WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2018
CRAIG A. READE, Chairman RONALD RATTO, Senior Vice Chair RYAN TALLEY, Vice Chair STEPHEN F. DANNA, Treasurer CAROL CHANDLER, Executive Secretary THOMAS A. NASSIF, President DIRECTORS – 2018 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California JOSEPH E. AIELLO Uesugi Farms, Inc., Gilroy, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Vanguard International, Bakersfield, California MIKE ANTLE Tanimura and Antle, Salinas, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP,Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BRIAN BERTELSEN Cove Ranch Management, Reedley, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California DON CAMERON Terranova Ranch, Helm, California EDWIN A. CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LAWRENCEW. COX Coastline Family Farms, Salinas, California STEPHEN F. DANNA Danna Farms, Inc.,Yuba City, California JOHN C. D’ARRIGO D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Salinas, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California SAMUEL D. DUDA Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, California CATHERINE A. FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID L. GILL Rio Farms, King City, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Irvine, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens,Thermal, California LORRI KOSTER Mann Packing Company, Inc., Salinas, California FRED P. LOBUE, JR. LoBue Bros., Inc., Lindsay, California FRANK MACONACHY Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, California JOHN S. MANFRE Frank Capurro and Son, Moss Landing, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California JOHN MCPIKE California Giant, Inc., Santa Maria, California TOMMULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California KEVIN MURPHY Driscoll’s Inc.,Watsonville, California MARK NICKERSON PrimeTime International, Coachella, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California KEVIN E. PASCOE Grimmway Enterprises Inc., Bakersfield, California GARY J. PASQUINELLI Pasquinelli Produce Company,Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California RONALD A. RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona WILL ROUSSEAU Rousseau Farming Company,Tolleson, Arizona VICTOR SMITH JV Smith Companies,Yuma, Arizona RYANTALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C.TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California JACKVESSEY Vessey and Company Inc., Holtville, California STUARTWOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROBYRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
TOM NASSIF | PRESIDENT AND CEO, WESTERN GROWERS PRESIDENT’S NOTES
The High Calling of Statesmanship: John McCain
Several years ago, I opined in this column about the need for fewer politicians and more statesmen; individuals who are willing to look at more than ideology; individuals who are willing to roll up their sleeves and reach across the aisle; individuals who are willing to take political risk for the greater good that can be achieved. In our nation’s history, we have many examples. I think of Daniel Webster, one of the greatest politicians in American history, who staked his reputation and career on an oration he gave before the Senate in 1850. In his Seventh of March Speech, Webster spoke, “not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but as an American,” in his fervent defense of the Compromise of 1850, a deal that held the union together for another decade before the inevitable Civil War. While he recognized the principled positions of those among his colleagues who abhorred the Compromise, Webster was certain that rejection of the deal would likely precipitate a civil war, a horror he desperately sought to avoid. And what was the price of his patriotism? Subsequently viewed as a traitor to the South by his New England political base, Webster soon thereafter resigned from the Senate. Our disdain for the state of our modern politics may make it easy to overlook statesmen in our midst. I place Senator John McCain in that special class. He has always put America first in more than 60 years of service to our country. First, as a naval aviator who was shot down over Hanoi, captured and imprisoned for six years during the Vietnam War, despite offers of an early release (his
father was the commander of all U.S. forces in the Vietnam theater). In the face of unrelenting and harrowing torture, McCain demonstrated moral courage and refused to accept repatriation until every man taken before him had been released. The fortitude that defined McCain as a naval officer has also defined his political career. Over the past 35 years, McCain has rightfully earned the “maverick” moniker. As the successor to conservative icon Barry Goldwater, he has carved his own path, willing to break from the herd in service to his principles. This was often evident when it came to large federal spending requests—even for defense programs—and many a supplicant for the taxpayers’ dollars felt the sting of McCain’s pointed criticisms. McCain leaned toward tough but necessary compromise when he joined the “Gang of 14” in 2005, a bipartisan Senatorial construct designed to break the gridlock over President George W. Bush’s court nominees. In 2013, he joined yet another gang, this time the “Gang of Eight.” During this time, I had the opportunity to work closely with the Senator on immigration reform in an attempt to resolve the accelerating crisis of labor shortages in agriculture. I recall appreciating that his heart was always in the right place. For McCain, it has never been about the politics— which can chip away at even the noblest of intentions—which is why I think he has worked well with Democrats at key moments. During the tense negotiations, urgent issues would often come up, and McCain was always willing to accept a meeting, even at the last minute. Whenever we differed, we would both jump on the Straight Talk Express,
4 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com MARCH | APRIL 2018
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