Category: News Releases

With more than 50 years combined engagement on the Education Team, Perry and Flores bring substantial experience, program awareness and mentoring skills to the positions. Their new roles will begin on May 1, 2021 to coincide with the departure of current Director of Education Shelli Hendricks. Perry will also continue her role as coach to all program fellows.

During this interim period, which is expected to last until February 28, 2023 to coincide with the commencement of Class 51, Executive Vice President Abby Taylor-Silva (45) and Program Coordinator Judy Sparacino will also take on additional roles. Predominately, Abby will oversee development of the national and international seminars, with the guidance and support of the Education Team, and Judy will build upon her current role related to selection and program support. As part of their roles, Perry and Flores will eventually help to guide the selection of a new director of education.

CALF President and CEO Dwight Ferguson expressed his gratitude and excitement to Perry and Flores.

“We are very fortunate to have Peggy and Bob join our team in these new roles during such a critical and transformative time for the foundation,” said Dwight. “We are on the cusp of finalizing a strategic plan that will help sustain our fellowship program well into the future, so we may continue to grow leaders who make a difference. Peggy and Bob have the unique skill sets needed to ensure our program, the most critical component of the foundation, is nurtured and given what it needs to achieve excellence.”

Perry is a professor emeritus at Cal Poly Pomona, and has spent her career teaching in the fields of plant science and leadership. Her teaching specialties have included California native plant materials, culinary produce, women in agriculture, leadership development and various issues related to agricultural literacy. Her research has focused on faculty vitality and institutional leadership and adult development. Perry was a member of Class 9 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (CALP), and has been a member of the Education Team since 1986. She has also led the coaching element of the program for the past 10 years.

Flores recently retired from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after a 37-year career in higher education. He joined Cal Poly in 1983 after teaching high school for five years. At Cal Poly, he served as a department head and professor in the Agricultural Education and Communication Department. Flores has been a member of CALP’s Education Team for almost 25 years and served as director of education from 1997 to 2000. He has also served as a presenter on the topics of preferential behavior, learning styles and values programming. In retirement, Flores continues in his role as a member of the Education Team. Additionally, he is a member of the Medical Service Corp for the County of San Luis Obispo and a co-advisor to the Latinos in Agriculture student organization at Cal Poly.

Hendricks has served CALF for more than two years, working directly with classes 48-50, and collaborating with the Education Team to navigate continued seminars and contingency planning throughout the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also guided the foundation’s reintroduction of alumni learning activities.

In order to provide support and care for her family, Hendricks will be moving to the Greater Phoenix, Arizona area. Through the consulting and coaching entity Blue Horizons Solutions, Hendricks will remain available to support the foundation in an advisory capacity through June 30, 2021, and then on a project basis thereafter.

The foundation is considering various options related to an interim director of education role. For now, Executive Vice President Abby Taylor-Silva (45) will take on the immediate tasks of working with the Education Team to plan upcoming seminars, including but not limited to Class 51 commencement, the San Quentin Seminar for Class 50 and their international seminar.

Hendricks shared that her departure was bittersweet.

“I am deeply grateful to the CALF board of directors, the foundation staff, the Education Team, CALF alumni and especially to our CALF fellows. Your gracious welcoming of me into the community has made this decision even more difficult. However, I choose to believe the relationships and collaborations fostered will continue to be part of the fabric of Ag Leadership for future generations,” said Hendricks.

Dwight Ferguson, the foundation’s president and CEO, shared deep gratitude for Hendricks’ contributions to the foundation.

“We are very appreciative for the working relationship we’ve been able to enjoy with Shelli, and her contributions to our programs. We are certain she will continue to have an important impact in the field of leadership development throughout her career, and we are grateful to her for having shared her talents with our foundation these past two years,” said Ferguson.

Please contact Dwight Ferguson or Abby Taylor-Silva at 831-585-1030 or via e-mail with any questions. We hope you will join us in wishing Shelli all the best in her move and future endeavors.

The Ag Leadership Program, operated by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF), is considered to be one of the premier leadership development experiences in the United States. More than 1,300 men and women have participated in the program and are influential leaders and active volunteers in agriculture, communities, government, business and other areas.

“We are delighted to open the application process for Class 51,” said CALF President and CEO Dwight Ferguson. “The California Agricultural Leadership Program is uniquely positioned to prosper and produce leaders who benefit their communities, their companies and California agriculture as a whole due to our unique curriculum, personalized coaching and a dedicated focus on lifelong learning.”

The 17-month program includes approximately 55 days of formal program activities. Four partner universities—Fresno State, UC Davis, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona—deliver comprehensive, diverse and high-impact curriculum designed to improve leadership skills. As a valuable extension to the monthly seminars, fellows participate in national and international travel seminars and receive individualized leadership development coaching. Working with our partner universities, CALF is preparing various options to ensure we continue to effectively implement this program during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

CALF invests more than $50,000 per fellow to participate in the Ag Leadership Program. The costs are underwritten by individual and industry donations. Candidates are strongly encouraged to talk with Ag Leadership alumni about the program and to attend a recruitment event. All recruitment events will adhere to state and local guidelines for safety and health.

Detailed program information and the phase one application are available online at www.agleaders.org/apply. Phase one of the two-part application process is due no later than April 26, 2021. Individuals are encouraged to complete the application as soon as possible.