Our
Leadership
COMMITTED TO OUR MISSION & VISION
Our leaders exemplify the values necessary to achieve our mission and vision: integrity, expertise and commitment to our membership and the industry they serve. Our leadership comprises three primary branches: BOD, BOT and executive team. In addition to these branches, the BOD establishes committees that are chaired by board members.
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Board of Directors
Eric Bream, Chair
President, Bream Family Farms, Inc.
Eric Bream is a third-generation family farmer in Tulare County. Before returning to the family farm in 2014, Eric had a long career with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He is an alumnus of the California Agricultural Leadership Program – Class 48, a board member at Tulare County Farm Bureau and administrator for My Job Depends on Ag.
Eric joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2019 and was appointed Chair in 2024.
Richard Plato, Vice Chair
Human Resources Director, Christopher Ranch
Born and raised in Gilroy, CA. The “Garlic Capital of the World”, Richard is proud and humbled to serve the agriculture community in which he grew up in. He joined the Christopher Ranch family in 2007 and now has over 24 years of HR experience. Richard is responsible for providing strategic guidance and leadership for all aspects of the human resources function and establishing a vision of inclusion and diversity. He holds a MS in Psychology from SJSU and a BS in Theology and BA in Philosophy from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI.
Richard joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2022 and was appointed Vice Chair in 2024.
Loretta Brown, Treasurer
Office Manager, Rijk Zwaan USA, Inc.
U.S. Army veteran and Georgia native Loretta Brown boasts over 20 years of experience in the ag industry. She served on UnitedAg’s Business Solution Committee and is an inaugural member of our WomenAg Leadership Academy. Loretta currently serves as Chair of the Agribusiness Education Foundation’s Education Committee.
Loretta joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2019 and was appointed Treasurer in 2023.
Sarah Gargan, Director
Vice President, Kaweah Pump
Sarah is the Vice President of a 3rd generation water resource management company that serves family businesses in the Central Valley with offices in Visalia and Merced. Sarah is an alumnus of the WomenAg Leadership Academy – class of 2019 and 2020, has a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Science, and a Master of Science in Education Leadership.
Sarah joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2022.
Santiago "Chago" Martin, Jr., Director
President, Trilogy Personnel & Land Management, Inc.
Santiago "Chago" Martin, Jr. is the President of Trilogy Personnel & Land Management, Inc. He grew up in Bakersfield and spent most of his childhood working on the farms of Kern and Tulare Counties. In 2009, Chago founded Cal Ag Resources, Inc. a single-source partner for comprehensive personnel management and compliance solutions for agriculture. He holds a BS in Management Science from UC San Diego.
Chago joined the Board of Directors in 2023.
Daniel Nelson, Director
President & Chief Executive Officer, Latin Berry Plants
California native Daniel Nelson grew up around his family’s cattle ranch and plant breeding operations in the berry and artichoke business. In addition to his role at Latin Berry Plants, he has founded several successful startups including, The California Bee Company, LLC, Veritas Substrates, Inc, Innovative Organic Nursery, LLC, and others. He holds an MBA from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Daniel joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2017.
Matt Bastone, Director
CFO, Plantel Nurseries
Matt is the CFO of Plantel Nurseries, a large vegetable transplant nursery in Santa Maria, CA. Matt is a CPA with over 18 years of diverse experience in finance, accounting, and operations. He began his career with Deloitte in Los Angeles, performing audit work for clients in a variety of industries. Prior to joining Plantel, Matt had most recently worked with DAOU Vineyards as the VP of Finance & Accounting, as well as Walker Zanger as the Managing Director of their ceramic tile factory in Mexico.
Matt joined the Board of Directors in 2024.
Marylu Ramirez, Director
HR Manager, GoodFarms
Marylu joined the GoodFarms team to oversee human resource compliance with a focus on improving data quality from the field to the office. With a career spanning 29 years in the agricultural sector, including a dedicated nine-year tenure at GoodFarms. Marylu holds an Associates of Science in Accounting from Heald Business College and Human Resources certifications from various industry institutions.
Marylu joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2024.
Gary Thiara, Director
President & CEO, Empire Farming Company, LLC
Gary Thiara is President & CEO, Empire Farming Company, LLC, responsible for the management of a diversified farming operation engaged in growing prunes, walnuts, almonds, peaches and raisins in the northern and central valleys of California. He has served as Chairman of the Board, Sunsweet Growers Inc. and is currently a member of the California Prune Board. Gary has a Master of Business Administration from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University Fresno.
Gary joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2024.
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Board of Trustees
Pat Regan, Chair
Managing Partner, Regan Distributors, Inc.
Pat Regan is the Managing Partner of Regan Distributors Inc. a privately held company located in Santa Ana, CA. Founded in 1971, Regan Distributors Inc. provides wholesale for fruits and vegetables.
A past Chairman of the UnitedAg Board of Directors, Pat was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 2014 and appointed to board Chair in 2024.
Danielle McShane, Vice Chair
Chief Administrative Officer, Merrill Farms, LLC
Danielle McShane serves as Chief Administrative Officer for Salinas Valley-based Merrill Farms LLC, a grower of fresh produce, including lettuce, romaine, broccoli, cauliflower and strawberries. She also is a graduate of the California Agriculture Leadership Program, Class 43.
Danielle was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 2017 and was appointed Vice Chair in 2024.
A.J. Cisney, Treasurer
General Manager, Rancho Guadalupe, LLC
Aaron “A.J.” Cisney is General Manager for Rancho Guadalupe, LLC and Managing Partner of Blair Crop Services. He is Chair Emeritus of the AgSafe Board of Directors and Chairman of the Board of the Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.
A past Chairman of the UnitedAg Board of Directors, A.J. was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 2022 and was appointed Treasurer in 2024.
Steve Church, Trustee
Co-Chairman, Church Brothers Farms
Steve Church has been a part of the produce industry for more than 50 years. In 1999, he and his brother Tom formed what is now known as Church Brothers Farms, a vertically-integrated family owned and operated company from seed to salad bowl. Steve holds a BS in agricultural business from from Arizona State University.
Steve was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 2023.
Michael Heisinger, Trustee
CFO, Ippolito International, LP
Michael is the CFO of Ippolito International, LP, a full line vertically integrated grower, packer and shipper headquartered in Salinas California. Michael is a Central Coast native and has over 15 years of experience in the fresh produce sector.
Michael previously served on the UnitedAg Board of Directors and was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 2023.
Craig Waite, Trustee
President & Founder, Growers Container
Craig Waite is President and Founder of Salinas, Calif.-based Growers Container Co., which, since 1990, has provided and distributed packaging to the produce industry. A 30-year veteran in the packaging field, Craig’s expertise in marketing management, operational efficiencies and forming strategic partnerships has helped establish Growers Container as a leader in packaging solutions on the West Coast.
A past Chairman of the UnitedAg Board of Directors, Craig was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 2013.
Allan Teixeira, Chair Emeritus
President, Teixeira Farms
Allan Teixeira is President of Santa Maria, Calif.-based Teixeira Farms a family owned, and operated producer of fresh vegetables and Partner in Teixeira Cattle Company. Allan is active in the community and is currently a member of Western Growers, Growers and Shippers, California Cattlemen, San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, Angus Association, and the Coalition for Labor and Agriculture Business, among other agricultural organizations.
Allan was appointed to the UnitedAg Board of Trustees in 1984.
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Executive Team
Kirti Mutatkar
President & CEO, UnitedAg
Kirti Mutatkar is a forward-thinking leader passionate about making high quality, innovative, and affordable health care accessible to the agricultural community of California and Arizona. Under Kirti’s leadership, UnitedAg, a $240 million association health plan, is empowering its members and employer groups to take a unique, empathetic, and collaborative approach in working together to provide innovative and cost-effective approaches to health care.
Kirti currently serves as Vice Chair on Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA)’s Board of Directors, and as the Director at Large for AgSafe, an Agricultural Trade Association. She is the host of the podcast, This is Ag!
Alex Chee
Executive Vice President & CFO, UnitedAg
Alex began at UnitedAg as Chief Technology Officer and quickly assumed the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer role. Alex has a great understanding of who UnitedAg is and the unique needs of the community we serve. His extensive healthcare and financial knowledge have helped put processes and procedures in place to streamline operations and better serve our members. Previously, Alex worked in various roles such as Financial Analyst, Manager of Analytics and Provider Network Development, Director of Business Intelligence and Data. Alex has a Bachelor in Computer Science from UC Santa Barbara, a Masters in Economics from SJSU, and an MBA in Finance from USC.
Alex joined UnitedAg in 2020 and currently serves as the Executive Vice President & CFO.
Jayson Welter
General Counsel, UnitedAg
Jayson has over 20 years of legal and healthcare experience both in the private and public sectors. Throughout his career, he has honed his skills from understanding health plans from A-Z, combining this with a deep and broad understanding of healthcare operations, and finally adding the legal and compliance aspects to his vast set of skills. All his experience has made him ideally suited for UnitedAg’s role as General Counsel. Jayson recently worked at BeneSys, as their Compliance Officer, and prior to that, he worked at Employee Health Insurance Management, a TPA, where he served as the Business Administration Officer. Jayson obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and a Master of Health Communication from Michigan State, and a Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Health Law from Michigan State College of Law.
Jayson assumed the role of General Counsel in 2021.
Rosemary Ku
Chief Medical Officer, UnitedAg
Rosemary is a practicing physician with dual-board certification in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine. She majored in Molecular Biology with a Certificate in Neuroscience at Princeton University and went on to obtain her MD/MBA from Columbia University and Masters in Public Health in Health Policy and Management from UC Berkeley.
Rosemary joined the UnitedAg team as Chief Medical Officer in 2019.
Sachin Varma
Chief Underwriting & Product Officer, UnitedAg
Sachin comes to UnitedAg with over 20 years of Underwriting experience in the healthcare space. He possesses strong underwriting, analytical, risk management and pricing skills, understands developing strong relationships with our members and service reps, and deeply understands all that underwriting requires. His educational background includes a BA in Health Policy from the University of Michigan and holds an MBA in Leadership and Management from Northwood University. He also completed Executive Certification focused in Program on Negotiation from Harvard Law School. Sachin also served in the United States Marine Corp.
Sachin joined UnitedAg in 2021 and currently serves as Chief Underwriting & Product Officer.
Chana Hauben
Vice President of Human Resources, UnitedAg
Chana is responsible for establishing UnitedAg’s HR structure, best practices and processes, as well as talent acquisition, management and development. She also leads the regional HR Roundtable sessions, which are provided as a service for UnitedAg members. With more than 20 years of experience in human resources management and related fields, including extensive experience in compensation management, recruiting and retention, she is extremely well-suited for the role of stewarding UnitedAg’s talent.
Chana joined UnitedAg as Vice President of Human Resources in 2014.
Alex Drollinger
Regional Vice President of Sales, Northern California, UnitedAg
Alex is chiefly responsible for regional health plan representative relations and sales growth for Northern California. Alex has a proven ability to provide member-centric health products and high-level services based on customer needs, user-experience research and market analysis.
Alex joined the UnitedAg team in 2002 and serves as the Regional Vice President of Sales, Northern California.
Mike Davidson
Regional Vice President of Sales, Southern California, UnitedAg
Mike is chiefly responsible for regional health plan representative relations and sales growth. With more than 22 years of insurance industry sales, management and customer-service experience, Mike has a proven ability to provide member-centric health products and high-level services based on customer needs, user-experience research and market analysis.
Mike joined the UnitedAg team in 2017 and serves as the Regional Vice President of Sales, Southern California.
Donna Bares
Vice President of Client Services, UnitedAg
Donna joined the UnitedAg Team in 2002 and currently serves as Vice President of Client Services. She has served in various leadership roles, including sales and account management. She is responsible for providing UnitedAg members the highest service levels using her expertise in sales and administrative processes.
Donna assumed the role of Vice President of Client Services in 2011.
Committees
Advocacy
Eric Bream, Chair
Robert O. Bream
Tom Amaro
Pacific Ag Consulting
Danielle McShane
Merrill Farms, LLC
Rob Roy
Ventura County Agricultural Association
Steve Tripp
Pacific International Marketing
Mack Ramsay
Pacific Commerce Group, LLC
Education
Loretta Brown, Chair
Rijk Zwaan USA
Debbie Adam
Innovative Produce/Faith Farming
Tom Amaro
Pacific Ag Consulting
Miguel Cea
Ag-Fume Services
Frank Chavez
El Majo/AgroCoco
Carrie Jordan
Babé Farms
Linda Kennedy
Duncan Family Farms
Casey Rosenberg
Ocean Breeze Farms
Clare Einsmann
Committee members are advocates for UnitedAg, our member organizations and the industry we serve. They are responsible for making sure that our organization focuses on our goals and objectives in accordance to our mission.
