Hanrahan to Lead Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission
August 23, 2018 
Ines Hanrahan
Ines Hanrahan was selected by the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission (WTFRC) as its new Executive Director. Hanrahan will provide administrative leadership, oversight for WTFRC staff, and contribute to strategic planning for the WTFRC.
Mike Willett, who has led the WTFRC since 2015, will continue with the Commission to complete several on-going projects and to support the management transition. He plans to leave the WTFRC in June 2019, after almost 40 years working with the tree fruit industry of the Pacific Northwest.
“We are very pleased that we could attract Dr. Hanrahan to this position. In the 49-year history of the WTFRC, she is only the fourth director, following George Ing, Dr. Jim McFerson, and Dr. Mike Willett,” Jim Doornink, current WTFRC board chairman and longtime Yakima area tree fruit producer, said. “Dr. Hanrahan has an outstanding track record when it comes to being able to anticipate, evaluate and react to short- and long-term industry needs.”
Hanrahan grew up in East Germany and studied horticultural engineering at Humboldt University in Berlin (degree completed in 1999). In 2005, she received a Ph.D. in postharvest physiology from Washington State University (WSU) and subsequently joined the WTFRC as a Project Manager. In that position, she managed collaborative research projects on fruit quality, storage technology, and food safety.
Although her recent focus has been on pre- and postharvest physiology of tree fruits, Hanrahan has broad experience in processes and practices in fruit, vegetable, and nursery production from the grower to the consumer. She has gained valuable practical and multicultural experience in Europe, South Africa, and the U.S., building an active worldwide network with scientists and extension professionals. She has also been an active member of the WSU tree fruit Extension team.
“She has a wealth of knowledge developed through her education and experience, but she also brings a broad perspective and an energetic dedication to address challenges facing growers,” Jim McFerson, currently Director of the WSU Wenatchee Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center, said. “She understands fruit production systems and the horticultural, physiological, and socioeconomic issues facing tree fruit industries regionally and worldwide.”
Hanrahan says she plans to maintain an aggressive approach to problem-solving as an organization to manage challenges — such as changing consumer demands, compliance with federal food safety regulations, rapidly expanding production in organic systems, and implementation of digital and engineering technologies — faced by industry stakeholders.
She says she is dedicated to connecting with the next generation of industry professionals, both as a mentor and as an industry leader, setting a positive example for an increasingly diverse workforce. Hanrahan believes this approach will enable the WTFRC to stay relevant and provide outstanding value, throughout the entire tree fruit industry.
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