WAEF Leadership Change Pt 1
With today’s Fruit Grower Report, I’m Bob Larson. There’s new leadership at the Washington Apple Education Foundation following the recent announcement that long-time Executive Director Jennifer Witherbee was stepping down.
Dr. Faviola Barbosa took over the position last week and the nearly life-long Washingtonian feels right at home …
BARBOSA … “My family migrated here to Washington state when I was 2 from Mexico and I was raised out in Orondo. And my dad worked for a fruit company, Twin W, that used to be part of Wealth and Wades. And so, we lived out in Orondo in farm worker housing and was raised out there in the industry.”
Dr. Barbosa’s education and background seem perfectly suited to the post …
BARBOSA … “I graduated from WSU with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and then worked for Wenatchee Valley College for about 12 years or so. And, I was their coordinator of multicultural affairs and I did a lot of outreach and worked with a lot of students helping them access education, helping them apply to the college and then also received the academic advising so that they could progress and graduate and go on to a 4-year university.”
And her goals as she sets off on her new journey? …
BARBOSA … “Definitely continue to grow those relationships that we have right now, that we have established, but also looking at how we can grow the program.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on Dr. Faviola Barbosa and what this change means for college-minded students from Washington’s apple industry.
