Mark Gillette elected Sunkist Chairman

New directors were seated at the annual meeting, which also saw the election of Mark D. Gillette, of Dinuba, CA, to his second year as Chairman. He is president of the Sunkist-affiliated Gillette Citrus Inc., a vertically integrated company that grows, packs and ships fresh citrus. Gillette is a fourth generation citrus grower who produces lemons, mandarins and Navels, Valencia, Moro and Cara Cara oranges in Fresno and Tulare counties. 

Mr. Gillette was also elected to his first term as Chairman of Fruit Growers Supply Company, a packaging and supply subsidiary of Sunkist Growers Inc.

Elected by the board to Vice Chairmanships for 2012 are Nick Bozick of Mecca, CA; Gerald Denni of Strathmore, CA; and James Finch of Ojai, CA.

Bozick is President of Richard Bagdasarian, Inc., a family run multi-commodity produce, growing packing and shipping business in the Coachella Valley. In addition to citrus, the company also handles table grapes and vegetables. He was elected to the Sunkist board of directors from the Riverside-Arlington Heights Fruit Exchange in 2000 and also serves on the board of Fruit Growers Supply Company, a cooperative and manufacturing affiliate of Sunkist. He served as Sunkist’s Chairman of the Board for five years, the maximum consecutive length of service.

Denni, a Sunkist member since 1986, was elected to the Sunkist board in 2007 from the California Citrus Growers Exchange where he serves as Administrator. Denni grows several varieties of oranges including Navels, Valencias, Cara Caras and Bloods in the Lindsay and Strathmore areas. He is General Manager of Golden Valley Citrus in Strathmore and co-owner of Mittman-Denni Citrus Management, which manages over 1,800 acres of California-grown citrus.

Finch was elected to the Sunkist board in 2004 from the Saticoy Fruit Exchange. A third generation citrus producer, he and his family grow lemons, oranges and avocados in Ventura County, California. In addition to his agricultural interests, Finch serves as a Trustee of the Monica Ross School.

New directors seated for the 2012-13 year are Robert C. Davis, III, Ojai, CA, Villa Park Citrus Exchange; Robert B. Grether, Somis, CA, Saticoy Fruit Exchange; Warren C. Lyall, Pauma Valley, CA, Villa Park Citrus Exchange; and Scott A. McIntyre, Temecula, CA, Kaweah-Oxnard Fruit Exchange.

Completing the 29 member board as representatives from California and Arizona exchanges are Caroline Alfheim, Clovis, CA; Craig Armstrong, Thermal, CA; George Bravante, Visalia, CA; Allen Camp, Ventura, CA; William Chaney, Yuma, AZ; Steve Cutting, Manhattan Beach, CA; Donald Dames, Oxnard, CA; Burt Fugate, Santa Maria, CA; Russell Katayama, Orosi, CA; Gary Laux, Porterville, CA; Brad Leichtfuss, Fillmore, CA; Manuel B. Martinez, Redlands, CA; Samuel Mayhew, Oxnard, CA; Thomas Mazzetti, Riverside, CA; Eric Meling, Ivanhoe, CA; Martin Mittman, Porterville, CA; Dick Neece, Porterville, CA; Cecelia Perry, Yuma, AZ; Richard Pidduck, Santa Paula, CA; Kevin Riddle, Orosi, CA; and Randy Veeh, Visalia, CA.

Sunkist Growers is a citrus marketing cooperative, founded in 1893, which is owned by and operated for thousands of family farmers growing citrus in California and Arizona