SACRAMENTO, December 20, 2022 – California Affiliation of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Chairman Tom Slater introduced at present that the Board of Administrators has named Natalie Collins the affiliation’s president. Collins has served as Interim President since June 1, 2022, after the retirement of John Aguirre.
“The Board is extraordinarily grateful for the job Natalie has performed for the previous six months and could be very excited she has accepted our supply to change into the President of CAWG,” mentioned Slater. “She has been a member of our CAWG household for seven years and brings together with her an unlimited quantity of institutional data. We sit up for Natalie sharing that data with the Board and all its members.”
“CAWG has a wealthy historical past of robust advocacy and dedication in representing California winegrape growers. It’s an honor to just accept this place as CAWG heads towards its 50th anniversary,” Collins mentioned. “I sit up for serving to our growers meet the various challenges we face in California, Washington D.C., and globally. With these challenges comes unimaginable alternative for CAWG to be on the desk in shaping public coverage that may respect and advance our trade. I couldn’t be extra excited for this alternative to steer CAWG’s efforts because the voice of California’s winegrape growers.”
Over the previous couple of months, Collins has led the CAWG group in Sacramento and guided the affiliation’s partnership with the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) in preparation for the annual Unified Wine & Grape Symposium subsequent month. She has additionally taken the purpose in CAWG’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC.
“Natalie has demonstrated in her work with CAWG that she has the abilities essential to not solely lead a easy transition, but in addition to create new alternatives for CAWG and our growers within the years to come,” concluded Slater.
Collins joined CAWG in 2015 because the director of member relations and shortly established herself as integral to the development of the affiliation. She is a graduate of California State College, Chico with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural enterprise and minors in organizational communications and enterprise administration. Earlier than becoming a member of CAWG, she was a program director for the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation and a 2015 Management Farm Bureau program graduate.
Natalie resides in Lodi together with her husband Kyle and their two kids.
