Speakers
Meet the talented individuals who make up our Agri Tech Fair speaker lineup. Each speaker brings a unique set of skills and expertise to the table, working together to create an exceptional event experience for our attendees.
Limoneira Company
Edgar Gutierrez
Edgar Gutierrez has been involved in farming all his life, growing up on a dairy farm in the north part of Costa Rica, and graduating as an Agronomist from EARTH University. He joined the Limoneira Team 5 years ago and is presently the Vice President of Farming Operations.
Farm Bureau of Ventura County
Jodi Switzer
Jodi Switzer is the Water Program Director for the Farm Bureau of Ventura County. In addition to various activities related to water supply issues, her primary role is as manager of the Ventura County Agricultural Irrigated Lands Group (VCAILG), where she leads a 3rd party coalition formed to help landowners and growers comply with water quality regulations.
California Strawberry Commission
Caleb Fink
Caleb Fink works at the California Strawberry Commission as Production Automation Engineer and has completed his master’s degree in agriculture and undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
California Department of Pesticide Regulation
Andy Viet Nguyen
Andy Viet Nguyen, Ph.D. is an Environmental Scientist at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. In this role, he primarily manages grants that support California’s goal of transitioning to the system-wide adoption of safer, more sustainable pest management practices.
Wild Farm Alliance
Jo Ann Baumgartner
Jo Ann Baumgartner has authored many publications on the intersection between biodiversity conservation and agriculture, including beneficial birds, the conservation mandates within the National Organic Program regulations, and the co-management of food safety and conservation.
UC Agriculture and Natural Resource
Dr. Bodil Cass
Dr. Bodil Cass has recently been appointed as an Assistant Professor of Extension (Cooperative Extension Specialist) in Subtropical Fruit Crop Integrated Pest Management at the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) and the Department of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside.
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University of California, Davis
Dr. Alireza Pourrez
Dr. Alireza Pourreza is an associate professor of extension in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering department and the Digital Agriculture Lab director at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Pourreza leads research and extension education in digital agriculture, remote sensing, precision agriculture, and mechanization.
VC Agriculture/Weights & Measures
David Wirta
Deputy Agricultural Commissioner for the Pest Exclusion Division at the Ventura County Agriculture/Weights & Measures Department. Graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Ecology and Evolution from University of California Santa Barbara. Has been with the Department for 12 years and has been in the role of Deputy Agriculture Commissioner since 2019.
Supporters
LEADING IN THE INDUSTRY
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