Julia Jackson appointed to state board on food and agriculture by Gov. Newsom

Julia Jackson, a second-generation proprietor at Jackson Family Wines of Santa Rosa, has been appointed to the California State Board of Food and Agriculture, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.

Jackson, 34, of Healdsburg, also is founder of Grounded, a nonprofit group that identifies solutions of climate change to ensure a livable planet. The position does not require confirmation by the state Senate nor is there compensation.

The board serves as an advisory panel to the governor and secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross on agriculture and food matters.

“I wasn’t expecting this nomination and I plan to take it very seriously. We’ll be voting on legislation regarding food and ag and I intend to advocate for climate solutions in the food and ag sectors with this appointment,” Jackson wrote on her LinkedIn page about the appointment.

New CEO at C. Mondavi & Family

David S. Brown has been appointed president and CEO at C. Mondavi & Family, the family-owned wine company that operates Charles Krug, Napa Valley’s oldest winery.

Brown succeeds Judd Wallenbrock, who is retiring. He also will continue to lead the national sales team at C. Mondavi, where he has worked since 2017.

Previously, Brown served as chief sales officer at Pasternak Wine Imports and vice president of sales for Treasury Wine Estates. He also worked in sales and marketing positions with Mars Inc., Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson. He earned his undergraduate degree from the Ohio State University.

“David is a strong, proven leader who has excelled since joining C. Mondavi & Family, and we’re pleased that he will be assuming these key leadership roles for the company,” said Marc Mondavi and Peter Mondavi Jr. in a joint statement. The two are brothers and co-proprietors.

“We have the utmost respect for David and confidence in his ability to continue execution of our strategic plan.”

Wine trade group offers electric truck software

The Sonoma County Winegrowers trade group has offered a complimentary one-year subscription for software to operate Ford Motor Co.’s new fleet of electric vehicles and charging stations. It will be free for all grape growers in Sonoma County.

The automaker is working with members of the trade group on a pilot project to test out the new electric vehicles to help reduce carbon emissions and save on fuel costs.

Three grape growers — Bevill Vineyard Management, Vino Farms in Healdsburg and Dutton Ranch in Sebastopol — are the first to use the F-150 Lightning Pro and E-Transit cargo vans as part of the effort. The package includes charging stations and software to maintain their fleet.

“I am most interested to gain insight on our fleet in real time. How long are our vehicles idling and what is the cost for that?” said Marissa Ledbetter, owner of Vino Farms, in a statement.

“To be able to gain insight on all our vehicles, measure it day over day, week over week, will provide me with a level of insight I have never had access to before.”

Compiled by Bill Swindell. Submit items to bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com.