Hide 'N Seek

Basil E. Mills

BASIL E. MILLS is Founder and President of Mills Distributing Company, a grower and shipper of fresh vegetables headquartered in Salinas since 1958. (The company is now know as Mills Family Farms) Mr. Mills has resided in Salinas since 1953 after completing his military service as Sergeant in the United States Army. He worked for Walter S. Markham, Producer Broker, and Royal Packing Company, a Grower-Shipper, prior to founding Mills Distributing Company in March 1958.

Mr. Mills is Past-Chairman of Western Growers Association and served on the Board from 1985 through 2001. He is Past-Chairman of the Grower-Shipper Vegetable Association of Central California, Past-President of the Community Foundation for Monterey County, a member and Past-President of Salinas Rotary Club and past Board Member of the Center of Community Advocacy, F.O.O.D. Crops, Inc. (now know as Ag Against Hunger) and Friends of the Monterey County Fair.

Mr. Mills currently is president of the National Steinbeck Center and serves on the Boards of Trustees of the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Panetta Institute for Public Policy. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hide ‘N Seek Children‘s Foundation, Children’s Services International Children’s Cabinet and Kinship Center’s Circle of Champions. Basil also serves on the President’s Council of the California State University Monterey Bay and is a member of the Executive Committee of the United Way of Monterey County and chairs its Alexis de Tocqueville Society. Mr. Mills is a member of the Advisory Boards of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation’s First Tee, the Salvation Army Salinas Corps, Legal Services for Seniors and the Foundation for Monterey County Free Libraries.

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2-2-2-2/Mills Family Farms Bio Briefs

Mr. Mills has received numerous awards for his commitments to the community, among them are:

Salinas Area Chamber of Commerce – Citizen of the Year, 1998
Salinas Area Chamber of Commerce – Ag Leadership Award,1993
The Community Foundation for Monterey County – Distinguished Trustee, 1996
California State University, Monterey Bay – Distinguished Fellow in Agribusiness, 1999
Monterey Bay Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America – Humanitarian Good Turn Award, 1999
Center for Community Advocacy – Ben Heller Award for Leadership and Courage, 1999
Western Grower Association – Award of Honor 2002

In 1996 Basil and his wife Eve were named Volunteers of the Year by the United Way of Salinas Valley, and were also honored that year as Philanthropists of the Year by the Development Executives Network and the National Society of Fundraising Executives, Monterey Bay Chapter.

Mills Distributing Company was the recipient of the 1988 Salinas Area Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Agribusiness and the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce 1997 Outstanding Business of the year (25 or more employees).

Basil is a member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Corral de Tierra and the Episcopal Diocese of El Camino Real Foundation. His wife Eve passed away February 16, 2000. They have four grown children, Dave, Jim, Sue and Kathy, and eight grandchildren. In his spare time Basil enjoys reading, traveling and playing golf.