Kim Vail let go as executive director of Sonoma County Farm Bureau

Kim Vail has been let go from his position as executive director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau after two years at the helm of the agriculture group, bureau President Steve Dutton said Thursday.

Vail, 63, worked his last day Nov. 9, the same day as the group’s 100th anniversary reception, which he did not attend, according to Dutton.

The board asked Vail, a former Indiana farmer with an extensive background at other farm bureaus, to leave amid concerns about the Sonoma County group’s standing during his tenure, Dutton said.

“We feel like the leadership of the Farm Bureau was lacking, and that we are going to take this opportunity to do a little restructuring there or to look for some stronger leadership from Sonoma County,” Dutton said. “We just felt like the Farm Bureau wasn’t in the mix of things or wasn’t being asked about things from a legislative and county perspective. ... We’ve decided to go in a different direction.”

Dutton declined to elaborate about specific reasons for Vail’s dismissal. Vail couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.

Before coming to Sonoma County, Vail spent nine years working as director of organizational development at the Indiana Farm Bureau, where he held multiple other roles earlier in his career. He also served in leadership roles at the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Illinois Farm Bureau. He earned a degree in agriculture economics from Purdue University and spent 10 years operating his family’s grain and livestock operations in Indiana.

Vail’s experience in other locations was publicly touted as a benefit when he was named executive director in October 2015.

“His skill set and experience of working with other Farm Bureau offices is an incredible asset to our organization,” John Azevedo, then-Sonoma County Farm Bureau president, said in a statement announcing Vail’s appointment.

Dutton said Vail was an at-will employee with no fixed contract term. He declined to disclose his salary.

Going forward, Dutton said the bureau needs someone with more local expertise to fill the top position.

“I’d like to have a new leader come onto the Farm Bureau that would be more Sonoma County, that would understand the area, have a strong agricultural background in Sonoma County and know who the players are - the political players of the county,” he said.

Dutton said the board hopes to have a new executive director in place by early next year.

You can reach Staff Writer J.D. Morris at 707-521-5337 or jd.morris@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @thejdmorris.