Jim Erickson represents Madera Irrigation District on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors. Jim was born, raised, and still lives on the original home ranch his great-grandfather bought in 1924 in Madera. He graduated in 1978 from Madera High School and is a third-generation Fresno State graduate with a B.S. in Ag Business. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lori, and they have two sons and one daughter. Mr. Erickson runs a successful farming operation with his sons and has more than 36 years of experience in the agricultural field. Jim is a second-generation MID Board Member and has been actively involved in many agricultural organizations, including past president of the Madera County Farm Bureau. Mr. Erickson was appointed to the Friant Water Authority Board in December 2016.
Rick serves on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors representing Tulare Irrigation District, where he serves as vice-chair of the board. He previously served as a director for the Friant Water Users Authority, Friant’s predecessor. He serves as an alternate on the Executive Committee and chairs the O&M committee. Rick is a fourth generation farmer in Tulare. He started farming in 1986, became a partner in Borges Farms in1990, and currently continues in that partnership and farms separately as R S Borges Farming. Rick is married to his wife Susie and they have two children, Greg and Breann. Greg is the fifth generation working on the farm. Rick represents the TID board as a Director for the Tulare Irrigation Company, and Kaweah and St. Johns Rivers Association, and is a Director for Kaweah Basin Water Quality Association.
Josh Pitigliano serves on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors representing Lower Tule River Irrigation District. He is a fourth-generation farmer and works alongside his father and two brothers. Their diversified farm and farm management business is spread across multiple irrigation districts. Josh attended Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo majoring in Agribusiness with an emphasis in Farm and Ranch management. He served as chairman of the Tulare County Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and later sat on the Tulare County Farm Bureau board as a director. Josh is married to his wife, Jennifer, for 14 years and counting and have two wonderful boys, Wes and Ike.
Edwin Camp has served on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors since 2013 and also serves on the Board’s Executive Committee. He is President of the Board of Arvin-Edison Water Storage District and also President of DM Camp & Sons, a third-generation family farming enterprise and John Deere Distributorship based in Bakersfield. Edwin Camp is a Bakersfield native, born in 1956, one of five children born to Don and Izetta Camp. The quest to learn his trade began early, having been raised on the farm, he spent most summers and holidays working in various areas of the operation. He attended Shafter Schools, was active in his church youth group and became an Eagle Scout before reaching high school. He has a long history of business and community involvement, including as a director and former chairman of Western Growers Association. Edwin also serves as a director or member of the Cal Poly College of Agriculture Advisory Council, the California Agricultural Leadership Program, and the Advisory Board of Kern Citizens for Sustainable Government. He is a former director of California Potato Research and Advisory Board, the National Potato Board, the Kern County Farm Bureau and the North Kern Water District board. He and his wife Kaye have two daughters and live in Bakersfield. Edwin has a Bachelor of Science in Crop Science from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, where he also served as president of the Crops Club and was a member of Alpha Zeta national professional agricultural fraternity.
Cliff joined the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors in March 2014. As a director, he sits on the Finance, Human Resources, and O&M Committees. He also serves as alternate director in the Executive Committee. Cliff and his family have farmed in Lindsay-Strathmore Irrigation District since the 1970s. He was appointed to the LSID board in 2013. As the LSID representative, he also represents the District on the East Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability (EKGSA) board of directors He also serves on a local packing house board of directors and has been active in the local community during his adult life. Cliff holds a Bachelor of Arts from California State University, Bakersfield, with concentrations in History and Psychology.
Chris has served on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors since 2015 and also serves on the Board’s Executive Committee. He represents Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District, where he has served since 2001. He is also the chairman for the Kaweah River Power Authority and Vice-Chairman for the Greater Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Chris is a diversified farmer of deciduous fruit, Citrus and nut crops across the districts of three Friant Division contractors. He is also the General Manager of Venida Packing Co., an Exeter packer, specializing in the packing of plums, persimmons and kiwifruit. Previous to farming, Chris spent 10 years as the general manager of the Consolidated Peoples Ditch Company, a mutual water company on the Kaweah River. Outside of water, Chris has served on the Board of Foodlink for Tulare County, Exeter Union School Board and Tulare County Farm Bureau. He lives in Exeter with his wife; they have 4 children and 3 grandchildren. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado.
In daily operations of the family's one-thousand acres of citrus and almonds, Matt helps manage the farm management clients and manages the fleet of mechanical pruning equipment that operates from the Merced County line to the Grapevine.
Matt is a fifth-generation California citrus farmer and a 2nd generation Teapot Dome Water District director where he currently serves as President. Matt graduated from Chico State with a degree in Political Science and spent two election cycles working as a field representative and campaign manager for two successful assembly members. He then decided to move back to help grow the family business with a drive to make a difference and advocate for himself and other farmers in both Washington, D.C., and Sacramento.
Kent first became a director for the Friant Water Users Authority, the predecessor of the Friant Water Authority in 1998 representing Kern Tulare Water District as its President. He also serves as chair of the Board’s Executive Committee. He became a director of the Kern Tulare Water District board in 1987. As a young boy, he first irrigated on the family farm in the Modesto Irrigation District. Following graduation from Brigham Young University in 1973 with a B.S. in Accounting Kent joined the accounting firm Arthur Andersen & Co., San Jose, California Office Tax Division servicing various agricultural clients in the state and nation including the Salinas and San Joaquin Valleys. He obtained his CPA certificate in 1976. Kent joined with Marko Zaninovich, Inc., in 1977, currently serving as Director, Corporate Secretary and Chief Financial Officer. Marko Zaninovich, Inc., a fourth-generation farming family and affiliated entities farm in several Friant and state water districts.
E W Merritt Farms in Porterville, CA
Michael Brownfield joined Friant Water Authority Board of Directors in 2018, representing Lindmore Irrigation District. Michael was born and raised in Lindsay and primarily farms citrus in the Lindsay/Strathmore/Exeter area. He currently also serves as an alternate for East Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency. Michael obtained a degree in Agribusiness-Marketing from Cal Poly University – San Luis Obispo, CA.
Brett McCowan joined Friant Water Authority’s Board of Directors in 2024, representing Porterville Irrigation District, where he has served as a Board Member since 2014. He is President of Brett McCowan Farms, Inc. and Mustachio Harvest Company, Inc. He and his spouse Allison have three children.
Loren serves on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors representing Hills Valley Irrigation District, where she is board chair. She is a member of the East Kings River groundwater Coalition and a past chair of the California Ag Leadership Program. She also serves on the Ann Reimers Foundation, the Otis Booth Foundation, Children's Institute Board of Trustees and the Reining Horse Foundation. When not spending time with grandchildren or showing reining horses, she loves to fly fish and enjoy the beauty and serenity of nature. Loren grew up in Southern California and moved to the San Joaquin Valley in 1975, working in her family's cow/calf operation. After graduating from the California Agricultural Program, she became more involved in the family citrus operation working closely with her dad Otis Booth. Today Booth Ranches is a vertically integrated citrus operation growing, packing and marketing their products all over the world. Loren also enjoys raising and showing world-class reining horses. She has two children, her son Jake Sill and daughter-in-law Chiara, live in Visalia with their darling children, Sinclair and Charles Ensign Sill. Her daughter, Blair and son-in-law Bubba Moffett, live in Scottsdale, Arizona with their darling children, Eloise and Duke Moffett. Loren attended Cal Poly State University, Pomona, and Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo.
George serves on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors representing Fresno Irrigation District. He lives in the Kerman area on his 154-acre grape vineyard where he grows Thompsons, Barbera, and Chardonnay grapes. George is a graduate of Fresno State College where he received his B.S. in Animal Science. He previously served on the board of the Raisin Bargaining Association and is currently a board member with the Fresno County Farm Bureau.
President, Chowchilla Water District; and President, Madera-Chowchilla Water and Power Authority.
Arlen Miller is a third-generation citrus farmer who has served on the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors for over 20 years. Representing the Orange Cove Irrigation District, Arlen holds the position of Vice Chair. In 1986, Arlen obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Fruit Industries from Cal Poly State University, Pomona. His expertise extends beyond citrus farming; he also cultivates kiwis, almonds, and cherries. In addition to his professional endeavors, Arlen shares his life with his wife, Katy, and their two children. Arlen has also served on the Board of Directors for Tulare County Farm Bureau and Immanuel Schools.
Parsons & Sons in Ducor (Tulare County), CA
Brock Buche joined Friant Water Authority Board of Directors in 2019, representing the City of Fresno, where he is the Director of Public Utilities. Brock is originally from Detroit Michigan, and is the oldest of five siblings. He grew up on the Monterey Peninsula but has resided in the Central Valley for most of his adult life. Brock has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Surveying and Photogrammetry and a Master of Science Degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Environmental and Water Resources Management, both from California State University, Fresno. He holds two professional credentials, as a registered Professional Engineer and Professional Land Surveyor. Brock has two grown daughters who reside in southern California. Brock also represents the City of Fresno as a board member of the North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency (NKGSA), the Upper Kings Basin Integrated Regional Water Management Authority (KBWA), and the California Urban Water Agencies (CUWA).
Kelley Hampton was appointed to the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors in 2023 and has served as Board Member for Delano-Earlimart Irrigation District since 2004 and serves as its current President. He farms 160 acres of almonds, the same property that his father has farmed since 1955. He is the current president of the Board of Directors.
Bill De Groot Dairy in Pixley, CA
Craig Fulwyler joined the Friant Water Authority Board of Directors in 2022, representing the Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District. Craig was born and raised in Wasco, where he operates a third-generation family farm. He previously served as a director for Semitropic Coop Cotton Gin & Almond Huller director. He also served as a Director/Trustee for Northwest Kern Resource Conservation District Director, Wasco Union High School Board of Trustees, and Shafter-Wasco Irrigation District since 2012. Craig obtained a degree in Agribusiness Management from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. He and his wife, Karen, have three sons.
Doug Phillips, a Central Valley native, joined Friant Water Authority’s Board of Directors in 2019, representing Ivanhoe Irrigation District. He is the Owner/President of Phillips Farma and Universal Produce Corporation. Doug obtained a Geology degree from Stanford University and is actively involved in various community organizations. He currently serves as a Board Member for the Kiwifruit Administrative Committee, Klink Orange Cove Citrus, and formally with Tri-District Water Agency. Doug and his wife, Caralee, enjoy wildlife photography and scuba diving.