SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Bob Donovan
CFO, Blue Diamond Growers

Mr. Donovan attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting in 1985. He is a Certified Public Accountant. He joined Blue Diamond Growers in 1991 after four years with the tax department of KPMG LLP and 1 1/2 years with the audit department of Price Waterhouse (PriceWaterhouseCoopers) in St. Louis, Missouri. He was named Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Secretary of Blue Diamond in September 2001. As CFO, he is responsible for overseeing operations in the Human Resources, Finance, Payroll, Credit/Accounts Receivable, and Information Technology areas.

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Casey Garten
COBANK

As vice president and regional manager for COBANK'S Commercial Agribusiness Division, Garten is responsible for credit delivery, business development and customer relations in the Western United States. His team specializes in serving the grain/farm supply, dairy, fruits, vegetables, nuts, livestock, rice, cotton, sugar, timber and finance industries. Garten is based in COBANK'S Sacramento office.

From 1999 to 2001, Garten was a relationship manager in COBANK'S Corporate Finance Group, working with the bank's largest customers. He joined COBANK in 1989 and initially worked in the Wichita office for ten years with both corporate and middle market customers in the Agribusiness Banking Group.

Prior to joining COBANK, Garten was with Farm Credit Services in Denver for five years, managing credit relationships with large, complex production agricultural borrowers. He has also taught high school and worked with the Cooperative Extension Service in Thailand.

Garten received a bachelor's degree and master's degree from Kansas State University, and an MBA from the University of Colorado. He is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership.

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Shermain Hardesty
Extension Economist
Ag & Resource Economics
UC Davis

Dr. Hardesty’s responsibilities include research and education and outreach on issues related to cooperatives and marketing. She served as Director of the University’s Center for Cooperatives from March 2002 until its closure in January 2004 due to severe cutbacks to the University’s agricultural programs. She is the primary organizer of this workshop.

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Mark Wahlman
Pacific Coast Producers

Mr. Wahlman has been the Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Pacific Coast Producers since 1992. He joined PCP in 1984 as Corporate Controller, promoted to Vice President, Finance in 1987. Previously, Mr. Wahlman worked in various positions at Stokely-Van Camp, Inc., a food processor, from 1971 to 1984. Mr. Wahlman received a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Indiana University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Butler University.

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