MEET OUR TEAM
We are a team of veteran insect farmers, seasoned agriculturists, dedicated scientists, and pioneering engineers working towards a shared vision of a more sustainable food system.
David Fluker
Chief Executive Officer/Founder
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David Fluker is a second-generation insect farmer and CEO of both Fluker Farms and Soldier Fly Technologies. Under his leadership, Fluker Farms has grown into an internationally recognized brand as a leading live insect producer and pet product manufacturer. A pioneer in the industry, David was a founding member instrumental in forming NACIA - North American Coalition of Insect Agriculture and CIBI - The Center for Insect Biomanufacturing and Innovation. Recognizing the transformative potential of Black Soldier Flies early on, he secured the domain SoldierFly.com in 2005, positioning his companies at the forefront of sustainable biotechnology solutions.
Becca Cartier
Chief Engineer/Founder
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Becca is an experienced Mechanical Engineer and strong operations professional with a demonstrated history of thriving in agriculture, energy, flight test, and medical industries. She is skilled in Research and Development (R&D), Quality, New Product Introduction (NPI), Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt Certified), project management, programming, and data analysis.
Ben Runyon
Chief Engineer/Founder
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Ben is an accomplished Mechanical Engineer with demonstrated expertise in automotive, public works, food production, and agricultural industries. He is skilled in project management, design and fabrication, Research and Development (R&D), troubleshooting, programming as well as automation. Ben also works as a College Professor teaching Mechatronics and Robotics where he stays up-to-date on cutting-edge automation technology.
Vance Noland
Business Development/Founder
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Vance officially joined the Fluker Family insect business in 2017 as Director of Business Development. Fluker Farms is a majority owner of Soldier Fly Technologies. In addition to his lifelong connection to the farm, he brings a finance degree and several years of experience in management and operations to our team. The future of Soldier Fly Technologies looks bright as this third generation insect farmer brings his talents to the table!
"Being a third-generation Fluker, my childhood summers consisted of watching movies in the conference room and gathering pecans from the trees lining the farm driveway. I remember spending holidays with MiMi and Paw Paw Cricket and taking baby pictures with cricket boxes," shared Vance. "For as far back as I can remember, the farm has been a major part of my life. I am grateful for the many diverse experiences I've had and lessons I've learned."
Alex Fluker
Business Development
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Alex Fluker, a member of the third generation of the Fluker family, began his journey working with Fluker Farms and Soldier Fly Technologies in 2024. He is greatly inspired by the success and leadership of his father, David Fluker, who significantly grew the company to the industry leader it is today. Alex is committed to building upon this foundation and contributing to the ongoing prosperity of the family business, hoping to continue the tradition of excellence established by his father.
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Paul Parriera
Board Member/Founder
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Paul Parreira is a partner in Parreira Almond Processing Co., LLC, an almond hulling and shelling business serving over 24,000 acres of growers as well as 1,800 acres of their own. He is a partner in RPAC, LLC, an almond processing and marketing company supplying quality California almonds to customers in the United States and over 75 countries globally. Both companies are located in Los Banos, CA. Paul manages strategic planning, business development, sustainability and innovation for both. He is co-founder of HermetiaPro, a Black Soldier Fly vertical farming company, converting agriculture waste products into high protein livestock feed. He is a third generation Agriculturalist with over 40 years of experience in almond farming, hulling and shelling, processing and marketing, and byproduct market development and sales. Paul serves as Vice Chair of CDFA Feed Inspection Advisory Board, Vice Chair of Biomass Working Group with Almond Board of California, and Chair of Co-Products committee with Almond Alliance of California. He is a long-time member of the Merced County Spring Fair Board and helped found the Spring Fair Heritage Foundation. Paul is a graduate of California Agriculture Leadership Program, class of ‘44.
John Paul
Founder
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John is an entrepreneur with experience in several Central California agriculture markets. Raised in a fourth-generation family fruit tree business, he fell in love with the produce industry at an early age and earned a BA in Agricultural Business from Cal State Fresno. John worked in commercial produce procurement for Trader Joe’s and Kroger, then later moved into a role directing sales and marketing in the crop irrigation industry. Prior to joining the Soldier Fly Technologies team, he led business development for HermetiaPro.
Erik Neff
Chief Science Officer
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Erik received his Bachelor of Science from Augusta University in Ecology in 2015 and completed his Master of Science, with an emphasis of Vector-borne disease, from The University of Georgia in 2020. He joined the Fluker Farm and Soldier Fly Technologies team in 2020, where he began his position as the farm's entomologist and Chief Scientific Officer.
Erik has 7 years of working with insects, with expertise in Crickets, Superworms, Mealworms, Black Soldier Flies, Hissing Cockroaches, Dubia Roaches, Fruit Flies, Hornworms, and Mosquitoes.
Sam Furby
Board Member
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Sam has worked at Fluker’s for more than 20 years and now a Board Member of Soldier Fly Technologies. As Executive VP, he wears many hats. His main responsibility is sales, but he also plays a big part in marketing, new product development, and general management. One of Sam's favorite things about his job is he doesn't do the same thing over and over every day; there is always a new challenge or opportunity. "Because of those challenges, I've learned that you receive in proportion to what you give, which is true in most aspects of life as well. There’s nothing more satisfying than being involved in the evolution of a new product; from conception through placement, and then seeing the result of your efforts on store shelves across the entire country," shared Sam. When asked how he deals with advsersity, Sam said most would say he throws tantrums but he likes to call it "lively discussion of the adverse situation." (Funny guy!)
When asked who the biggest influence on his career has been, Sam explained, "Ironically, it would be David Fluker. He taught me how to argue and deflect blame. Even with our constant battling of wills, I am extremely proud of how far we've come as a company over the past 20 years in terms of both growth and our contributions to the pet industry. I know it's a cliche, but the company has become an extension of my family, with all the associated joy, tragedy, disagreements, and successes." Sam's wife, Suzanne, has been the biggest supporter of his career and everyday life. "I am intuitive, playful, sarcastic, and loyal; she’s the calming influence on my somewhat anxious personality," added Sam. Because Suzanne is an elected official their town, the two are involved in many community activities. Outside of work, Sam enjoys cooking, music, college football, ballroom dancing, golf, fishing, and is even an active participant in the pet industry in his personal life. "Chameleons have always interested me, and I have felt a personal connection with them. Their adaptive natures resonates with my salesman personality!" (What color are you today, Sam?!)
Damian Tweedy Entomologist
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Damian Tweedy has been working with insects since 2014 and entered the insect agriculture industry in 2018. Before joining Fluker Farms and Soldier Fly Technologies, he managed North America’s largest mealworm farm in Washington State, where he focused on understanding insect biology and building efficient, scalable production systems through process automation.
In 2023, Damian joined Fluker Farms in Louisiana as a Larval Production Scientist. In this role, he works to improve how insects are raised at scale, with a focus on efficiency, consistency, and long-term sustainability. His areas of expertise include diet formulation, process flow, insect biology, and data analysis.
At Fluker Farms, Damian oversees the day-to-day production of several insect species, including mealworms, superworms, and black soldier fly larvae. His work supports reliable production, continuous improvement, and the practical application of biology to real-world agricultural challenges.
David Greene
Legal Counsel
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David, who holds his JD from Louisiana State University Law Center and his BA from the University of Notre Dame, provides legal counsel to SFT whenever the need arises. His wide breadth of legal experience includes in-court litigation, transactional contract evaluation, and legal risk-management assessment. David has a particular passion for intellectual property and privately handles matters relating to the evolving AI and machine learning legal landscape. A longtime friend of the Fluker family, David is thrilled to be involved in the development of SFT.