Santa Rosa, CA – Tawny Tesconi has been hired as the Executive Director for Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Tesconi has been serving as the Interim Executive Director since December 2017 and began her position as the full time Executive Director on March 1.
“Over the last two and a half months, Tawny has shown strong leadership and community engagement,” said Steve Dutton, president of Sonoma County Farm Bureau. “The board of directors is excited to bring Tawny on board full time and we are looking forward to getting back to Farm Bureau’s core mission of advocacy and education.”
Teconi is a Sonoma County native with strong ties to the local agriculture industry. As a student, she was active in both 4-H and FFA, living on a small family farm in west county. Today, she lives on the same family farm with her husband.
Tesconi had a successful 30 year career in fair management and public service, and in December of 2015, she retired as Director of General Services of Sonoma County to start her fair services company Tesconi Event And Management Solutions (TEAMS).
Prior to working as the General Services Director, Tesconi was the Sonoma County Fair Manager for eight years. Under her leadership, the Sonoma County Fair underwent an extensive branding process for the event facility, expanded racing and started a Foundation to build the $3 million Ag Education Center, Richard & Saralee’s Barn.
During her career in the fair industry, Tesconi also served as the CEO of the Sonoma-Marin Fair, CEO of the Calaveras County Fair and Assistant Manager at the Solano County Fair.
In 2007, Tesconi received the Spirit of Sonoma Award, nominated by Sonoma County Farm Bureau for her commitment and passion for local agriculture. Tesconi is a past president of the Western Fairs Association and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2012. She is also a past president and current treasurer of the Petaluma Rotary Club.
Tesconi holds a bachelor’s degree in Managerial Economics from University of California, Davis. She was a graduate of the 1987 class of the WFA Management Training Program and has her Certified Fair Executive Standing from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions.
“I am excited about working with the dedicated board and staff at the Sonoma County Farm Bureau,” said Tesconi. “There are so many ways this organization supports and celebrates local agriculture and I look forward to continuing and enhancing these efforts. It is an honor to be part of an industry that is so critical to all of Sonoma County residents.”
Over the coming months, Tesconi will be working on building stronger alliances with Farm Bureau’s ag partners to further Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s mission of promoting and protecting agriculture in Sonoma County.
About Sonoma County Farm Bureau
Sonoma County Farm Bureau, a non-profit grassroots organization, was founded in 1917 and has been representing the interests of farmers and land owners in Sonoma County for more than 100 years. Sonoma County Farm Bureau is a membership driven organization dedicated to protecting and progressing agriculture in Sonoma County.
