After an exhaustive search Scott Horsfall has been named CEO of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement:
SACRAMENTO, May 17, 2008 — Former California Grown CEO Scott Horsfall has been named to head the new Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, LGMA Chairman Joe Pezzini announced to the group’s board of directors on Friday, May 11th. Horsfall previously headed up the statewide California Grown promotion program from 2003 through 2006. He will assume the position of CEO of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement on May 29th.
“We are very pleased to have someone with Scott’s experience and abilities to lead our new marketing agreement,” said Pezzini. “Our industry’s objective is to advance safe growing and handling practices, and we know that Scott can help us achieve that goal.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to join the leafy greens industry,” said Horsfall. “This industry has taken a proactive approach to ensuring a safe and reliable food supply, and I look forward to being part of that effort.”
Prior to working with California Grown Horsfall served as President of the California Kiwifruit Commission and Vice President/International Marketing of the California Table Grape Commission. For the last year Horsfall has been a management supervisor at Sacramento-based MeringCarson Advertising.
The Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement was formed in response to the E. coli outbreak that was linked to California spinach last year. The marketing agreement represents approximately 99 percent of the leafy greens industry in California, and requires of signatories that they implement and maintain the highest standards of safety in growing and handling spinach, lettuce and other leafy greens.
What was needed was someone who knew how to run an organization established under California authority — between the California Table Grape Commission, the California Kiwifruit Commission and the California Grown campaign they really found their man.
In fact the “California Grown” campaign is funded by the “Buy California Initiative” and the whole thing worked under the “Buy California Marketing Agreement” so they managed to find one of the very few people alive who has both run a California Marketing Agreement and a California Marketing Order.
That makes the Marketing Agreement ready to move right away and also prepares them for what the future might bring.
Best of luck to Scott in his new role.
