The Fresh Produce & Floral Council's apprentice task force and the board of directors selected 12 individuals to participate in the 2023 FPFC Apprentice Program. The 2023 class is the 10th apprentice class, marking the 10-year Anniversary of the FPFC Apprentice Program.

Participants are:

• Dan Addiego, FreshSource
• Shane Aldrich, D. Gardikas Produce
• Morgan Bahri
• Jake Beggin, Local Bounti
• Noah Lines, Westlake Produce Co.
• Courtney Ludford, Wonderful Citrus
• Abby McPherson, Frieda’s
• Jackie Nakashian, Trinity Fruit
• Nick Schiavo, Allen Lund Co.
• Elyse Seiler, Monterey Mushrooms
• Alexis

As the harvest season begins in the Coachella region, Live Oak Farms, a fourth-generation farming company, hired pepper industry veteran Pete Aiello as vice president of pepper programs and Prescott Leyba as the vice president of pepper sales to support and enhance the sales and marketing of the newly expanded program to include longer availability and additional organic production.

Live Oak Farms will expand its organic pepper production from LeGrand and Coachella into the Central Coast region to extend the California growing season.

“As a company that has been around almost 100 years, we

Divine Flavor, a Nogales, AZ-based produce distributor and grower, announced that produce industry veteran Patrick Cortes has been named to a key role in the company’s development and strategic team.

Cortes joins the produce brand as the director of business development and strategic planning, where his principal duties will center on sustainable growth among the Divine Flavor customer base and its grower alliance.

“I’m thrilled to join the Divine Flavor team and contribute my experience to an already innovative brand who’s poised for growth,” said Cortes. “Divine Flavor is such a family

Church Brothers Farms has hired Mishalin Modena as director of sustainability and corporate engagement. Modena has more than 16 years of experience in the produce industry, acting in both business development and marketing roles. She most recently served as senior business development manager at Bunzl USA/Destiny Packaging, where she worked closely with customers and her supply chain to source and develop innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.

In the newly-created role at Church Brothers Farms, Modena will be responsible for leading the company’s Seven Pillar Sustainability Program

Farrell Cole (Dutch) Gay, a founder of Tom Lange Co. and a key leader, died at the age of 89. Mr. Gay retired in 1997, at which time he served as president and chairman of the Tom Lange Family of Cos. The company said he was instrumental in building the company into what it is today.

Mr. Gay attended Coe College in 1951 on a scholarship gifted by a member of his church where he studied art. While in college, he took a sales position in January of 1956 with Standard Fruit and Steamship Co., a major importer of bananas based in New Orleans. Later in the year, he moved to St. Louis as acting

Superfresh Growers promoted Conner O’Malley to the role of president. In his new position, O’Malley will lead sales, operations, marketing, production management and grower relations for the company.

“Conner is a gifted leader and has an unparalleled work ethic. At Superfresh Growers, he has been instrumental in cultivating a team-centric mindset. He is empathetic, a clear communicator, and embraces our culture,” said Robert Kershaw, CEO.

“The culture at Superfresh Growers is that of servant leadership," said Kershaw. "This is when the organizational chart is turned upside down, and the