FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: (09/15/2023) 

Contact:  Kendra Moesle

Tel. 202.963.3200 

AFOP Announces Winners of the 2023 AFOP Excellence Awards 

Winners to be Recognized at the AFOP National Conference in San Diego, California  

Washington, DC – The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP) announces the winners of the 2023 AFOP Excellence Awards.  The AFOP Excellence Awards identify and honor farmworkers who demonstrate grit and determination in their quest to better their lives, as well as staff members and employers who have gone above and beyond in supporting customer success.  It is a nationwide, competitive contest. 

Migrant Farmworker – Odalis Diaz-Ramirez – California 

Seasonal Farmworker – Luis Guillen – South Carolina 

Agricultural Employer – American Implement – Kansas 

Non-Agricultural Employer – Amazon Fulfillment Center – California 

Staff Member – Ana Maria Olalde – Florida 

AFOP will recognize these award winners at the 2023 AFOP National Conference in San Diego, California, during the AFOP Excellence Awards ceremony on Thursday, September 28.   

Each year, AFOP member agencies implementing the highly successful National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) nominate standout individuals and employers for award consideration. Earlier this year, the AFOP Excellence Awards Committee – chaired by Alexis Franks, AFOP board member and the southeast director of workforce and career services for the Telamon Corporation – reviewed and scored nominees and produced this list of awardees. AFOP is proud to announce those winners today.  

“AFOP gives these awards each year to acknowledge farmworkers who have excelled in training, individuals who have gone the extra mile for their farmworker clients, and employers who are committed to changing their communities – and, indeed, the nation – one good job at a time,” said AFOP Executive Director Daniel Sheehan.  “We share a commitment to serving farmworkers that moves us to do all we can to make the lives of those laboring in our fields a little bit more stable, a little bit healthier, a little bit better. Congratulations to all our winners.” 

About AFOP: The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs has been an advocate for migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States since 1971.  The thread that binds the association is the concept that training and education can provide a launching pad to a better and more stable life for the workers who plant, tend, and harvest the crops that Americans consume at their tables.