On May 7, 2009 Stewart Resnick, the owner of Roll International Corporation and Paramount Agribusiness, was awarded the 2009 Sequoia Giant of the Valley Award at Great Valley Center’s annual conference, 20/20 Foresight: A View of the Valley in a Decade.
Presenting the award to Mr. Resnick was Raul Barraza, a 6th grade teacher at Semitropic Elementary in Tulare County. Raul Barraza, the oldest of four boys born to a family of field workers, was able to fulfill his parents’ wishes of completing his college education due in large part to a $12,000 scholarship from Paramount Agribusiness. Raul has continued on with his education and is currently completing his Master’s in Advanced Curriculum.
The award was presented in recognition of Stewart Resnick’s significant and sustained contributions to the Central Valley and its people. His actions have been significant to increasing the understanding of the Central Valley, improving the well-being of the region, and have improved the quality of life for Central Valley residents. Resnick and his wife Lynda have made great strides as philanthropists focused on education and youth.
Bill Smittcamp, who currently serves on the Board of the Central California’s Children’s Hospital, introduced Raul Barraza and also read a letter from California’s First Lady Maria Shriver congratulating Resnick for receiving the award in recognition of all he has done. The letter stated: “California’s greatest natural resource is its people and you are a living testament to that statement. Through your philanthropy and public service, you remind us that together we can make a difference in the lives of so many Californians. I commend you for your efforts to make the Central Valley a better place for all of its residence - you are truly an architect of change.”
Smittcamp was able to speak sincerely about Resnick’s great service to the region due in large part to a recent multi-million dollar donation Resnick made to the Central California Children’s Hospital for improvement and expansion of the facility.
Raul Barraza has found his passion teaching, but his commitment to students goes beyond the classroom and into his additional roles such as yearbook advisor, sports coordinator, and ASB coordinator. In 2007, knowing that Paramount Agribusiness had previously awarded money for education, Barraza approached Paramount Agribusiness again, this time on behalf of his students, when he requested a SmartBoard for his classroom. They received a $3,000 grant and the interactive tool has become a positive feature in the classroom to facilitate learning.
A standing ovation welcomed Stewart Resnick to the stage as the businessman received his award. He said that he has often thought it is easier to make money than to give it away and at times he doesn’t realize the impact his gifting is making on people, but it is people like Raul Barraza who remind him that there is real significance behind his philanthropy. Resnick also spoke about his commitment to giving back to communities where his employees live. Resnick recognizes that employees are the backbone to his enterprise and that he must support the development of healthy communities for those he relies on.
Resnick is chairman and owner of Roll International Corporation, a Los Angeles-based holding company. He has developed a number of successful companies that make up the largest farming operation of tree crops in the world growing citrus, pomegranates, almonds, and pistachios. The companies include Paramount Farming, Paramount Farms, Paramount Citrus, and POM Wonderful. Also among Roll’s holdings are Teleflora, the nation’s largest floral wire service; FIJI Water, and Suterra.
Resnick is a member of the Executive Board of the UCLA Medical Sciences; member of the Board of Trustees of Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY; member of the Board of Trustees of the J. Paul Getty Trust; member of the Board of Conservation International; and trustee of the California Institute of Technology. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles.
