John C. Harris, one of California’s most respected leaders in agriculture and a visionary businessman, died July 2. He was 81.

According to a statement by Harris Farms, Mr. Harris, born on July 14, 1943, was a lifelong resident of Fresno County. He attended local elementary and high schools before earning his degree from the University of California-Davis, and he proudly served his country in the U.S. Army.

Western Growers has named Bryan Nickerson director of membership. In this role he leads the development and execution of initiatives designed to grow and retain the organization’s membership, including programs aimed at enhancing member engagement and expanding utilization of WG’s broad portfolio of services and resources.

Additionally, Nickerson continues to provide commodity and supply chain support to WG members, including dispute resolution services, sales guidance, PACA training and other supply chain matters under federal jurisdiction. He also oversees the Western Growers Leadership

Philip Henry, who served as president of the Henry Avocado Corp. in Escondido, CA, since the early 2000s, died June 30 of natural causes.

Mr. Henry was born in Long Beach, CA, on June 23, 1945 and grew up in the area, graduating from Cal State University at Long Beach in 1968. While his first cousins, Gil and Warren Henry, had an avocado growing, packaging and shipping operation in Escondido, that was not a career Phil Henry was expecting to enter. However, in the late 1970s, Mr. Henry expanded his own opportunities by studying for and receiving a real estate license. Soon he was specializing

BM2 Freight Services Inc. has hired Tim Hickey as business development manager, focused on expanding the company’s services in the fresh produce sector.

Hickey brings more than a decade of experience in the produce industry, most recently serving as vice president of North American sales at a produce-focused media company. Prior to that, he spent 10 years with Blue Book Services, where he worked closely with produce businesses across North America.

ADS Management, parent company of leading produce companies Freshouse, Hapco Farms, Barnwood and MR Farms, has hired Christian Boucher as a senior sales manager. Boucher will be focusing on growing the company’s foodservice customer base on the East Coast.

Boucher started his career as a chef in the hotel restaurant industry, which exposed him to food vendors across different categories. After 25 years as a professional chef, he moved to into sales for a large foodservice vendor. In this role, he helped chefs create menus and source product. Boucher then became the produce specialist for this

Rudy Placencia has joined Fowler Packing Co. as vice president of sales. With over two decades of leadership experience in the agriculture industry and a distinguished background in military service, Placencia brings a strategic, people-first approach to leading high-performance sales organizations.

“I’m honored to join a company with such a strong reputation for integrity, innovation and customer focus,” said Placencia. “Fowler Packing’s commitment to excellence and its deep roots in the Central Valley align closely with my own values, and I’m excited to contribute to its continued growth.”