Honorary Degrees
Bruce Taylor
For more than four decades, Bruce Taylor has been an influential and passionate leader in Monterey County. He has also been long recognized as a leader and innovator in the agricultural industry.
Mr. Taylor is a third-generation produce grower-marketer in the Salinas Valley. Currently he serves as chairman and chief executive officer of Taylor Fresh Foods and Taylor Farms California, both of which he founded. Taylor Fresh Foods is now the largest supplier of fresh-cut salad products in the United States. The company operates worldwide, with nine production facilities in North America and operations in Australia and New Zealand.
Mr. Taylor has been with Taylor Farms since 1994. He serves as an advisor at Footbridge Partners, as chairman of Taylor Farms Florida and as a director of River Point Farms. Mr. Taylor served as chairman and chief executive officer of Fresh Express. He also served as co-chairman of Fresh International Corporation from 1981 to 1994.
Mr. Taylor is heavily engaged in the City of Salinas and Monterey County, where he and his company have contributed time, energy and resources to healthcare, educational improvement and the economic development of the region.
Mr. Taylor has also made numerous contributions to the success of students at California State University, Monterey Bay, through his company’s scholarship program and through his partnership with the university and various community organizations. His experiences make him an excellent role model for CSU Monterey Bay students.
Over the years, many organizations have recognized Mr. Taylor for his work, including Forbes with the 2015 Impact Award for Leadership bestowed to Mr. Taylor and the Produce Marketing Association that tapped Mr. Taylor for the Robert L. Carey Leadership Award in 2015 for his commitment to courage, community and character. Taylor Farms has earned several outstanding awards under Mr. Taylor’s leadership, including being the first fresh food inductor to achieve TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) Platinum Certification in 2018 and the first-ever McDonald’s “Self-Managed Excellence” award for outstanding leadership in food, safety, quality and sustainability.
In recognition of his distinguished career, many accomplishments and work to advance equality and educational attainment at both the local and national levels, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, Monterey Bay are proud to confer upon Bruce Taylor the honorary degree of Doctor of Science.