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California Woman Chosen To Lead American Agri-Women Group
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Shown, members of the 2018-2019 American Agri-Women officer team. Back row from left, Doris Mold, Jean Goslin, Natalina Sents, Katie Yost. Front row from left, Karolyn Zurn, Jeanette Lombardo and Jenny Stelmach.

Jeanette Lombardo, Immediate Past President of the California Women for Agriculture has been elected President of American Agri-Women (AAW) for 2018-2019.

Lombardo belongs to and serves on numerous agricultural association boards. She was appointed by former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. The board is one of nine regional boards statewide that has jurisdiction to protect the ground and surface water quality in the Los Angeles and Ventura County regions. Additionally, Lombardo has completed a federal appointment to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Ag Services Division. This appointment was made to the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in fruits and vegetables. The committee is a private sector body that provides technical advice on US agricultural trade issues to the Secretary of Agriculture and the US Trade Representative Ambassador.

Lombardo is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategic Officer for Global Water Innovations. This company is a project developer of cost-effective brackish groundwater desalination solutions for agriculture. Additionally, they assist farmers with finding new water sources by treating oil produced water and irrigation water runoff as well as satisfying regulatory compliance for containments. Lombardo is a single mother of two daughters. Lauren is 24 and is a Data Scientist currently working in New York City. Younger daughter, Nicole, is 21 and a junior at Washington State University, Pullman were she is working on her double major in Psychiatry and Criminal Justice.

Other newly named officers for the year come from a number of states across the country.

Karolyn Zurn from Minnesota Agri Women was elected First Vice President. Zurn farms with her husband, Bill, and two sons in North Western Minnesota where they raise corn, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat. Zurn is Immediate Past President of Minnesota Agri-Women and served four years as AAW Chair of Government Issues.

Jenny Stelmach from Kentucky Women in Agriculture was elected Vice President of Communications. Stelmach’s involvement in agriculture began in 1999 when the first Kentucky Women in Agriculture meetings were held. Having completed her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business at Western Kentucky University in December 1994 and going immediately to a horticultural internship at the Land Pavilion in Epcot Center she had finally found a group of like-minded women.

Jean Goslin from Kansas Agri-Women serves as Vice President of Education. Goslin started out in the United Farm Wives, a precursor to Kansas Agri-Women. She took some time to raise three kids and work full time. Since getting involved again, she has served as President, Vice President, and chairman of the decorations committee for the 2011 AAW convention held in Kansas.

Katie Yost from Montana Agri-Women was elected Treasurer. Growing up in Montana, Yost has been involved in agriculture throughout her life. Her family comes from a ranching background, and she now works for her family owned livestock liquid feed company, Nutra-Lix, Inc.

Natalina Sents from Iowa Agri Women was elected as Secretary. Immediately after graduating from Iowa State University with a degree in Agricultural Business, Sents pitched, planned, and partnered with Beck’s Hybrids on a year-long, nationwide road trip, honoring farmers through blogs and photography in all 50 states.

Doris Mold from Minnesota Agri-Women moved into the role of Past President. Farmer, agriculture advocate, ag consultant, educator, volunteer, Mold is passionate about developing the next generation of ag leaders, advocating for agriculture and empowering all agriculturalists, particularly women.

American Agri-Women (AAW) is a national coalition of more than 50,000 farm, ranch and agribusiness members. Since the organization’s inception in 1974, AAW has worked to educate consumers; advocate for agriculture; and offer networking and professional development opportunities.

For more information, or to join, visit AmericanAgriWomen.org. Find AAW on social media at: facebook.com/AgriWomen and twitter.com/Women4Ag.