Ryan Klobas, Napa County Farm Bureau CEO, remembered as ‘passionate advocate’ for agriculture

Napa County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Klobas is being remembered by his colleagues as a passionate and tireless advocate for agriculture in the wake of his sudden death.

The Farm Bureau confirmed Friday morning that Klobas had died at the age of 45. Information from law enforcement regarding Klobas’ death, including the cause, was not immediately available.

Peter Nissen, president of the bureau’s board, said Friday the organization was “shocked and saddened” to learn of Klobas’ death.

“We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Ryan’s family, friends and colleagues,” he said in an emailed statement to The Press Democrat. “His contributions as the Napa County Farm Bureau’s CEO will clearly leave a lasting impact on the farming and agriculture community in Napa County.”

It was evident Klobas was “not only a dedicated and relentless advocate for agriculture, but also a friend to many,” he said.

“My thoughts are with his family during this challenging time, and I hope that the memories of Ryan's accomplishments and dedication bring comfort to those mourning his loss,” Nissen wrote.

“As CEO of the Napa County Farm Bureau, (Klobas) was a strong advocate on behalf of his members and left a lasting impression on our farming and agricultural community,” Napa County Supervisor Joelle Gallagher told The Press Democrat on Friday.

“Our hearts go out to Ryan's family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.”

Klobas joined the farm bureau in 2017 as policy director and was promoted to CEO in 2018.

Prior to joining the Farm Bureau, Klobas held “a number of senior, high level positions in government and politics,” according to the trade group’s website. He served as a campaign manager and political strategist for candidates of the California State Assembly, U.S. Congress, Contra Costa County, and as a deputy cabinet secretary for the California Governor’s Office.

Klobas earned a law degree from the Golden Gate University School of Law, and a bachelor’s in politics from Saint Mary’s College of California.

A 2021 North Bay Business Journal article about Klobas — who won the publication’s nonprofit leadership award in 2020 and 2021 — said he’s a decedent of Joseph Klobas, who immigrated from Croatia in 1929 and spent seven years growing wine grapes in Napa County. Joseph Klobas saved enough money growing Napa grapes to bring his family to California.

In the article, Klobas said he saw the membership of the Farm Bureau double to 1,000 over his years of leadership, and transformed the association into a major public policy and political force.

For example, Klobas created the Fund to Protect Napa Valley Agriculture, a political action committee that opposed measures restricting vineyard development in the county’s watershed. The 2018 measure narrowly failed at the ballot box.

The Farm Bureau has also consistently been a major player in local political contests, such as races for seats on the Napa County Board of Supervisors.

And involvement of the bureau under Klobas had gone beyond local policy. The Farm Bureau helped craft Senate Bill 11 alongside the California Farm Bureau in Sacramento.

The bill, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in July 2021, extended the state’s Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan — the state’s last-resort insurance plan — to cover farm buildings.

That allowed for Farm Bureau members to be covered by wildfire insurance when they were unable to be covered, Klobas previously said, and generally provided relief for agribusinesses.

“Ryan was a dedicated and passionate advocate for the agriculture community, and we know his contributions as the Napa County Farm Bureau’s CEO will leave a positive and lasting impact on the farming and ranching way of life,” said a statement to The Press Democrat from the California Farm Bureau.

Reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.