Neill Callis

Vice Chair

Neill Callis is General Manager of Turlock Fruit Company, a family-owned and operated fresh produce grower / shipper / packer founded in 1918 by James “Cantaloupe” Smith. Neill joined the company in 2013 following a 17-year career as a project manager and systems engineer in the aerospace industry. As a member of the family management team, he now works alongside the 2nd (Don), 3rd (Steve), and 4th (Alec) generations of the Smith family operating the business, a grower/packer/shipper of honeydews, cantaloupes, mixed melons, and asparagus; the company also grows cherries, tomatoes, wheat, garlic, and almonds in Merced and Fresno counties.

Neill was elected to the Panoche Water District Board of Directors in 2022; has served on the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board since 2015 and on the Melon Research Board since 2017; in the Turlock community, he serves as a Chairman of Legacy Health Endowment, and on the boards of the Turlock Community Theatre, Turlock Regional Aviation Association, and the Stanislaus County Planning Commission. Neill holds a B A in Political Science from Elon College; a Graduate Certificate in Complex Space Systems and an M S in Management, both from the Stevens Institute of Technology.

Neill joined the Board in 2018, following in the footsteps of Steve Smith and Don Smith. He is married to Steve’s daughter Hilary, and they have two children, Daniel and Elin He is currently serving as Vice Chair.