Ag One Board Member Spotlight: Lorna Roush

Ag One is fortunate to have an outstanding board of directors, and it is an honor to highlight current board member Lorna Roush in its December 2020 e-newsletter.

Lorna graduated from Fresno State in 1998 with a degree in agricultural business and became a member of the Ag One Foundation Board of Directors in 2018.

She represents the fifth generation of her family’s farming operation, Schultz Ranch in Burrel, CA, where they grow almonds, wine grapes and pistachios. She enjoys working alongside her father, Richard Schultz, her siblings, her children and her grandchildren.

Before coming back to the family farm, Lorna spent some time working for an organic farm out of college, then got her teaching credential and taught at Fipps Primary School in Riverdale for five years.

Many wonder how she does it all, Lorna’s time is often brimming with volunteer commitments in many organizations including serving on the board for the Fresno County Farm Bureau, the Riverdale Community Foundation and Horizon Nut Company.

She’s also an administrator for My Job Depends on Ag and the Ag Boosters BBQ chair for California Women for Agriculture (CWA). Lorna is the secretary at Riverdale Memorial Hall where she recently helped coordinate a Veterans Memorial at Oak Grove cemetery.

She can be found spearheading community efforts, including the movement to widen Highway 41 between Elkhorn and Excelsior Avenues near the towns of Riverdale and Caruthers. This effort has been recently highlighted on local news and there’s a Facebook page with more than 5,000 followers to spread awareness about the dangers of this stretch of road.

Lorna says she enjoys giving back and keeping the community moving forward. Even before her time on the board, she played an integral role in many Ag One committees for several years. Lorna says that her favorite part of being on the Ag One Board is knowing what a difference Ag One makes for students and the Jordan College.

“It means a lot to me to return to Fresno State and give back to the Jordan College which gave me so much,” Lorna said.

For those alumni who are looking for a way to get involved in Fresno State agriculture, Lorna recommends checking out the different Ag One committees as an opportunity to volunteer your time.

To the current students who are trying to plan for their future in this time of uncertainty, Lorna says “Go after your dream! Don’t let this hold you back.”

In her free time, Lorna enjoys spending time with her family and her animals, and working on their vintage barn that was originally built in 1903.

Lorna says she loves Ag One and deeply appreciates the staff and student assistants. Ag One thanks you, Lorna, for your time and support of our students and programs!