Stockli Named General Manager of the California Fig Advisory Board

(Fresno, CA, June 24, 2008)  The California Fig Advisory Board (CFAB) announces the appointment of Karla J. Stockli as the new General Manager, effective immediately. Stockli will be responsible for administering the State marketing order governing tonnage, quality, reserves and promotion of California Figs.

"Ms. Stockli's comprehensive knowledge of the dried fruit industry and state marketing orders makes her a natural fit for the General Manager position," according to Mike Emigh, Chairman of the California Fig Advisory Board. He also noted that her public relations and commercial dried fruit ingredient experience will be an asset to educate end users of the health benefits and functional attributes of California Figs, and to increase demand across all business segments.

“It is my privilege to be a part of California’s Fig Industry,” said Stockli. “Figs are a healthful fruit choice and considered by culinary leaders as the must have fruit for flavor and balance for all kinds of ethnic dishes. They also taste great all by themselves!  I am honored to be selected and look forward to helping the growers and processors tell the exciting story about California Figs.”

Stockli brings a strong record of agricultural ingredient marketing and sales experience to the position. She has served as Vice President of Marketing for the California Raisin Marketing Board for the past 4 ½ years and previously held the positions of Director of Marketing, Director of Public Relations, and Marketing Manager there.  During Stockli’s tenure as part of the marketing staff, domestic shipments for California raisins increased more than 20 percent in the last 5 years with a focus on raisins as an ingredient to volume channels in foodservice and industrial with emphasis on the fruit’s benefits.

Previously, Stockli was National Foodservice Marketing Manager for the National Pork Board where she worked on partnership marketing into national restaurant chains. Earlier in her career, she was National Sales Manager for an international juice concentrate company and Customer Service Manager for Canandaigua Concentrate where she developed and managed national accounts.

A native of Madera, CA, Stockli holds the American Farmer Degree awarded by Future Farmers of America and majored in Dairy Science and Ag Business at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

The California Fig Advisory Board is the oldest marketing order in California.  Its mission is to provide consumers with quality fig products and to promote the increased use of California-grown figs across all business segments to maximize the general welfare of the California fig Industry.