Steven Hall on July 8 succeeded Tamara Wood as executive director/program manager of the Citrus Research and Field Trial (CRAFT) Foundation. Wood will return to her former full-time employer Florida Citrus Mutual after a short period helping with the transition to Hall.
Hall most recently served as assistant deputy commissioner of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), advising the commissioner of agriculture on legislative and policy issues. He also served as the FDACS general counsel for more than five years, advising on topics such as agriculture, aquaculture, food safety and environmental regulation.
“My goals and priorities for CRAFT are to build on the foundation laid by the board of directors, my predecessors and our team to continue the mission of the program efficiently and effectively,” Hall said. “My immediate priority is a successful implementation of Cycle Six for the New Plantings Program and Round 3 of the Existing Tree Therapies later this summer.”
According to Hall, the Florida Legislature has steadily grown the funding of the CRAFT program for the last five years, including nearly $17 million in state and federal funding for this fiscal year.
Hall will continue to be based in Tallahassee, where he lives with his wife and two children. “Tallahassee is a short drive to our family farm in Jackson County that I manage,” he said. “However, I look forward to working with our staff who live in the heart of the citrus industry and traveling to visit with our citrus growers around the state.”
Wood’s position at Florida Citrus Mutual is director of operations and strategic initiatives. “I will be assisting Mutual’s executive vice president/chief executive officer in developing and executing programs and activities to strengthen our relationships with growers, industry organizations, and state and federal agencies that offer grower programs and assistance,” she said.
Read more about CRAFT here.
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