Paul Cathcart

Paul was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from La Salle High School in Milwaukie, Oregon. He attended Whitman College, where he majored in French Literature with minors in Mathematics and Economics — ask him sometime how that eventually landed him growing tree fruit.

Paul spent nine years at Chiawana Orchards, where he learned farming on the job from a group of great mentors. Chief among them was his uncle, Bruce Allen, who had a habit of answering Paul’s questions with a question of his own: “What does the research say?” Bruce also encouraged him to start attending WTFRC research reviews and joining committees. Paul started working as an area manager and R&D coordinator for Washington Fruit in January of 2026.

That early push toward research stuck. Paul now sits on the Commission’s Technology Committee, serves on the board of directors of the International Fruit Tree Association, and is a trustee of the IFTA Research Foundation. He is excited to support research efforts that keep the industry viable. Agriculture is an important pillar of the region’s economy, and meeting the challenges of today’s economy will take both new technologies and better horticultural practices.

Outside of work, Paul can usually be found on a tennis court at the Yakima Tennis Club, before work or after, where he also sits on the board of directors. In the winter he skis at White Pass and chases the snow around the rest of the Pacific Northwest