MCFB Staff
MCFB Staff
Executive Director
Norm Groot
Norm started in Agriculture by pulling weeds at his Dad’s nursery when he was five. After receiving a degree in Business Accounting and Finance at the University of Southern California (Fight On!), he went into the family business as the Treasurer, working for 14 years to expand the business. In 1980, Norm was invited to run for a board seat at the Orange County Farm Bureau, eventually serving as President in the early 90’s. After a change to a position with Monrovia Growers, Norm served on the California Farm Bureau (CAFB) Board of Directors from 1993 – 1999, and then for a second term starting in 2003 – 2010 (Norm has the distinction of serving the longest of any Director on the State Farm Bureau Board). Over the years, Norm has gained experience with Agricultural issues on both a statewide and national basis, traveling to Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to lobby legislators and regulators. Active in policy development and commodity advisory committees at CAFB and American Farm Bureau (AFBF), Norm understands the issues facing California Agriculture and the challenges that today’s economics bring to farmers and ranchers. His horticultural work experience has varied over the years in the areas of finance, technology, logisitics, and nursery production planning, in addition to pulling weeds.
Recognitions include being named Credit Executive of the Year by CMA Business Services (Los Angeles), and Volunteer of the Year by the California Foundation for Agricutlure in the Classroom. In February 2021, Norm received the Ag Leadership Award from the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce. Norm has served on numerous committees for CAFB including Chairman of the Finance Committee and three years and on their ad-hoc Membership Committee.
Locally, Norm served six years on the Board of Directors of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce and was Chair for 2015, participates in the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce’s Government Affairs Committee, serves on Board of Directors for the Monterey Peninsula Taxpayers Association and Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau, serves on the Hartnell College Ag Business & Tech Institute Advisory Committee, the Transportation Agency of Monterey County’s Transportation Safety & Investment Plan Oversight Committee (Chair, 2023-2024), is the immediate Past-Chair of the Community Advisory Council for Central Coast Community Energy, formerly a director of Central Coast Community Health Care, and is active in his Parish at San Carlos Cathedral. He is a past President of the Nursery Growers Association of California, former Chair of the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers’ Trade Show Committee, and founding Booster Club President of Santa Margarita Catholic High School’s Marching Band (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA).
With the formation of the local sustainable groundwater agency, the agricultural associations of Monterey County came together to form an organization dealing strictly with groundwater sustainability, the Salinas Basin Agricultural Water Association. Norm serves as the founding President of this organization.
Norm is native of Orange County and currently resides in Prunedale. Married for 40 years to Marcha, a registered nurse and Monterey Bay Aquarium volunteer, they have two married daughters, one a field biologist and one a critical care nurse, both living in Central Oregon. Norm enjoys walking and hiking, gardening, rock ‘n roll and movies, an occasional golf game, and traveling to new and familiar destinations.
If you’d like to contact Norm you can reach him at our Farm Bureau office or email at: norm@montereycfb.com
Administrative Assistant
Susanne McBride
Susanne serves as the Monterey County Farm Bureau Administrative Assistant. Born and raised in Salinas, Susanne is a 4th generation Monterey County Resident with roots back to the 1860’s. Her great great grandfather was a sheep and cattle farmer from Corral de Tierra to Rancho Noche Buena district south to Carmelo and her grandfather was a farmer in the Gonzales area prior to WWII.
Susanne and her family formerly operated a local confectionery company that participated in many events around our county. She and her husband of 40 years, Mike, live in an old farmhouse in South Salinas and their daughter Kate and her family live in Spreckels. GO PIRATES!
Bloom where you are planted!
If you’d like to contact Susanne you can reach hier at our Farm Bureau office or email at: administration@montereycfb.com
Former Monterey County Farm Bureau Managers:
1920s – Fred P. Feliz, Jr.
1940s – Val Heinsen
1944-1947 – Willam Wilbur
1948 – George Gearhart
1952-1956 – Del Wide
1956-1999 – Bill Barker
2000-2009 – Bob Perkins