March 24, 2026
Hosted by
Visalia Convention Center | Visalia, CA
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2026 Speakers ...
Nutrition Strategies, a consultancy that helps food industry leaders develop credible, science-based communications and advocacy strategies that drive meaningful impact.
Prior to launching her business, Laurie served as Vice President of Food & Nutrition Affairs at a leading nutrition communications agency, where she advised major food companies and commodity boards on their nutrition projects. Today, she leans on her unique food science and policy background to help clients navigate public health ambitions and business realities — identifying practical, evidence-informed solutions to today’s most complex food and nutrition challenges.
Laurie Hainley, MS, RD
Owner
Hainley Nutrition Strategies
Jack de Jong is the Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairman of the Board of Forever Feed Technologies, a company pioneering automated indoor sprout-grain production for use as a sustainable and highly-nutritious dairy feed ingredient. Jack is also the owner of River Ranch Farms in Hanford, CA, an 1880-acre dairy operation. Jack also farms additional ranches which grow more dairy feed, almonds, and blueberries, totaling over 3,500-acres farmed in all. Jack was honored as the 2023 Kings County Agriculturist of the year for his outstanding contributions to the agricultural community.
Jack de Jong
Co-Founder, CEO & Chairman
Forever Feed, River Ranch Farms
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Rochelle De Groot and her husband Tony operate De Groot Dairies in Hanford, alongside their son and daughter-in-law. The dairy was started in 1966 by Tony’s parents, who immigrated from Holland in 1956. Rochelle serves as the farm’s chief financial officer. Tony and Rochelle are industry leaders, who continue to adopt new strategies to boost environmental and economic sustainability. Rochelle serves on the Board of Directors for Milk Producer’s Council. She also has strong ties to the cattle industry. Her father founded Grimmius Cattle Company(cattle feeder, calf nursery, and genetics provider) in Hanford 1962, which is now run by her brother, Randall.
Rochelle De Groot
CFO
De Groot Dairies
Anthony Agueda is a third-generation dairy farmer, where he has worked across all aspects of the farm throughout his life. He is a recent graduate of California State University, Fresno, earning a BS in Agricultural Business. While at Fresno State, Anthony received multiple citizenship awards and agricultural honors recognizing his leadership, service, and commitment to the dairy industry. Together with his family, Anthony has prioritized innovation and sustainability, including the implementation of California’s first vermifiltration system on a dairy. He actively collaborates with ag stakeholders, regulators, and local communities to demonstrate practical, scalable sustainability practices. Grounded in hands-on experience and industry engagement, Anthony is dedicated to advancing sustainable dairy farming while preserving his family’s legacy for future generations.
Anthony Agueda
Dairy Farmer
Alberto Dairy
Romain Maendly serves as senior policy and technical advisor to the Deputy Director of Statewide Water Resources Planning, advancing integration of climate science into CA’s water management strategies.
With more than 16 years at DWR, Romain has led and contributed to statewide initiatives integrating climate change into the California Water Plan, Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, San Joaquin Watershed Studies, and the State Water Project Climate Adaptation Strategy. His expertise includes climate change risk analysis, flood management, water supply planning, managed aquifer recharge, and development of decision-support tools to guide resilient infrastructure and policy decisions.
Romain Maendly, P.E.
Climate Action Coordinator & Supervising Water Resources Engineer
CA Department of Water Resources
Chris Kopman is the Chief Executive Officer at Newtrient. In this role Chris is responsible for setting the strategic direction, managing financial matters and delivering business results.
Before coming to Newtrient, Chris was Vice President of Business Services for the Kraft Heinz Company with responsibility for the shared services organization managing the transactions related to the $21B of Net Sales in North America.
Chris Kopman
Chief Executive Officer Newtrient
Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel is the Director of Regulatory and Economic Affairs for Milk Producers Council, a California dairy farmer trade association. Prior to joining MPC, he spent 39 years as a dairy farmer in Southern California. Geoff has been involved in statewide water issues for over 30 years, serving on various boards and organizations. He moved to the San Joaquin Valley in 2018, increasing his focus on agricultural water supply issues, including the implementation of SGMA. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley, a coalition focused on ensuring sufficient water supplies for farming, the environment, and rural communities.
Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel
Vice Chair, Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley
Dir., Reg. & Economic Affairs, MPC
Frank Fernandes is a 2nd generation dairy farmer along with brothers Jared and Josh in Pixley, CA. He is a managing partner of Legacy Ranches a 2800 cow Jersey dairy and Legacy Holsteins a 1500 cow Holstein dairy. Franks focus is managing the crop side of the operation consisting of 1700 acre of corn, wheat, alfalfa, and pistachios. The farm operation provides all forage needs for the dairy operations. Frank earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Business with an emphasis in Farm and Ranch Management from California State University, Fresno.
Frank Fernandes
Managing Partner
​Legacy Ranches
Bill Swanson is the Vice President, Global Practice Leader, Water Resources Planning and Management for Stantec. Stantec was selected by the California Department of Water Resources to provide water resource planning and facilitation services to support the California's Unified Water Plan.
Bill has more than 34 years of experience supervising extensive and sophisticated water resource projects. His areas of expertise include water supply/ allocation, hydrologic and hydraulic studies, economic & socioeconomic analysis, flood control, & ecosystem restoration.​
Bill Swanson
VP, Global Practice Leader, Water Resources Planning and Management
Stantec
Katie is the Vice President, Farm Animal Sustainability, where she drives a cross-functional team dedicated to empowering the entire value chain with innovations, tools and analytics that can transform farm animal sustainability efforts and open new revenue streams for producers. Katie’s leadership continues to embed Elanco’s commitment to sustainable animal health solutions across global platforms, championing a healthier world through healthier and more sustainable farm animals.
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Katie Cook
VP, Farm Animal Sustainability
Elanco Animal Health
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Patrick Pulupa is the Executive Officer of the Central Valley Water Board. He started his career as an attorney representing the Board, advising the Board as it endeavored to find equitable solutions for the diverse water quality issues facing the Central Valley. As the Board’s Executive Officer, Patrick works to ensure the Board achieves its vision of ensuring that the Valley’s aquifers and surface waters meet or exceed water quality necessary to support all beneficial uses, and that all communities have access to safe, affordable, and resilient water supplies.
Patrick Pulupa
Executive Officer
Central Valley Water Board
David De Groot is a licensed professional civil engineer in the Central Valley of California. For more than twenty years he has leveraged his skills to assist in the management of water, development of local cities, and assisting private agricultural clients with new projects, permitting, and environmental compliance. In 2008, David co-founded 4Creeks, Inc., a Civil Engineering and Land Surveying company based in Visalia, CA. After several years of business partnership with California Bioenergy, David officially joined the Cal Bio team in 2024, as the Chief Operating Officer.
David De Groot
CFO & COO
4Creeks, Inc. & California Bioenergy
Karen Ross was appointed Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 2019 by Governor Gavin Newsom. In re-appointing Secretary Ross, Governor Newsom cited her unmatched leadership experience in agricultural issues nationally, internationally, and here in California, in areas including environmental stewardship, climate change adaption, and trade. Secretary Ross was initially appointed by Governor Edmund. G. Brown Jr. in 2011.
Karen Ross
Secretary
California Department of Food & Agriculture​
David Vander Schaaf is a 4th generation farmer from Escalon, CA. He manages the dairy alongside his brothers Joey and James, and his father John. They have dairied in Escalon since 1991 after leaving Chino. David graduated from Cal Poly SLO with a degree in Dairy Science and now focuses on herd management, genetics, and feeding operations for the business. David is also a partner and board member of Valley Milk LLC, a creamery that was started by five dairy families in Turlock, CA.
David Vander Schaaf
Dairy Farmer
Vander Schaaf Dairy
Caitlin Peterson is associate director and a research fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center. She is an agroecologist whose research spans groundwater sustainability, soil health, diversified cropping systems, agroecosystem resilience, and the intersections between agriculture and water policy. As a consulting agroecologist, she led programs linking farmers across the US to emerging soil carbon marketplaces. She holds a PhD in ecology and an MS in international agricultural development from the University of California, Davis.
Caitlin Peterson
Associate Center Director and Research Fellow
Public Policy Institute of CA
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Dr. Edith (“Edie”) Marshall DVM, MPVM, DACVPM has worked and traveled around the world, from Ecuador to China to California. After practicing in mixed and small animal clinics in Washington State, she moved to California to get her Master of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, followed by working for UC Davis in the Center for Animal Disease Modeling and Surveillance on foot and mouth disease. Dr. Marshall started with the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship (AUS) program in early 2018 and currently serves as the AUS Branch Chief.
Edith (“Edie”) Marshall, DVM, MPVM, DACVPM
Branch Chief, Antimicrobial Use & Stewardship
CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture
Jacob de Jong is a third generation dairyman and farmer here in California. Owns and operates Parkview Dairy and farms corn, wheat, alfalfa, and almonds with his wife Erin de Jong located in Delhi California. Graduated from Fresno State University with a degree in dairy science. He enjoys all things dairy related and looks forward to growing the business while focusing on day to day herd management improvements.
Jacob de Jong
Dairy Farmer
Parkview Dairy
Dr. Michael Payne is a dairy outreach coordinator at University of California School of Veterinary Medicine in Davis. Holding degrees as both a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Comparative Pathology, he has served the dairy industry in private practice, as an extension veterinarian and as a dairy researcher. For more than 25 years, he has been director of California Dairy Quality Assurance Program.
Michael Payne, DVM, PhD
Program Director, CDQAP
Dairy Program Coordinator, Western Institute of Food Safety & Security
Dr. Richard Pereira is an Associate Professor of Clinical Livestock Herd Health at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. His research interest is to promote livestock health through the development and promotion of a sustainable animal agriculture system that implements animal health and production practices that support the judicious use of resources (including antimicrobial drugs), and are efficient, environmentally sound, and economically feasible.
Richard Pereira, DVM, PHD, DACVPM
Assoc. Professor of Clinical Livestock Herd Health
UC Davis, School of Vet. Medicine
Theresa “Tess” Dunham is a partner in KSC. Her practice has been laser-focused on California and federal water quality laws for more than 20 years. TFor the last decade, Tess has represented the Central Valley Salinity Coalition (CVSC), and served as one of the chief architects of the Central Valley Salt and Nitrate Management Plan, which is designed to deal with the problem of salt and nitrate in Central Valley groundwater basins. Tess actively participates in the Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-term Sustainability (CV-SALTS) Executive Committee along with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, environmental justice advocates, state agencies, federal agencies and others.
Tess Dunham
Partner
Kahn, Soares, & Conway, LLP
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Figure 8 Environmental is a technically driven company specializing in economically solving persistent environmental issues. The founder Scott Harrison was born and raised in the central valley of California and has many connections in the agriculture field. Specifically, in commercial farming, livestock, and dairy specialties. Scott has family and close friends that own and operate large dairies and farms in the CA central valley.
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​Figure 8 was specifically formed so a dedicated company could adequately apply focus to helping the dairy and livestock sectors increase their bottom line through more efficient waste management. Leveraging his experience in navigating the regulatory world, equipment and chemical manufactures, Scott produced an innovative solution to the unique problems with dairy waste.
Scott Harrison
CEO
Figure 8 Environmental
Michael Boccadoro has participated in California’s environmental policy arena for more than 30 years. He specializes in public affairs consulting and has distinctive expertise in the areas of environmental, climate, natural resources, and sustainability management. As president of West Coast Advisors, Boccadoro is responsible for overseeing the firm’s climate and sustainability practices. Boccadoro has served as the executive director of Dairy Cares since its inception 24 years ago and is a leading national expert on sustainable dairy production. Dairy Cares is a statewide coalition of dairy farmers, processors, and trade associations that helps advance sustainable practices on family dairy farms. Boccadoro also serves as executive director of the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association and the California Creamery Operators Association.
Michael Boccadoro
Executive Director
Dairy Cares
Denise Mullinax serves the California dairy industry as the Director of the California Dairy Research Foundation and as the Assistant Director of the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program. She has more than 25 years of experience in leading on-farm change and has worked in both academic and private sectors within the dairy industry. Denise has devoted her career to assisting dairy producers and professionals in continued improvement in environmental stewardship, food safety and security, and animal care. She earned a B.S. in animal science and M.S. in agriculture and management from UC Davis.
Denise Mullinax
Executive Director
California Dairy Research Foundation
J.P. Cativiela has served as director of environmental regulatory affairs for the Dairy Cares coalition since 2001. Cativiela also serves as administrator of the Central Valley Dairy Representative Monitoring Program (CVDRMP), a not-for-profit organization of more than 1,100 Central Valley dairy families assembled to conduct monitoring and develop recommendations for groundwater protection. Cativiela is a principal of Cogent Consulting and Communications, Inc., based in Sacramento.
J.P. Cativiela
Director of Regulatory Affairs
Dairy Cares
Steven Rowe has long been an impactful organizational executive and sustainability leader. He successfully led teams and organizations in various business sectors, including agriculture and global manufacturing. As the founding President and CEO of Newtrient LLC, he spearheaded initiatives to enhance sustainability in the dairy industry, driving environmental and economic progress. Before Newtrient, Rowe served in key executive roles at Darigold Inc., and led the sustainability efforts for 500 family-owned dairy farms. He has also contributed to numerous industry associations and councils, advocating for environmental stewardship and economic prosperity. As both an executive and legal counsel Steven brings extensive expertise to his role as Chairman of the Board at BioFiltro.
Steven Rowe
Chairman
BioFiltro
Yoav Levsky is Founder & CEO of Nibbana Group, a global firm helping leading food companies, retailers, and governments increase resiliency and optimize their agriculture supply chains. With over 25 years in the global dairy and ag-tech industries, Yoav has held senior leadership roles across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Originating from Israel and based in Vancouver, Yoav brings deep commercial, strategic, and innovation expertise from leadership roles at Merck Animal Health Intelligence (Antelliq), SCR Dairy, and Tetra Laval (DeLaval), and serves on the Ray Golberg Chair committee for food and ag at Harvard University.
Yoav Levsky
CEO
Nibbana Inc.
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Ashley is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and the Nutrition and Industry Affairs Officer for Dairy Council of California, where she oversees strategies to improve nutrition security for children, families, and communities. Ashley specializes in nutrition across the lifespan, and building healthy, equitable, and sustainable food systems. Her expertise includes nutrition science, policy and regulatory affairs, thought leadership, and developing multisector partnerships and collaborations.
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​Ashley serves as a member of the International Dairy Federations Standing Committee on Nutrition and Health, the CA Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Les Dames d'Escoffier International-Sacramento Chapter, Associations West and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She received her degree in Clinical Nutrition from UC Davis, completed the dietetic internship program at Napa State Hospital, and holds a master’s degree in nutrition science from the University of the Pacific.
Ashley Rosales, MS, RDN
Nutrition and Industry Affairs Officer Dairy Council of California
Kevin earned his doctorate in nutritional biology from UC Davis and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the UC Davis Medical Center. He is a former lecturer in at UC Davis. Kevin has been with the California Dairy Research Foundation since 2013. He manages a portfolio of projects focused on human health, environmental management, social responsibility, industry outreach, and innovation and technology. He sits on scientific advising committees, and produces a monthly Dairy Research Bulletin to share relevant peer-reviewed publications with the industry. Kevin has been a consultant with FoodMinds LLC since 2012, and has led projects for over 30 different food and nutrition clients, including National Dairy Council, US Dairy Export Council, National Medical Association, and Nestle. He has authored peer-reviewed publications on dairy and chronic disease, maternal health, complementary feeding, nutrigenetics, food system sustainability, and health equity.
Kevin Comerford, PhD
Chief Science Officer
California Dairy Research Foundation
After finishing up a career in the US Air Force in 2007, Daryl Maas returned to his hometown in a dairy community in northwest Washington. He discovered many of his friends in dairy families were interested in deploying digester technology to capture energy from animal waste. He developed and commissioned his first biogas facility in 2009. In 2010, Daryl moved to Redding, CA with his family and founded Maas Energy Works (MEW).Starting in 2016, Daryl and MEW served as the lead project developer for the first successful RNG pipeline cluster in the United States. Since then, MEW has duplicated that cluster model many times, overseeing the installation of over 185 miles of biogas gathering lines and nine separate utility interconnections across the nation.
Daryl Maas
CEO
Maas Energy Works, LLC.
Jason Giannelli is a fourth-generation farmer from Kern County. His family farms in Kern County where his dad and uncle run the operation today. They farm cotton, alfalfa, carrots, silage corn, and almonds.
Jason is the farm manager for Old River Farming Company and R&G Fanucchi. The companies specialize in growing feed crops and dairy farm management.
Jason is the Chairman of the California Water Alliance, Board Secretary for Central Valley Business Federation, Water Blueprint board member, Past President of Water Association of Kern County and Board Member of the California Ag Tech Alliance Board. Jason is also the proud father to three children.
Jason Giannelli
Director of Farming Operations
Old River Farming
R&G Fanucchi, Inc.
Dr. Weigel grew up in Iowa on the family farm (Weigeline Holsteins) and graduated from Iowa State University with a Degree in Dairy Science. He received both his M.S. and PhD from Virginia Tech, with his dissertation focusing on the prediction of genetic merit for lifetime profitability in Holsteins. Before joining the R&D group of Zoetis (formerly Pfizer Animal Health) in 1995, Dr. Weigel served as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Guelph working on the implementation of Multiple Across Country Evaluations (MACE) for conformation traits of Holstein sires. Dr. Weigel’s current role with Zoetis is in Outcomes Research and he remains active as a breeder of Registered Holsteins.
Dan Weigel, PhD
Director, Research Outcomes
Zoetis
Dr. Blaine Melody is a proud partner at Lander Veterinary Clinic and serves as the director of their laboratory, Dairy Diagnostics. He has a strong passion for helping dairy clients identify major management opportunities and achieve their farm’s goals. Dr Melody received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois and his DVM at the University of Wisconsin. Upon graduation, he worked as an associate veterinarian in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He went on to serve on a management team for a large dairy enterprise, milking 20,000+ cows between Nebraska and Wisconsin, where he was heavily involved in employee management and training, transition cow management, protocol design and implementation, and coordinating day-to-day activities on the dairy. His areas of focus include preventative dairy medicine and management consulting.
Blaine Melody, DVM
Partner
Lander Veterinary Clinic
With an entrepreneurial spirit, Charles Ahlem has played an important role in shaping the California dairy industry. As the owner of Charles Ahlem Ranch in Turlock, CA, he leads by example, becoming one of the first dairymen to install a rotary milking parlor and many other innovative practices over the years. Ahlem is a founding co-owner of Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. and Hilmar Ingredients, and is a founding member of Jerseyland Sires. In 2004, he was appointed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve as the California Department of Food and Agriculture Undersecretary. Ahlem currently serves the California dairy sector as the Chairman of Dairy Cares and the Secretary of the California Dairy Research Foundation.
Charles "Chuck" Ahlem
Dairy Farmer, Chairman
Charles Ahlem Ranch, Dairy Cares