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14 ALMOND COMMUNITY Decades of shared wisdom When Kiss reflects on his career, he is quick to recognize the various individuals he's worked with over the years who have shared knowledge and impressed key learnings upon him. For instance, the concept of "Never forget who you work for, and never forget the job you are there to do" came from Kiss' mentor Ray Harcksen, who Kiss regards as a genuine pioneer in the almond industry. Kiss said Harcksen often reminded him of the importance of never forgetting who you serve — the almond grower — and the job you're assigned to do — advance and promote the California almond industry. "I'm truly humbled by the recognition in receiving this award and must point out there are countless almond industry members who worked side-by-side with me on many projects that are just as worthy of this award. I guess I just have a longer tenure at the process," said Kiss when receiving this award. Looking to the future of the industry, that same notion of working side-by-side rings very true to Kiss. He believes the progress achieved by the California almond industry within the past 50 years is vast and noteworthy but emphasizes that the industry needs to continue working together in order to achieve similar successes in the years to come. Through programs such as the Almond Leadership Program, Kiss said, industry leaders can effectively encourage and help shape future representatives of California almonds in a time when agriculture is facing more pressures than ever before. "Most importantly, though, is the need for continued progress and participation within the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP)," Kiss said. CASP, now in its 10th year, helps industry members identify areas of improvement across their operations by completing modules that are both informational and educational, providing details on best practices and improvement opportunities. In addition, the Almond Board is able to use aggregate data from CASP to determine trends in farming practices among the almond community and share the industry's responsible growing practices with interested consumers and buyers across the globe. Though the challenges of growing almonds in California are on the rise, CASP aims to help growers improve their farming practices while simultaneously helping them meet certain regulatory requirements. And, as Kiss points out, it is through programs like CASP that the California almond industry continues to stand out and stay ahead. "In my opinion, the almond industry is farther ahead in innovation and research efforts than most commodities," said Kiss. "Also, I see great collaboration, unity, consensus and shared purpose among the whole industry — from both growers and handlers. They are all focused on the same goal — a true team effort to advance the almond industry." Moments in the orchard In all his roles and responsibilities over the years, Kiss still experiences his best days on the job when he gets to meet growers in the orchard and help them find solutions to pressing problems. "My favorite days are those when I'm able to help growers solve an agronomic problem effectively, producing positive results," said Kiss. If you know an outstanding industry member who has added value to the California almond industry through long-term service, contributions or innovations and would like to nominate them for the Almond Achievement Award, please contact Rebecca Bailey, ABC specialist in Industry Relations, and provide the person's full name, name of the organization or business they represent and a paragraph explaining your nomination. Bailey may be reached at rbailey@almondboard.com. ABC President and CEO, Richard Waycott, and Chair of the Board of Directors, Holly A. King, presented Kiss with the 2019 Almond Achievement Award during the State of the Industry address on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at The Almond Conference 2019 in Sacramento.