Nov 15, 2023

Hartwig chosen to lead California Fresh Fruit Association

Daniel Hartwig is the new president of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA).

Hartwig, who begins role Dec. 4, succeeds Ian LeMay, the new president and CEO of the California Table Grape Commission. LeMay became CFFA president in 2019 and has been with the association for nine years.

“We are excited to welcome Daniel to the CFFA team and look forward to him continuing the long legacy of strong leadership on behalf of the California fresh fruit industry,” Wayde Kirschenman, CFFA chairman, said in a news release.

“Our board engaged in a thorough search process to fill this important role and we are confident that Daniel’s experience in both association management and within the private agriculture sector have prepared him to serve our membership well,” Kirschenman said in the release.

Hartwig has extensive experience in the private sector and at agriculture associations. Since 2014, he has been with Woolf Enterprises, first as a procurement manager and most recently as director of sustainability.

From 2008 to 2014, Hartwig was vice president of grower relations for the Nisei Farmers League. He has also served on the board of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, including board president from 2020-22.

Hartwig is a recent graduate of the 49th class of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

Kirschenman thanked LeMay for his service to the organization.

“Ian’s service is greatly appreciated by our entire membership, and we are glad to know that he will remain within the fresh fruit family while he serves at the (table grape) commission,” he said in the release.

Hartwig and his wife Jennifer live in Fresno with their children, Brooke and Colby.

“I have always had a deep admiration for the work done by the association’s staff and the leadership of the board,” he said in the release. “I also look forward to working with our partners in the industry to continue to protect agriculture from the many threats before us.”