Bottom photo — Masuhara with, from left, USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross, and CDFA Deputy Secretary Rachael O’Brien.
Today is the last day of state service for CDFA Deputy Secretary for Administration and Finance Kevin Masuhara, who is retiring after 16 years at the agency.
Masuhara has also served as CDFA’s Director of Marketing Services and as the County/State Liaison, a position that works directly with California’s agriculture commissioners and sealers of weights and measures.
As deputy secretary, Masuhara provided crucial leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, when the agency pivoted to a new workforce paradigm, first remote and then hybrid — and he has helped lead CDFA forward on equity initiatives both inside the department and among stakeholders seeking to participate in agency programs. In addition, he has guided CDFA through the booms and busts of fiscal cycles, and positioned the agency to strengthen its commitments to to leadership development, upward mobility, and succession planning.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross: “We wish Kevin all the best in retirement but he will definitely be deeply missed. He has contributed significantly to the operations of the agency through leadership development, process improvement, emergency preparedness, and equity advancement; and as a farmer himself, he has been a tireless advocate for California’s farmers and ranchers and through his administrative leadership.”
Congratulations, Kevin!