Plant Science Professor Emerita Peggy Perry was honored with the Lifetime Leadership Award earlier this month by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF).
The award is given to alumni of the California Agricultural Leadership Program for their leadership and impact on the agricultural industry, communities, and the foundation, which runs the program.
Perry was selected for the program in 1978 and has served as a longtime member of the CALF Education team ever since.
“The founders of the program, back in the late 1960s, were visionary in recognizing the need for leadership development in California agriculture,” she said. “I hold them — and their successor leaders over the years — in high regard, and this award signifies that I have maintained and enhanced their legacy.”
Perry was one of two honorees who received the Lifetime Leadership Award at a CALF banquet in Fresno on Oct. 3.
“Each of these honorees exemplifies servant leadership. Through their vision, integrity, and commitment, they have advanced California agriculture, enriched the lives of others, and set a powerful example for future leaders,” said Lesa Eidman, CALF’s president and CEO. “Their impact will be felt for generations to come.”
The program provides leadership development training for emerging and mid-career agricultural leaders. Participants spend 17 months learning about leadership theory, effective communication, critical thinking, and other topics.
Five partner universities – Cal Poly Pomona, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Fresno State, Chico State, and UC Davis – provide support for the program.
Perry became the Cal Poly Pomona campus coordinator for the program in 1986.
Her role involved hosting three three-day seminars for fellows in each leadership class, which included more than two dozen participants. This involved organized speakers and site visits related to the topics covered in the program.
From 2013 to 2022, she served as executive coach for fellows in each of the leadership classes.
In 2021-23, Perry served as the foundation’s co-director of education along with Professor Robert Flores, chair of the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“I’ve learned a great deal about leadership development from these experiences,” Perry said, “and my relationships with farmers, ranchers, and association and governmental officials have been very beneficial to my students.”
Perry taught at Cal Poly Pomona for more than 40 years, earning emerita status in 2010-11.
During her time at Cal Poly Pomona, Perry also served as associate dean and interim dean for the College of Agriculture; associate vice president for academic affairs; and director of the Faculty Center for Professional Development.
She is a past recipient of the university’s George P. Hart Award for outstanding leadership and a past participant in the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s National Fellowship Program.
