice president of operations overseeing eight packing, warehouse and distribution facilities in California's San Joaquin Valley — experience directly relevant to Limoneira's citrus and avocado packing footprint.

Who else moved where?

• Mark Rehbein joined the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership as vice president of development after more than 12 years at Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, most recently as director of development. He brings more than a decade of conservation fundraising experience supporting fisheries research, habitat conservation and advocacy.
• Lance Smith will become executive vice president of customer and industry affairs at the National Confectioners Association in January. He spent seven years at PIM Brands and 15 years at McLane Co.
• Frank Groves joined Vylor as pipeline development lead for field crops and forages after six years as senior manager of North American seeds product management at Nutrien Ag Solutions. He previously held pipeline and breeding roles at Monsanto, including pipeline lead for global cotton breeding.
• Justin Darisse will join Idealyst Innovation as senior vice president of strategic communications and marketing after 25 years with the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, most recently as vice president of strategy and external affairs.

What changes at the checkoff and commission level?

The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced the election of eight members to the California Avocado Commission board. Two-year seats went to Ohannes Karaoghlanian in District 1, Maureen Lamb Cottingham in District 2, Rachael Laenen in District 3 and Andy Sheaffer in District 4. Robert Jackson, John Berns, Stephen Sheldon and Adam Franscioni were elected to one-year seats in Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively.

The United Sorghum Checkoff Program named Clint White executive director. White has directed communications at the checkoff since May 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in design communications from Texas Tech University. For growers paying the checkoff assessment, the hire signals continuity rather than a strategic reset.

Paul Riley of AgReserves Inc. was elected board chair of the Agricultural Safety & Health Council of America. The council also named Matt Spencer of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association as vice chair, Jill Oatman of Gallagher as secretary and Sage Saffran of the National Milk Producers Federation as treasurer.

Communications and sustainability desks turn over

Margaret Henry is leaving PepsiCo after more than 10 years leading agricultural sustainability initiatives, most recently as vice president of sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Henry plans a sabbatical before pursuing her next sustainability role — a departure that leaves open one of the food industry's most visible regenerative-agriculture portfolios.

Other communications appointments:

• American Farmland Trust appointed Joy O'Shaughnessy vice president of communications. She held the post on an interim basis since July and previously served as senior director of corporate relations and engagement. Before AFT, she was chief operating officer of agribusiness at HighQuest Partners and a television producer at WGBH in Boston.
• Land O'Lakes named Lauren Hartung director of communications. She joins from Golin Ketchum, where she was vice president and group manager, with prior roles at Ketchum and Rodan + Fields.
• Rachel Peabody joined Compeer Financial as director of public relations after serving as division communications manager at Caterpillar Inc. and director of communications for the Illinois Soybean Association.
• Farm Foundation named Becky Rowan events manager; she will support the organization's programs, campus activities and Round Table meetings.

Boards, government and recognition

Gevo, the renewable-fuels and chemicals developer, appointed K'Lynne Johnson to its board of directors. Johnson is a former CEO of Elevance Renewable Sciences and a former BP executive with more than 30 years in chemicals, manufacturing and renewable technologies — a profile that maps onto Gevo's hydrocarbon-based fuels strategy.

Kristi Boswell, an attorney at Alston & Bird advising clients on farm programs, trade, rural development, agricultural labor and immigration, was elected to the American Agricultural Law Association's Board of Directors.

Emma Edwards joined the U.S. Department of Labor as an international relations specialist in the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, after work at Tetra Tech and managing program and panel operations for AAUW.

In recognition news, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, was named a recipient of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Awards for Excellence in Science Communications in the early-career research scientist category. He will also receive Climate One's 2026 Stephen H. Schneider Award for Outstanding Climate Science Communication on Dec. 8 in San Francisco.

With Limoneira's Nov. 9 start date, the NCA move in January and Henry's sabbatical still unfolding, several of these transitions will settle into measurable effect before the first quarter closes.