Orlando, FL – The Colombia Avocado Board (CAB) is excited to announce the hiring of industry leader Manuel Michel as their new executive director. Michel assumes the role July 17 and takes the reins from William Watson who has been acting director and was instrumental in the establishment of the organization.
Most recently, Michel served as executive director of the National Mango Board, where he has helped guide growth since 2014. During his tenure he has administered a national research and promotion program, increased volume, awareness, and consumption of fresh mangos in the United States.
“This is an exciting time to join the Colombia Avocado Board”, said Michel. “I have an unwavering dedication to enhance lives through agriculture development and trade, and my commitment is rooted in the profound impact ag development can have on the livelihood of farmers, local communities, and consumers and I see that reality at work in Colombia and I am eager to highlight the benefits and advantages of Colombian avocados and be a champion for the Board’s mission and vision” he concluded.
Colombian avocado production has grown immensely over the last two years with orchard numbers more than tripling, resulting in the production of nearly 25 million pounds, during the 2023 season. The warm climate and fertile soils make Colombia a year-round global Hass avocado producer and exporter with an increasing global sales footprint.
Michel comes to CAB with a long history in agriculture, organizational administration, and food safety dating back over 25 years, including a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Oregon State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University along with a license from the State Bar of Texas.
Joining the conversation, Ricardo Uribe, CAB chairman remarked, “We’re thrilled to have Manuel, and his special skill set, join CAB. It was vital that we brought the right person into this role, and we appreciate William supporting us in our operational startup until we could. It’s clear that Manuel understands this opportunity with his past experience growing new organizations along with his international experience as we grow Colombian avocado exports to the U.S.,” Uribe continued. “We’re eager for Manuel’s leadership and innovative ideas that will help us accelerate our program.” Manuel will formally begin his duties at CAB, July 17.
About Colombia Avocado Board
The mission of CAB is to build the tools to work in sync with HAB to cultivate consumers in the United States by aligning growers, exporters, and importers together under one cohesive marketing effort focused on Colombian avocados. CAB was certified by USDA on January 7, 2020, under the authorization of the Hass Avocado Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7801-7813). For more information or a full list of the Board of Directors and committee assignments, visit the “Who We Are” section of avocadoscolombia.com or contact William Watson, Managing Director of CAB at wwatson@thefreshapproach.info.
