Washington State Fruit Commission Appoints New President

The Washington State Fruit Commission has appointed Eric Patrick as its new president to oversee marketing efforts for cherries and canned pears grown in the Northwest, as well as its industry education programs, effective March 2. He succeeds longtime President B.J. Thurlby, who retired Dec. 31 after 30 years with the commission.

Patrick brings a wealth of experience in the fresh produce industry, which made him an excellent choice to lead the organization forward, board chairman Doug Field told Good Fruit Grower.

“Eric has a deep understanding of our industry. He has helped to market cherries, he’s helped to develop new programs, he understands sales and marketing and has relationships with many of the key players in our industry and with Northwest Cherries,” said Field. “We’re very excited to bring him on board.”

Patrick has spent the past 20 years as marketing director for the Grant J. Hunt Co., a West Coast-based distributor and wholesaler of conventional and organic fresh produce with distribution throughout North America, where he also has worked closely with Northwest Cherries on cherry promotions. Leveraging his agricultural experience, he also operated a marketing division that offered services ranging from print, logo and advertising design to category management. Patrick has also worked very closely with Tajin seasonings, working with the Tajin produce alliance team setting up promotions, collaborations and demos throughout North America and will continue in this capacity.

He previously spent two years as marketing director for Domex Superfresh Growers. Prior to that, he spent seven years with the Washington State Fruit Commission, first in sales for the commission’s educational magazine, Good Fruit Grower, then as the marketing director for North America for Northwest Cherries and the Washington State Fruit Commission.  

Patrick said he always enjoyed his work at the commission and hopes to continue strengthening collaborations within the industry to serve growers.

“I really believe in Northwest cherries and want to help growers to get recognition for what I think are the best cherries in the world,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with the team, which has seen some award-winning campaigns in recent years, and build on those successes.”

The push for healthier diets worldwide also presents fresh openings for marketing and sales growth, he said. “I know the commission has been working on those health messages, and I see opportunities to work even more closely with the retailers, who are working with their own nutritionists and dieticians.”
In part-time roles, Patrick has served as the tourism director for the city of Union Gap, Washington, and as an instructor in the advertising and marketing programs at Yakima Valley College. He continues to be a regular speaker at the college.

The Washington State Fruit Commission handles domestic and international marketing of sweet cherries for Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Utah through Northwest Cherries, as well as marketing for canned pears grown in Washington and Oregon. The commission also oversees two federal marketing orders for Washington cherries and processed pears. To meet its mission of grower education, the commission hosts the annual Cherry Institute event to provide the latest horticultural research and market insights for growers, and publishes Good Fruit Grower magazine, which in the past 10 years, includes its online Spanish-language resource, Good Fruit Grower en español.