Mona Shulman, Pacific Coast Producers, Elected as CLFP 2025-2026 Chair

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Mona Shulman, Pacific Coast Producers (PCP), has been elected as the 2025-2026 Chair of the California League of Food Producers (CLFP) at its Annual Board of Directors Meeting on May 1, 2025. Shulman succeeds Melvin Ward of Sunsweet Growers, Inc., who served as Chair during the 2024-2025 term and will continue to serve on the CLFP Executive Committee as Past Chair.

Shulman brings more than two decades of legal and public affairs experience to her leadership role. At PCP - a grower-owned agricultural cooperative and one of the nation’s leading private-label canned fruit and tomato product manufacturers - she oversees legal, regulatory, and government relations strategies. Her career includes prior roles in state government and the private sector, where she has demonstrated a strong commitment to advocating for California’s agricultural and food processing communities.

Elected as 1st Vice Chair is David Kiehn (The Campbell’s Company). Frank Mecozzi (Del Mar Foods Corp.) was elected to serve as 2nd Vice Chair.

CLFP also announced updates to its Executive Committee membership. The following members were nominated to serve terms through 2027: Lily Andrion (Kagome, Inc.), Dan Green (Los Gatos Tomato Products), Jeremy LaMendola (ConAgra Brands, Inc.), Claudia Santiago (J.M. Smucker), and Chris Rufer (The Morning Star Packing Company).

They join continuing Executive Committee members with terms through 2026: Jon Alby (Leprino Foods Company), Nick Kastle (J.G. Boswell Company), John Pieretti (Musco Family Olive Co.), Chris Lehikainen (Stanislaus Food Products), Aret Meyer (Sensient Natural Ingredients, LLC), and Julie Connel (Hilmar).

CLFP extends its sincere thanks to our outgoing and continuing officers and Executive Committee members for their service and leadership. We warmly welcome our new appointees and look forward to a productive year ahead supporting California’s dynamic food processing industry!