Winegrape Growers' leader Karen Ross to join Department of Agriculture

Karen Ross, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers for the last thirteen years, has accepted a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., according to a report Wednesday on WineBusiness.com.

The position apparently is a high-level spot, since it requires a formal announcement from Washington, D.C., according to an association spokesman. An industry insider told the San Francisco Business Times that the post is reportedly that of senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

Ross’ last day with CAWG is November 30, the trade publication reported Wednesday morning.

The exact nature of the new job wasn't disclosed. Ken Freeze, an external spokesman for the Sacramento-based winegrape growers group, which represents many Bay Area vineyards, said that announcement hasn't been made yet, and has to come from the Department of Agriculture.

Freeze said Ross and the association have not made a formal announcement either, but that Ross has told some close associates of the move.

"Everybody is thrilled and disappointed at the same time," Freeze said. Ross has "been a real powerhouse for grape growers and all of agriculture in California."

Wine Business.com said Ross has deep roots in agriculture.

“In addition to her extensive background in California with specialty crops,” it reported Wednesday, “Ross grew up on a family farm in western Nebraska where her brother still farms, and started her career in the mid-west.”

“I saw a lot of change and loved every second of the (CAWG) job,” she said in a brief interview with WineBusiness.com. “For me, a lot of it is about the people and the relationships and the opportunity I’ve had to work with amazing growers who give so much of their time to do service to the industry.”

Highlights of Ross’s tenure included working to eliminate invasive pests from vineyards, including a program to fight Pierce’s Disease; creation of the National Grape and Wine Research Initiative and its national research strategic plan; a commitment to research though the American Vineyard Foundation; strengthening a national coalition of grape growers though the annual U.S. wine and grape policy conference; and working with the San Francisco-based Wine Institute on promotional activities.

Ross told the trade publication that the biggest challenges facing California grape growers include “competing globally, fending off invasive species and continuing to produce a quality product while minimizing the environmental footprint.”

Consumers want lower-priced wines, she added, which “is a challenge given the cost structure in California.”

A search committee led by incoming CAWG chair Kim Ledbetter-Bronson will begin looking for a successor, CAWG indicated. It also plans to use a search firm to help with the search.

“Karen Ross has been a great asset to California winegrowers and to the entire California wine community in her 13 years at CAWG," Robert Koch, the Wine Institute's CEO and president, said in a Nov. 18 statement to the Business Times. "We know that her talent, energy and knowledge will be of great benefit to U.S.D.A. and the entire agricultural community.”