Monroe. These legends will be brought to life by the performers as they sing their classics, including: “I Want to be Loved by You,” “Come Fly With Me,” “That’s Amore” and “The Candy Man.” You’ll experience the glitz and glamour of 1960s Las Vegas in this fun, energetic showcase of Rat Pack standards. The next day kicks off with AgSharks®, one of the highlights of the Annual Meeting. Starting at 9:30 a.m., watch as three entrepreneurial finalists in the agtech sector vie for investment to help bring their technologies to market. During this year’s competition, three finalists will be able to pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop growers, shippers and processors to potentially win a $250,000 minimum investment. A judging panel of growers and venture capitalists from WG partner S2G Ventures will make the final decision as to which of the finalists are eligible to receive the funding. The Chair’s Luncheon and Keynote will take place on Friday, Nov. 4. The keynote will be delivered by Admiral William McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy Four-Star Admiral. He is a recognized national authority on U.S. foreign policy and has advised Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and other leaders on defense issues. During his time in the military, McRaven commanded special operations forces at every level, eventually taking charge of the U.S. Special Operations Command. His career included combat during Desert Storm and both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He commanded the troops that captured Saddam Hussein and rescued Captain Richard Phillips. McRaven also is credited with developing the plan and leading the Osama bin Laden mission in 2011. In addition, McRaven served as the Chancellor of the University of Texas System. McRaven oversaw 14 institutions that educated 220,000 students and employed 20,000 faculty and more than 80,000 health care professionals, researchers and staff. He currently serves on the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the National Football Foundation and the Board of Directors of CoconoPhilips. McRaven is the author of four books, including “SPEC OPS: Case Studies in Special Operations Warfare” and “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can
Change Your Life and Maybe the World,” based on his 2014 University of Texas Commencement Speech that received worldwide attention. His third book, “Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations,” released in 2019, is a remarkable memoir full of inspiring and action-packed stories from McRaven’s life in the special operations world. His most recent book, “The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived,” released in April 2021, is a tribute to the real, everyday heroes from battlefields to hospitals to college campuses, who are doing their part to save the world.
experts from the plant genetics industry, growers and retail/food service executives to assess the viability—economic, regulatory, and consumer/social—of cutting-edge breeding techniques. These technologies present opportunities in terms of enhanced flavors and eating experiences, as well as a potential solution to multiple challenges facing the produce industry, from pest and disease vulnerabilities to the need to enable automation and more. The events of Nov. 4 will close with the Award of Honor Reception and Dinner honoring John C. Harris, the President and Chair of the Board, Harris Farms. The Award of Honor is Western Growers’ highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community. With more than 50 years’ experience in ranching, farming, hospitality and thoroughbred horse racing, Harris embodies the diversity of California agribusiness. The Harris Farms Group includes Harris Fresh and the Harris Farms Thoroughbred Division, in addition to the landmark property known to all Californians on the I-5. The Award of Honor will join numerous other significant awards Harris has received; in 1988 he was named Livestock Man of the Year by his peers in the ranching industry, and in 2014 he received the Agriculturalist of the Year award from the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. He received an honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the California State University at Fresno in 2019. The Annual Meeting will close on Saturday, Nov. 5, with the traditional Western Growers Golf Tournament. This year’s event will take place at the Revere Golf Course, with registration and breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. There will be a Shotgun Start at 8 a.m., and the event will wrap up with awards and lunch at 12:30 p.m. Transportation to and from The Venetian will be provided. Cash in your chips and join us today by registering at wgannualmeeting.com. (We had to get one more Las Vegas pun in here, sorry!) For more information about registration or to take advantage of sponsorship opportunities, please contact Assistant Vice President, Membership Kim Sherman at ksherman@wga.com.
PAC Lunch Speaker Karl Rove
Keynote Speaker Adm. William McRaven
McRaven graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 1977 with a degree in journalism and received his master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey in 1991. He met his wife, Georgeann, while they were students at UT Austin, and they have three grown children. After the keynote, the Annual Meeting will offer another Featured Session: “The Promises and Challenges of New Breeding Technologies.” This session will feature
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SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2022
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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