The California Avocado Commission Board of Directors has selected produce veteran Jeff Oberman to become the organization’s new president, effective October 10, 2022.
According to the CAC, Oberman’s career in the produce industry spans 25 years so far. From 2020 to the present, he served as vice president of sales – business development for PRO*ACT and was their vice president of strategic programs for the prior two years. From 1997 to 2018, Oberman worked for the produce trade association United Fresh in successively more responsible roles. For over half his tenure at United Fresh, he served as vice president of trade relations.
“We are very pleased that Jeff Oberman has accepted the position of California Avocado Commission president,” said Rob Grether, chair of the Commission Board of Directors. “Jeff’s broad network, non-profit association leadership, and fresh produce business experience, including an end-to-end understanding of the needs of growers, handlers, distributors, foodservice operators, and retail customers, makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead the California Avocado Commission.”
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Oberman has extensive experience in trade association leadership, strategic planning, and customer and government agency relations management. He has received numerous accolades and awards, including being named to Produce Business Magazine’s “40 under Forty” list in 2005 and to The Packer’s “25 Profiles in Leadership” in 2017.
“Having the opportunity to take the helm and build on the California Avocado Commission’s well-deserved reputation for innovative marketing and grower advocacy is exciting, said Oberman. “Like most agricultural producers, California avocado growers face a host of ever-changing challenges, and I look forward to steering the Commission to support long-term grower success.”
Created in 1978, the California Avocado Commission strives to enhance the premium positioning of California avocados through advertising, promotion, and public relations and engages in related industry activities. California avocados are cultivated with uncompromising dedication to quality and freshness by about 3,000 growers in the Golden State.