Washington Apple Education Foundation Announces New Board Chairman and Honors Outgoing Leader
April 28, 2025 | 3 min to read
In Wenatchee, WA, the Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) has elected Tyler Price as the new chairman of its Board of Directors during their annual meeting at Central Washington University. A fourth-generation tree fruit grower and CEO of Price Cold Storage, Price brings extensive leadership experience, including roles at Nike and Apple. Outgoing chairman Rolando Martin received praise for his past contributions. WAEF aims to enhance educational access within Washington's tree fruit industry.
WENATCHEE, WA — The Washington Apple Education Foundation (WAEF) is proud to announce the election of Tyler Price as chairman of its Board of Directors. Price was elected at the Foundation’s annual meeting held at Central Washington University.
Price is a fourth-generation tree fruit grower and the CEO of Price Cold Storage & Packing Co. in Yakima. He brings deep industry roots and a wealth of strategic leadership experience to the role. Before returning to the family business, Price helped shape the global product strategy for Nike and Apple. He holds a business degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from Stanford University. In addition to leading Price Cold Storage, he serves on the University of Washington’s Consulting & Business Development Center board and was most recently the vice chairman of WAEF and has served on the board since 2020.
“We are honored to welcome Tyler as chairman,” said WAEF outgoing chairman Rolando Martin. “His blend of strategic thinking, industry knowledge, and passion for supporting students makes him an ideal leader.”
WAEF also extends heartfelt thanks to outgoing chairman Martin for his dedicated leadership over the past year. A Prosser native, Martin is an area manager at Washington Fruit & Produce and holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Food Systems and a masters of Horticultural Science from Washington State University. Martin was first elected to the WAEF board of directors in 2018 and has served in multiple volunteer roles with foundation. Martin was recognized for his steady leadership and unwavering passion for the foundation’s mission. He will continue as an officer of the foundation.
Additional WAEF officers elected were Vice Chairman: Nate Fulton, Yakima, Marsh McLennan Agency; Secretary: Robin Hansen, Wenatchee, Columbia Fruit Packers; and Treasurer: Ben Jensen, Yakima, CPA. Committee Chairmen elected were Investment Committee: Irene Birdsall, Wenatchee, McDougall & Sons; Resource Development Committee: Kailan Dunn, Yakima, HR Spinner; Scholarship and Student Success Committee: Emily Bautista-Herdt, Wenatchee, Northwest Wholesale; Strategic Planning Committee: Nate Fulton, Yakima, Marsh McLennan Agency; and Finance Committee: Ben Jensen, Yakima, CPA.
WAEF’s Board of Directors currently includes 20 members, each with personal ties to Washington’s tree fruit industry. A complete list of directors is available on the foundation’s website at https://waef.org/board-of-directors/.
The Washington Apple Education Foundation is the charity of Washington’s tree fruit industry. Its mission is to impact lives through access to educational opportunity. For more information about the Washington Apple Education Foundation, visit www.waef.org.