June 23, 2026 (Monterey, CA) — The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) has named Erin O’Donnell (Class 50) and Michael Frantz (Class 36) to its board of directors.
O’Donnell is founder and CEO of Sustainable Ag Advisors, a consulting firm that helps California growers and processors capture more value from their sustainability efforts. Before founding the company, she spent more than a decade at Sun Valley Rice, most recently as vice president of sales. A Certified Sustainability Practitioner and Class 50 graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, O’Donnell completed the Chief Sustainability Officer program through MIT Professional Education and holds a master’s degree in physics from Brandeis University.
“I cannot overstate the impact that being a member of Class 50 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program continues to have on my life and approach to leadership,” O’Donnell said. “It is an honor to serve on the board of a foundation that has had such a profound impact on California agriculture through its investment in people. I look forward to helping ensure that future fellows have the same transformative experience that I did.”
Frantz is president of Frantz Wholesale Nursery, a second-generation family-owned nursery serving retail and landscape customers across the western United States. A Class 36 graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, Frantz is a respected leader in California agriculture and water policy. He chairs the Turlock Irrigation District board of directors and holds leadership roles with AmericanHort, Sustainable Conservation, the San Joaquin River Tributaries Authority and the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Nursery Advisory Board. In 2023, he received CALF’s Profile in Leadership Award, one of the highest recognitions for Ag Leadership Alumni.
“Joining Ag Leadership’s board is an opportunity to give back to a program that has profoundly shaped my life and the lives of so many California agricultural leaders,” Frantz said. “The fellowship forged relationships that I carry with me daily and made my life immeasurably richer. I am honored to now help cultivate that same experience for others.”
“I am honored to welcome Michael Frantz and Erin O’Donnell to the CALF Board of Directors,” said CALF Board Chair Mike Young (Class 35). “California agriculture faces increasing complexity, and our industry needs leaders who can build bridges, create trust and help others navigate change. Michael has demonstrated that kind of leadership through his stewardship of agricultural and water resources, while Erin has distinguished herself as a thoughtful voice on sustainability, innovation and agriculture’s connection to consumers and markets. Their perspectives will strengthen our board and help us continue developing leaders who make a difference for California agriculture and the communities it serves.”
O’Donnell and Frantz join 11 current CALF board members representing a diverse cross-section of California agriculture, higher education and agribusiness.
