Ron Caird (Ornamental Horticulture, ’65), owner and CEO of Por La Mar Nursery in Santa Barbara, was celebrated as the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences’ 2023 Honored Alumni nominee on Oct. 27. Caird has invested time, experience and financial support in the college’s Plant Sciences Department, as well as other departments given his multigenerational Cal Poly legacy. He has been engaged with advisory councils, currently serving on the Plant Sciences Department advisory council and formerly chairing the council.

Por La Mar has now welcomed the third generation of the Caird family with the addition of three grandchildren to its operational leadership ranks, all of whom attended Cal Poly in various CAFES’ majors (as did several of the second generation). Throughout both his children’s and grandchildren’s time as students, Caird visited campus regularly to speak to classes and clubs.