YAKIMA, Wash. — When workers in a farm or packing house are fast learners and punctual, they are often promoted to be supervisors.
“One day they are working on their own, the next day they are managing 10, 20, 100, thousands of employees during the season, but they usually don’t get the training on leadership — how to deal with conflict, how to communicate with people, how to delegate,” said Jacqui Gordon Nunez, vice president of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. “They are basically baptized by fire, and they learn how to lead these people, but through a lot of challenges.”
With Ofelio Borges, director of Washington State Department of Agriculture’s technical services and education program, Gordon Nunez co-founded the Agricultural Leadership Program to provide training for farm and packing house supervisors and managers.
The program is Borges’ vision, borne out of Borges’ farm experience and Gordon Nunez’s experience working with ag communities.
It’s the only bilingual leadership program customized for agriculture specifically in Washington, available in both English and Spanish.
“We are very aware of our audience,” Gordon Nunez said. “The people that go through our program have different educational levels, different cultural backgrounds. We take that into account and we make our program with simple language, practical examples and recommendations they can apply right away in their personal and professional lives.”
‘It had to be us’
The program began in 2021 and has evolved “significantly,” expanding beyond technical training already covered by other programs.
Gordon Nunez and Borges received early feedback from participants that no programs were covering leadership, communication, emotional intelligence or conflict resolution.
“At first we were working with contractors … but we understood that it had to be us,” Gordon Nunez said. “We had to put together a team of people that had experience in training, that were bilingual, bicultural. We have the right curriculum, we know the examples that are relevant to our participants. We know how to integrate the team-building activities that are also relevant to our people.”
Although the need was evident well before Gordon Nunez joined the tree fruit association, the program developed quickly upon her arrival, Borges said.
“Jacqui’s level of commitment to achieve goals is contagious,” Borges said. “Her passion, energy and enthusiasm were key drivers in turning the concept into a reality. Co-founding this program was only possible through the partnership of someone as passionate and energetic as Jacqui.”
The program today
The program has nine bilingual trainers, most tied to agriculture. Two courses are offered each year, rotating between Yakima, Wenatchee and the Tri-Cities.
“We don’t see leadership as a position or authority, it’s an activity that everyone can develop,” Gordon Nunez said. “We teach them how to develop that skill, how they can authorize themselves to lead.”
About 250 to 300 people have gone through the program.
A private conference for past participants will meet in Yakima in February.
‘Great potential’
Gordon Nunez grew up in Ecuador, and pursued agri-industrial engineering, essentially a food science degree. She’s been in the U.S. for 11 years.
She planned to work in food processing and manufacturing plants, but interned at the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission for a year. She fell in love with Washington agriculture and the Yakima community, returning to get a master’s degree in horticulture at Washington State University.
She will mark 10 years at the tree fruit association in May. She started out creating educational programs for apple, pear and cherry growers and packers. The programs expanded from pesticide safety to food safety regulatory compliance.
“From the beginning, I have always strived to help our industry develop the potential of their workers,” she said. “I believe that all of us have a great potential that we can use to our advantage, and the advantage of the industry as a whole.”
Synergy and collaboration
“I truly believe in synergy,” Gordon Nunez said. “Whatever I come up with will never be better than what a group of people can come up with.”
Such thinking has helped bring national organizations in-state to offer food-safety workshops usually only available on the East Coast, she said.
“The fact that packing houses are willing to open their doors to their competitors (for educational programs), that’s how strong that spirit of collaboration is in our industry,” Gordon Nunez said. “I have been very lucky to be able to do those very innovative workshops only because our industry is so pro-collaboration, pro-synergy.”
JACQUI GORDON NUNEZ
Title: Vice president, Washington State Tree Fruit Association
Age: 40
Hometown: Quito, Ecuador
Current location: Yakima, Wash.
Education: Master’s degree in horticulture, Washington State University
Family: Husband Alejandro; daughters Emma, turning 10 in February, and Vicky, 7
Hobbies: Exploring Washington State; golfing as a family; skiing; traveling. “We love going back to Ecuador as often as we can.” Also reading and dancing.
Awards: Named to Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under Forty in 2025.
Website:
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