It hasn’t taken long for the Almond Board of California’s new president and chief executive officer to gain recognition from her business peers.

Clarice Turner, who recently took the reins from departed Almond Board CEO Richard Waycott, was named one of the nation’s Top 50 Diverse Board Candidates by Equilar, a business intelligence firm, and the Nasdaq Center for Board Excellence.

The award was created to list “exemplary individuals among the pool of highly qualified, diverse candidates who will propel companies and boards into the next era of board leadership,” said David Chun, Equilar’s founder and CEO.

Nominations came from organizations across the country, and the selection committee was composed of directors on S&P 500 boards, leaders in the board search industry and representatives of the corporate governance sector, according to Equilar.

Almond Board spokesman Rick Kushman said Turner learned after the holidays that she had been included in the top-50 list.

“I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Equilar and Nasdaq not just for the honor but also for their collaborative dedication to advancing opportunities for underrepresented groups within today's corporate boardrooms,” Turner said. “The Almond Board of California has long understood that different experiences and viewpoints make our industry and our communities stronger, more inclusive and more vibrant.”

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After Waycott announced he would be stepping down at the end of 2023, the Almond Board hired Turner last summer. She worked with Waycott and the board last fall and was formally introduced to growers at the Almond Conference in Sacramento in December.

Almond Board officials note that Turner has a long history of serving on corporate and nonprofit boards, including the Culinary Institute of America, Delicato Family Wines, the National Restaurant Association, the Washington State University School of Business and San Francisco State University School of Business.

The recognition for social equity is a boon for the image-conscious Almond Board, which has placed a large emphasis in recent years on promoting environmental stewardship within the industry.