Meet the Staff
We are a small, but mighty team, with a passion for what we do.
Have a question or comment?
You can reach us at 800-700-AITC (2482).
Becca Whitman
Executive Director
Favorite Ag Memory
Two come to mind, and both solidify my respect for hard-working farmers and ranchers. As a teenager, I told my Dad I wanted to be a dairy farmer after visiting family in South Dakota. His response: "cows don’t take Christmas off." As a college student at Chico State, juggling jobs to cover rent, I was fortunate enough to be trusted to take care of four horses on the property I lived on. The trailer and stables were surrounded by walnut orchards. Some of the most peaceful days of my life were walking out the front door, with a rising sun on my left, nodding to our goat (who most of the time was on top of my car), turning on the radio, and mucking stalls. I could have been out there all day.
Why Learn About Ag?
First, there is a grit, and a passion, that surrounds agriculture and the people who work tirelessly to feed and clothe us. I think everyone should be aware of, and learn more about, that work ethic. Second, if we don’t know how things are grown and produced and supplied to us, how can we appreciate it? It’s imperative that the youngest to oldest learners understand what goes into the food system around us. Third, it’s just pretty darn incredible that California produces so much food. That needs to be shared!
Loves About Her Job
Meeting new people, learning about what they do to help our communities, and helping reduce the workload on teachers.
Fun Fact
Many years ago, I served as the general manager for a professional baseball team.
Mandi Bottoms
Curriculum Specialist
Favorite Ag Memory
Visiting my dad at work. He worked in a timber mill in Humboldt County for over 40 years. I was always amazed at the process of turning trees into useable products. Today, I make memories with my own family. I get to witness the same awe in my daughters' eyes as they ride tractors, watch prunes being shaken from a tree, and pick their own peppers.
Why Learn About Ag?
Agriculture makes learning relevant and interesting. It answers the question all students have asked since the beginning of time--"Why do I need to know this?" Math, science, language, history, art, and nutrition can all be taught using agriculture for context. Agriculture in the Classroom engages students with real-life problems that require students to carefully consider the world around them.
Fun Fact
I'm an avid cyclist and have completed several 100-mile rides.
Projects
Curriculum and resource development
Alyssa Boydstun
Administrative Assistant
Favorite Ag Memory
One of my most cherished memories stems from my time in college. As a dual major in Animal Science and General Agriculture, I spent countless hours at the school farm caring for cattle, sheep, and goats. This hands-on experience solidified my passion for agriculture.
Why Learn About Ag?
My journey into agriculture began early, as I’ve always been drawn to this field. I believe agriculture is not just a career but a way of life, integral to every aspect of the world.
Loves About Her Job
What I treasure most about my current role is the colleagues I work with and the vibrant work atmosphere.
Fun Fact
I am a huge animal lover and a reptile keeper!
Amanda Fletcher
Administrative Coordinator
Favorite Ag Memory
Getting the privilege to grow up on the family ranch. As a kid, we grew hay, and sunflowers and had a little bit of Old McDonald’s farm going on, raising Dairy Cattle, Beef Cattle, Sheep, Meat Goats, Feeder Pigs, Chickens, and Market Rabbits. I grew up on the fair circuit where we exhibited our registered Milking Shorthorn dairy cattle every summer at 7 fairs around the state and 2 out of state.
Why Learn About Ag?
Agriculture touches everything in our lives, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear and everything in between. We strive to help others understand the important role agriculture plays in our everyday lives, which in turn presents more opportunities to preserve and protect this vital industry.
Loves About Her Job
I love sharing my experiences with others so they can learn to appreciate our rich agricultural history and have a greater understanding of all that goes into putting food on their tables.
Fun Fact
I'm a big crafter! Give me a sewing machine or a glue gun and I can make anything. In my spare time, you can find me curled up with a book and my two dogs Penny and Lacey.
Projects
Grant administration, development assistance, special event assistance
Jennifer Harrison
Communications Coordinator
Favorite Ag Memory
Picking olallieberries. Every summer my mom would take my little brother and myself berry picking at a u-pick farm near our home on the central coast. The goal was to pick enough berries to make pies. Trouble was, we often ate all the berries before they made it into a dessert.
Why Learn About Ag?
Food is life. The more you know about how that California commodity gets from farm to fork the more you are invested in the future of agriculture and the future of our planet.
Loves About Her Job
Storytelling! I have a passion for using words and images to educate, inform and take complex subjects and make them digestible, no pun intended. Communicating about food and farming is the cherry on top!
Fun Fact
I have an Emmy and freelance on some TV shows you may or may not have heard of...
Projects
Annual and Monthly Communication, Imagine this… Story Writing Contest, and Social Media
Morgan Nunes
Outreach Coordinator
Favorite Ag Memory
Learning how to drive a tractor. At a young age, my dad taught me how to drive a tractor so that I could help disc the fields in preparation for corn season at our dairy farm. Today, I still help around the dairy, and it is one of my favorite places to be.
Loves about her job
I love being able to use my passion for agriculture to help others understand and see the importance of knowing where their food comes from!
Fun Fact
Separate from the dairy farm, my family has our own "funny farm" that consists of alpacas, chickens, goats, sheep, rabbits, a pot belly pig, and a miniature horse. They keep us busy!
Projects
Taste and Teach, Literacy for Life Grants, County Farm Bureaus, and Outreach