Hank Giclas, who tirelessly served the produce industry for 30 years at Western Growers, has passed away. CDFA Secretary Karen Ross remembers Giclas with deep appreciation:
“Hank was a very special kind of leader – one of the quiet ones, willing to toil behind the scenes doing the heavy lifting of bridging science, technical expertise, and policy objectives to bring people together with a focus on practical implementation for successful outcomes.
“I worked with Hank for more than two decades in the Sacramento world of advocacy. He and I were part of a number of collaborative efforts that led to the establishment of the California Roundtable on Agriculture and Environment, and the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops.
“Hank’s dedication to growers, passion for the produce sector, and commitment to science was instrumental in the creation of the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement to implement and verify the highest standards of food safety to protect public health and prevent potential sources of contamination in California-grown leafy-greens.
“I was fortunate to know and work with Hank and join his many friends in agriculture who mourn his loss. My condolences to his family and his colleagues at Western Growers.”
Link to statement by Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia