Walla Walla Community College officials in Washington state have hired Idaho winery owner and operator Martin Fujishin as director of the school’s enology and viticulture program and its teaching winery.

Fujishin will move to Walla Walla but retain primary ownership of his southwest Idaho winery operations, in which employees will take on new management roles, he told Capital Press.

He starts his job at the college June 3.

“It’s a real privilege to be part of a program with such a great history,” Fujishin said.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to build on the strong support for this program in the Walla Walla community, and continuing to provide outstanding employees for wineries around the Northwest, as Walla Walla’s program has done since 2003,” he said.

He is managing winemaker and principal owner of Fujishin Family Cellars, the Wilder, Idaho,  parent of the Fujishin Estate and Free Dog Wines brands. The business was started in 2009.

Employees Drake Kuykendall and Brittany Woodworth will take on additional management responsibilities. Fujishin will turn over winemaking to Jill Hawkins, who has served as assistant winemaker and viticulturist. Management oversight will remain with Fujishin and Teresa Moye.

Moye, who is co-founder and operations director as well as Fujishin’s fiance, will be based in Walla Walla and travel to Wilder as needed.

“The goal is to keep our operations here in Idaho very similar to what they have been the last 15 years, and to continue to grow both of our wine brands going forward,” Fujishin said.

Revenue growth has averaged 9-10% annually since the business started, he said. About 20 people work at the business, including full- and part-time staff.

Fujishin grew up on a family farm. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the College of Idaho. He started in the wine industry in 2003, working in a winery’s tasting room and later as its assistant winemaker.

From 2009 to 2013, he taught viticulture and enology at Treasure Valley Community College in Idaho. He has worked as a winery and vineyard consultant, and contributed to the production of many wines in the West.

At Walla Walla Community College, a search committee that includes local wine industry leaders endorsed Fujishin, according to a news release from the college.

His experience at a community college and as a winemaker, winery owner and industry consultant makes him “the ideal fit for Walla Walla Community College and the Walla Walla Valley wine community,” said Chad Hickox, the college’s president.

“As a longtime member of the Northwest wine community, I’ve had the good fortune to see its growth and development over the past two decades. It’s been a great adventure,” Fujishin said. “I’m looking forward to the next chapter and to educating and informing WWCC students on every aspect of our industry.”

The school’s Institute for Enology and Viticulture has graduated more than 400 winemakers, grape growers, sales people and entrepreneurs since it was founded in 2000.