Our thanks to our former commissioners while we prepare to welcome the recently appointed.
With Governor DeSantis’ recent appointments and reappointments to the Florida Citrus Commission, we will have a full house at the May 21 FCC Meeting. I agree with FDOC Executive Director Shepp’s sentiment recently expressed in The Florida Citrus Reporter, that we are “thrilled with these new appointments and look forward to working with this well-rounded representation of Florida citrus growers, packers, and processors; from the tried and true, to the infusion of new perspectives about being part of the Florida citrus industry and what that means going forward.”
As you may or may not have seen from the formal announcement, the new appointments include Emma Ezell, Sean Frielich, Vernon Hollingsworth III (who served on the FCC previously), Daniel Hunt, and Melanie Ressler. Our reappointments include myself, Carlos Martinez, William Poulton, Daniel Sutton, and John “Patrick” Schirard. Commissioner Paul Meador is our eleventh member who currently represents District 1, and although his term expires May 31, 2025, he will continue to fill this need until either his reappointment or a new appointee is announced by the Governor.
Each of us is dedicated to our industry and committed to the long-term success of reset and recovery efforts as well as the continued pursuit of sustainable solutions in the fight against citrus greening.
Our commissioners represent you— citrus growers, packers, processors, and allied partners— and we don’t take that responsibility lightly, because we know what’s at stake during these challenging times. Together with the FCC, the FDOC is the extension of the industry to the public, spearheading marketing, research, and regulation that benefits not only the industry, but consumers around the world.
I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank our commissioners who have closed out their terms of service: John Smoak, Chris Groom, and Marty McKenna. Each of them has done their part to continue the legacy. They served at a time when nothing comes easy for the citrus industry, and while they have left the Florida Citrus Commission, they continue on the front lines in their respective businesses and communities.
They leave the FCC to serve our industry in other, but no less important, ways. During his service to the FCC from the 2011-12 to the 2015-16 fiscal year, former Chairman McKenna was asked by the FDOC what he valued most about being a part of our industry. His answer probably rings true now more than ever for each of us: “What I enjoy most about the citrus industry is the people. They come from all walks of life and represent all different segments of the industry— fresh and processed; from the east, west, north, and south. But, at the end of the day, we all have the same work ethic and the same desire to really have this industry not only great for us, but great for future generations.”
Our current Florida Citrus Commission is made up of those same people Marty talks about, with that same work ethic, and that same desire to make citrus great again.
Steve Johnson is Chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission, which oversees the Florida Department of Citrus. He is the owner and general manager of Johnson Harvesting, Inc., based in Wauchula, FL.
