Mr Ponder was one of the eight grower-elected directors on the NZAGA and AIC Board since 2005.
He and his wife Nicky have an 11-hectare avocado orchard investment in the Coromandel district, and more recently have purchased a 26-hectare property in Tauranga with existing avocado, berry and kiwifruit.
Mr Ponder also has commercial kiwifruit interests acting as an independent director for a large family-based avocado and kiwifruit orchard and packing company in the Bay of Plenty.
His day to day responsibilities include director and chief executive officer of avocado, berry and kiwifruit exporter Southern Produce Limited. In this role, Mr Ponder is involved in the strategic oversight of the groups export and domestic business including the Avoco/Avanza joint venture with Primor Produce and Team Avocado.
He is a director of several related collaborations and joint venture entities associated with avocado trading and investment.
"The New Zealand avocado industry is experiencing a period of impressive growth - a huge part of that being due to the work being undertaken to achieve Primary Growth Partnership Go Global goal of quadrupling sales and trebling productivity by 2023," Mr Ponder said.
NZAGA grower representative Linda Flegg was elected as the vice chair of the association.
She was elected to the board in 2016 and is the At Large region grower representative and was an avocado grower on the Kauri Point Peninsula in Bay of Plenty.
Her family operate their avocado and kiwifruit orchard businesses in Katikati.
