In 2005, Ernie joined the Grow West team. His leadership roles began as the manager of the North Coast retail stores in Sonoma, Geyserville and Lakeport. He then moved to the Woodland admin office to spearhead the procurement and supplier negotiations team. Ernie was then promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2015 before taking on his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2017.

Before joining Grow West, Ernie worked for United Agri Products for almost 10 years. He held various roles, from field product development and Property Products Manager to Location Manager and, lastly, Northern California and Southern Oregon Area Manager.

Ernie holds a B.S. from the University of California at Davis in Agricultural and Managerial Economics.

Born, raised, and educated in the Woodland area, Ernie’s heart and passion for agriculture have always been rooted in Northern California. Outside of work, his hobbies include flying, hunting and enjoying family time with his wife, Becci and their three children, Stephen, Madeline and Conner, and of course, their dog Zoe!