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Kerissa Chapman has been selected as the Tulare County Farm Bureau’s new executive director.
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Chapman succeeds Tricia Stever Blattler, who held the position for almost 20 years. She took time from her third day on the job to talk about her new position.
“I am very excited and honored to be able to sit as the new executive director,” she said. “I’m excited to share information about agriculture with our community and be an advocate for our farmers and ranchers, and continue to grow our Tulare County Farm Bureau and let everybody know of the importance of agriculture.
“Tulare County Farm Bureau has provided so much information and been a great resource for so many people in the past,” she said. “Moving forward, we want to continue to do that. We also want to provide new opportunities.”
How can TCFB better help its members?
Chapman wants farmers, ranchers, and other farm bureau members to tell her what the farm bureau can do for them.
“How can we be their voice and help them?” she asked. “Is it by providing more educational resources? Is it by providing workshops? Is it providing networking opportunities to bridge that gap for members to meet members, or members to meet other people out in the community?
“We want all of our members as well as non-members to feel that they can come to us and tell us what we can do,” she said. “If they have an idea for something that they would like to see the Tulare County Farm Bureau doing or providing for them, we would love to be able to sit down and connect with them.”
Chapman plans to work closely with the farm bureau’s board of directors to create a strategic plan.
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“I know the board has been able to work forward on some different ideas,” she said, adding that she has not had the opportunity to meet with them yet. “I know that there are lots of ideas and some different ways to strategically plan to move forward.”
20 years of ag experience
Chapman’s experience includes almost 20 years in ag education, marketing, communications, community engagement, and organizational leadership. Most recently, she was the marketing manager for Coast Counties Peterbilt. Before that, she was the human resources generalist and marketing manager for E.M. Tharp, Inc.
Her experience also includes more than 12 years at the International AgriCenter, where she directed educational programming, ran the museum, and coordinated fundraising events, including the World Ag Expo Toyota Tundra Giveaway to benefit Valley Children’s Hospital.
Born and raised in Tulare, Chapman has been involved in many organizations and committees including the Tulare Joint Union High School Foundation, the Tulare County Foundation for Ag Education and Youth, the Tulare Chamber of Commerce, and the Tulare County Farm Bureau’s Agricultural Education Committee, which she has been a member of since 2010.
“Just being able to be involved in the community, and being able to give back to the community, is very important to me,” Chapman said.
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This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Tulare County Farm Bureau names Kerissa Chapman executive director
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Reporting by Steve Pastis, Visalia Times-Delta / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 2:04 AM.