Growing The Farm of the Future

Christine Birdsong was appointed by Governor Newsom as Undersecretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Previously, Birdsong was Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Director of People and Culture for the Sun Valley Rice Company. She has also served as General Counsel for the National Cotton Council of America, Counsel for the Committee on Agriculture for the United States House of Representatives, and Federal Government Affairs Leader for CropLife America. Birdsong earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and is a UC Berkeley alumni.

E. Joaquin Esquivel was appointed to the State Water Resources Control Board by Governor Jerry Brown in March 2017, designated by Governor Gavin Newsom as Chair in February 2019, and reappointed to the board by Governor Newsom in 2021. Previously, he served as Assistant Secretary for federal water policy at the California Natural Resources Agency in the Governor’s Washington, DC office. For more than eight years prior to that, Joaquin worked for US Senator Barbara Boxer of California, most recently as her legislative assistant covering the agriculture, Native American, water, oceans, and nutrition portfolios, in addition to being the Director of Information and Technology. He was born and raised in California’s Coachella Valley. He holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara in English.

Paul Gosselin joined the Department of Water Resources (DWR) as the Deputy Director for Sustainable Groundwater Management in July 2021. In this capacity, Paul oversees DWR’s groundwater management activities statewide, including the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Paul joined DWR after serving 13 years as Butte County’s Director of Water and Resource Conservation. Paul managed Butte County's State Water Project Table A allocation, was chair of the Butte County Drought Task Force, and oversaw the development of three Groundwater Sustainability Plans in three subbasins. Prior to Butte County, Paul was Chief Deputy Director at the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. From 1989 to 1993, he was the Director of Regulatory Services for the Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture. Paul received a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a Master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts.

Jack Gualco is the President of The Gualco Group, Inc., a government relations and public affairs consulting firm based in Sacramento, California. Mr. Gualco's firm represents a wide array of clients from agriculture, business, and the public sector. Prior to his reentry into the lobbying community, Mr. Gualco served as Special Assistant to Assembly Speaker Willie L. Brown, Jr. During his employment with the Speaker, The California Journal ranked him as one of the Capitol's most influential staffers. Mr. Gualco received a Master’s degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans, and an MBA in management from Golden Gate University. His undergraduate degrees are from the University of California, Davis and Sacramento City College (highest honors). He received the IGA President’s Award in 2005 for outstanding service to his profession. Mr. Gualco is a senior advisor to the president of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. In addition, he continues to serve on various search and advisory committees at UC Davis.

Mark McKean has served on the Board of Trustees of the West Hills Community College District since November, 1991 and holds the position as President of the Board of Trustees. He and his wife reside in Riverdale, California and he is the Owner Manager of McKean Farms. Mark attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and Colorado State University. His professional affiliations and service organizations include the Kings River Conservation District and numerous water-related boards.