NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019
WGA.COM WESTERN GROWER SHIPPER
TOM NASSIF, President & CEO 2002 – 2020 Always the Advocate Nassif Takes His Place in Western Growers History TOM NASSIF, President & CEO 2002 – 2020
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WESTERN GROWER SHIPPER NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019 WGA.COM
10 Agriculture Provides Gateway to Achieve American Dream 14 NASSIF TAKES HIS PLACE INWESTERN GROWERS HISTORY Always the Advocate 28 THE ADVOCATES A Week in the Life of Western Growers’ DC Lobbyists 32 Together, We Can Create a Booming AgTech Ecosystem 38 THEIR POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE WAY WE TRANSPORT FOOD The Future World of Autonomous Vehicles
WESTERN GROWER & SHIPPER Published Since 1929
Volume XC Number 6
To enhance the competitiveness and profitability of Western Growers members
Thomas A. Nassif President Western Growers tnassif@wga.com Editor Tim Linden Champ Publishing 925.258.0892 tlinden@wga.com Contributors Cory Lunde 949.885.2264 clunde@wga.com Chardae Heim 949.885.2279 cheim@wga.com Production Diane Mendez 949.885.2372 dmendez@wga.com Circulation Marketing 949.885.2248 marketing@wga.com Advertising Sales Dana Davis Champ Publishing 302.750.4662 danadavis@epix.net Stephanie Metzinger 949.885.2256 smetzinger@wga.com
DEPARTMENTS 4 President’s Notes 8 Director Profile 36 Agriculture & the Law 40 Science & Technology 42
Western Growers Assurance Trust Western Growers Connections
44 45
Contact Us 46 Insurance Corner
Western Grower & Shipper ISSN 0043-3799, Copyright © 2019 by the Western Grower & Shipper is published bi-monthly by Western Grower & Shipper Publishing Company, a division of Western Growers Service Corp., 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618. Business and Editorial Offices: 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618.Accounting and Circulation Offices:Western Grower & Shipper, 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618. Call (949) 863-1000 to subscribe. Subscription is $18 per year. Foreign subscription is $36 per year. Single copies of recent issues, $1.50. Single copies of issues more than three months old, $2. Single copies ofYearbook issue $4. Periodicals postage is paid in Irvine, California and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Western Grower & Shipper , PO Box 2130, Newport Beach, California 92658.
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WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2019
RON RATTO, Chairman RYAN TALLEY, Senior Vice Chair ALBERT KECK, Vice Chair CAROL CHANDLER, Treasurer VICTOR SMITH, Executive Secretary THOMAS A. NASSIF, President DIRECTORS – 2019 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California ALEXANDRA ALLEN Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Vanguard International, Bakersfield, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP,Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BARDIN E. BENGARD Bengard Ranch, Salinas, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California NEILL CALLIS Turlock Fruit Company,Turlock, 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 FRANZW. DE KLOTZ Richard Bagdasarian Inc., Mecca, 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 BRANDON A. GRIMM Grimmway Farms, Arvin, California JOHN JACKSON Beachside Produce, LLC, Nipomo, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Irvine, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens,Thermal, 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 TOMMULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California ALEXANDERT. MULLER Pasquinelli Produce Co.,Yuma, Arizona DOMINIC J. MUZZI Muzzi Family Farms, LLC, Moss Landing, California MARK NICKERSON PrimeTime International, Coachella, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California RON RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California ERICT. REITER Reiter Affiliated Companies, Oxnard, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona WILL ROUSSEAU Rousseau Farming Company,Tolleson, Arizona VICTOR SMITH JV Smith Companies,Yuma, Arizona KELLY STRICKLAND Five Crowns, Inc., Brawley, California RYANTALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C.TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California STUARTWOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROBYRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
TOM NASSIF | PRESIDENT AND CEO, WESTERN GROWERS PRESIDENT’S NOTES
How Do You Measure a Career? I have discovered that as I near retirement, I have become more introspective. The song, “Seasons of Love,” asks a thoughtful question: “How do you measure a year?” Lately, I have found myself asking a similar philosophical question: “How do you measure a career?”
On February 1, 2020, I will step down as president and the chief executive officer of Western Growers. The date will mark 18 years of service to the fresh produce industry, in what has been a fitting capstone to a God-inspired career that has taken me from the green fields of the Imperial Valley to the hallowed halls of the Reagan White House to the exotic shores of North Africa, and back again. Every decision I have made in my career has been prayerfully considered by my loving wife and me, and I have always been driven by the desire to impact the lives of others. Like the multi-generational farming families I have been honored to represent for the past 18 years, my intention has always been to leave a lasting legacy for the next generation, to make the world a better place for our children and grandchildren. Practically speaking, during my tenure at Western Growers, my focus has been on enhancing the competitiveness and profitability of our member companies, ensuring that we have a viable industry capable of thriving for decades to come. Achieving this goal has required strengthening the capacity of our association to serve our members. Western Growers was founded nearly a century ago on the concept of strength in numbers, and over the years has played a significant role in shaping the fresh produce landscape. Since taking over in 2002, my motivation has been to build on this tradition and solidify Western Growers’ position as one of the leading grower-based
trade associations in the country. Today, Western Growers is a leader in food safety, labor and immigration, water, business insurance and employee benefits, technology and innovation, and in many other areas. Our organization is politically influential, financially resilient, and poised to achieve even greater gains for the industry. I am proud of our accomplishments as an association and confident in our future. To what do I attribute such success, and why do I view our outlook with such certainty? The answer to both questions is the same: our staff and board. The enduring greatness of Western Growers stems from our deeply knowledgeable, extremely passionate, highly motivated staff and an equally impressive and committed board. Our board of directors is unparalleled in the industry in that it is comprised almost exclusively of decision-makers, which means we can address any matter in any board meeting and walk out of the room ready to act. Simply put, the makeup of our board gives us clout. However, as you can imagine with a room full of owners and CEOs, there are many strong personalities involved. I have often been asked if I would prefer to lead an army of generals or soldiers, to which I unequivocally answer: “Generals.” Recall that both Presidents Eisenhower and Lincoln assembled war councils made up of strategic-minded and battle-hardened generals committed to the successful conclusion of World War II and the
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Civil War. What better leaders to emulate? Similarly, one of our greatest assets as an association is the strength of our board; we have talented men and women who set aside their personal interests to serve as dedicated advocates for our industry and faithful stewards of our members’ resources. Make no mistake, we are fighting a war. Everyday, we go into battle against adversaries who seek to restrict, eliminate even, our ability to operate at a profit. Without the collective engagement of the generals on our board, success would be elusive for Western Growers and the fresh produce industry. Beyond the service of our board members, Western Growers has been blessed with the visionary leadership of a number of five-star generals, our board chairs. Ninety-four individuals have taken up the mantle since the founding of our association, each one standing on the shoulders of the giants who have come before them. Over the years, our chairmen have helped to chart the course of our association and deserve to be recognized for their unique contributions. In particular, I owe a debt of gratitude to each of the 18 chairmen I have worked with as president & CEO, all of whom I hold in the highest professional regard, many of whom I call close personal friends.
This atmosphere of respect and camaraderie defines the Western Growers family, which is what we are at the end of the day, part of the same family. Our membership is made up of family businesses, and our mission at Western Growers is to help our members pass their farming legacies down to the next generation. Here is where my optimism comes in. Nothing is more inspiring than to observe the pool of talented young family members rising through the ranks of our member companies. Nine years ago, we set out to identify the next generation of leaders in our membership and prepare them for potential service on the board. Now, six graduates of our Future Volunteer Leaders Program sit on the board, in addition to several other “next generation” board members. The fresh perspectives these younger board members bring to the table will ensure that our association stays ahead of the curve and our members remain competitive and profitable for years to come. I still don’t know if I have an answer to the question of how to measure a career. But I do know for certain that the state of our association is strong and the future of our industry is in good hands, which gives me great satisfaction and comfort as I turn over the reins at Western Growers.
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CALIFORNIA DIRECTOR PROFILE
Dominic J. Muzzi CEO/COO Muzzi Family Farms, LLC Moss Landing, CA
Member Since 1984 | Director Since 2018
Ag Career Was Always On Tap
CATCHING THE FARMING BUG: When Dominic Muzzi was six years old, his father put him on top of a tractor and let him drive it. From that day on, he knew he would take up the family business and specialty agriculture would be his career choice. He worked in the family farming operation throughout his youth and after one year at Hartnell College in Salinas, he joined the company full time in 1983 at the age of 19. Today, Dominic works alongside his sister, Lisa Muzzi, and his father, Dominic Sr., running the operation, which consists of a handful of entities. THE BACK STORY: Dominic Sr. and his future wife, Martha, met in Pescadero, north of Santa Cruz, where Martha grew up and Dominic had family connections. In fact, both families farmed the area and it is where Dominic Sr. started his career as a farmer with his family.
family and farmed the land. They added a roadside stand in 1975 and altered their crop rotation as opportunities arose, but no major changes occurred as the company concentrated on building their reputation as a top quality and service-oriented organization. CHANGING WITH THE TIMES: Since the mid-‘80s, the Muzzi family has changed its business model, added new entities and thrived as a processor and sales agent for both fresh and frozen specialty vegetables. The business model began to change as Dominic and then Lisa became more involved in the company. In the mid-1980s, the family stopped farming the ground they owned but rather leased the land and became a sales agent for other growers. In 1984, Watsonville Produce Inc. was formed to handle cooling, sales and shipping of vegetables grown on area farms. Through the ‘90s, partnerships were formed with many growers and companies as the company became a co-packer, as the value-added revolution took center stage. Dominic Jr. modestly admits the company was not a pioneer in the movement but was an early adopter and provided co-packing services for several other companies as they dipped their toes in the value-added category. Along the way, they added a cooling and shipping facility in Yuma, the Red River Fresh Produce Facility Two decades later, in 2007, the family business became the managing partners of Blue Ribbon Frozen Foods, LLC in Watsonville to process, freeze and pack locally grown vegetables. In 2012, they added a sales division, Muzzi Family Farms, and began selling the products they were packing and cooling, both on the fresh and frozen side. Dominic says there are some synergies on the growing side between fresh and frozen vegetables, with many of the growers supplying both and the frozen facility does give
But in 1964, the young couple moved 60 miles south to Moss Landing and began their own farming company with Martha’s father growing Brussels sprouts, English peas, fava beans, broccoli and cauliflower. They also began their family with Dominic Jr. coming first followed a few years later by Lisa. A STABLE OPERATION: For the next 20 years, the Muzzis raised their
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assignments, including when he graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and while he was stationed in Florida. They also are very much looking forward to the 2019 Western Growers Annual Meeting in Hawaii. THE FUTURE OF AG: Like most in the California agricultural business, Dominic is an optimist. He acknowledges that producing food in the Golden State is a challenge with seemingly new hurdles to jump every year. “It is getting more challenging with labor and water issues and new regulations,” he said. “We’ve been doing this for 50+ years and we plan to continue.” WESTERN GROWERS CONNECTION: The company has been a member of Western Growers for many years but it was only in 2018 that Dominic got actively involved in the organization as a member of the Board of Directors. “It is very interesting and helpful to interact with the other board members who have different commodities and are growing in different regions. It is very good to be exposed to other ideas and hear how others are dealing with their concerns and the issues we all face.”
growers an extra option for their excess production. Continuing its steady growth, earlier this year, Muzzi Family Farms, in partnership with Coastline Family Farms, launched C&M Family Cooling LLC, a cold storage and shipping facility in Castroville, CA. STILL A FAMILY AFFAIR: While 77-year-old Dominic Sr. is phasing out of day-to-day management, he still serves as the president of Watsonville Produce and is still an important member of the family team. Dominic Jr. spends most of his time managing the numerous entities, which include the multiple fresh cooling and shipping plants, the frozen vegetable operation as well as the sales team. Each facility has its own senior manager in place. He calls Lisa the “hub” of the organization as she handles administration, the IT (information technology) department and accounting. Dominic considers the Muzzi Family Farms’ operations a small player in specialty agriculture especially when compared to the very large companies in the industry. But with the company’s many different entities, he does allow that maybe they are a medium size operation. “Among all of our entities, we sell about 10-12 million packages a year,” he said. FAMILY LIFE: Dominic Jr. and his wife, Casey, live on the Muzzi Family Farm in the same house in which Dominic grew up. The two met at the annual rodeo in
Brawley, where Casey also grew up in a farming family. “We have no kids, but lots of animals,” Dominic said. For fun, the couple love to travel and have spent many vacations following the career of a nephew who is a pilot in the Air Force. They have visited him at many of his
Wishing you many years of happy retirement. Congratulations Tom!
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Agriculture Provides Gateway to Achieve American Dream
By Stephanie Metzinger T he American Dream, the idea that anyone, regardless of social class or location of birth, can attain prosperity through perseverance and hard work, has inspired the migration of millions of people from around the world to the United States. Though the term was not officially coined until it appeared in James Truslow Adams’ best-selling novel, “Epic of America,” in 1931, the concept has been deeply rooted in our nation’s history since before its inception, and has formed the foundation of its success. This dream is achievable largely through the opportunities offered by America’s employers, in particular, the agriculture industry. A recent Feeding the Economy study revealed that 22.8 million of all U.S. jobs are directly related to food and agriculture, representing approximately 15 percent of all U.S. employment. Even more significantly, agriculture provides jobs
and opportunities for immigrants to take the first step on the American Economic Ladder. These immigrants travel from Mexico and other countries looking for higher- paying opportunities that will allow them to utilize their skills while building a secure future for their families. According to a study conducted by the University of California, a worker paid on a piece-rate basis could earn up to $45 per hour—an amount well above wages available in Mexico and elsewhere around the world. The research also showed that the fastest worker in a crew was capable of four to eight times the performance of the slowest, demonstrating that hard work results in higher wages and upward mobility. In addition to providing employment, many farms take it one step further to enrich the lives of their employees. Western Growers recently released its 2019 Professional Compensation & HR
Practices Survey, which compiles and analyzes exclusive data on base pay, incentive pay, merit increases and health plan coverages for the California and Arizona produce industry. The results revealed that of the WG members who participated in the survey: • 93% offer a health plan coverage • 77% offer a 401(K) retirement plan to field workers • 61% offer an annual bonus plan to field workers This data demonstrates that agriculture cares for its people, provides opportunities for immigrant families and sustains rural communities. Farmers are continually developing programs that enrich the lives of all their employees—everyone from the field to the office. The following are just a few of the countless initiatives launched by WG members to build a positive company culture for their workers:
Tanimura & Antle created the Employee Stock Ownership Plan, becoming first grower-shipper in U.S. history to share company ownership with all qualified, domestic employees.
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1. Christopher Ranch’s Commitment to Balancing Work and Family As the only family-owned commercial garlic farm in the country, Christopher Ranch understands the importance of balancing work and having a family. The farm offers on-site daycare to its 1,000 employees—900 who work at the company’s headquarters in Gilroy, Calif. In fact, Christopher Ranch is the first agricultural operation in the state to partner with the federal government and operate a Head Start Preschool. “We provide the facility, they provide the instructors and our employees have a great place for their kids to be while they are at work,” said Ken Christopher, executive vice president of Christopher Ranch. 2. Tanimura & Antle Now Family AND Employee Owned In 2017, Salinas Valley grower-shipper Tanimura & Antle launched an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), allowing employees to become partial owners of the company. Last year, on the first anniversary of the ESOP, the company deposited $21.7 million into the plan on behalf of its employees, which represented nearly 18 percent of wages. This first payment allowed the ESOP to distribute shares of stocks to all eligible employees. Tanimura & Antle is proud of the fact that the majority of these contributions go to the company’s farm and harvest employees. “For these employees, such a large start towards a company-sponsored retirement plan, in addition to their preexisting 401(k) Plan, is a game changer,” said CEO
Scott Grabau in a press release. “Labor is, and will continue to be, one of the industry’s greatest challenges. We are proud of the employees who chose to join the Tanimura & Antle family and look forward to adding new employee owners each year.” According to Tanimura & Antle, the company is one of the first grower- shippers in the United States to share company ownership with all qualified, domestic employees. 3. DFF University Encourages Employees to GrowTheir Careers Duncan Family Farms created an employee education program called DFF University to help team members advance their skills and grow their careers. The purpose of the university is to help team members develop the skills that will allow them to grow within the business. “As a fifth-generation Arizona farmer, there’s many things I learned frommy father and the thing that stuck with me the most is to value our people,” said Sean Duncan, supply chain manager at Duncan Family Farms. “That’s one of the reasons why we started Duncan Family Farms University.” Paving the way for standardized employee education across the farm’s seven locations, DFF University covers everything from management practices, technical skills, operational expertise, language skills, team collaboration and mentorship. The university also prepares employees for purposeful, sustainable company growth, as well as offers an archive of courses where team members can explore their own
passions and interests. “I recently started DFF University, where I’m learning English right now,” said Francisco Gonzalez, food safety crew leader for Duncan Family Farms. “Every night at home, I spend 30 minutes teaching and speaking English with my daughter and my wife. I hope to be a better leader and one day become a manager at Duncan Family Farms.” 4. Andrew & Williamson’s Workplace Initiatives Increase Retention Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce has implemented numerous workplace initiatives throughout their farms that improve the lives of workers and have significantly increased retention. “Our farmworkers are so important to us. We’ve developed unique programs to ensure that we benefit their lives in different ways other than just a paycheck,” said Jackie Vazquez, director of operations at Andrew & Williamson’s Sundance Berry Farm. The company started a program with the Food Bank of Monterey County where harvesters can pick up their allotment of healthy and nutritious food right at their workplace. Rather than standing in line and missing work to pick up fruits, vegetables, proteins, diaries and breads for them and their families, the Food Bank and Andrew & Williamson have farmworkers’ food delivered to the farm and available for pick up after their shift. Additionally, Andrew & Williamson has developed a host of programs geared toward supporting women farmworkers. Andrew &Williamson’s Jackie Vazquez was part of the team that spearheaded a host of workplace initiatives that have significantly increased retention on the farm.
Duncan Family Farms launches DFF University to help employees advance their skills, knowledge and grow their careers.
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California Farmworker Foundation designs and implement programs, strategies and tools that help close the gap in health and thus benefit the populations that need it most.
California Farmworker Foundation strives to make sure that all farmworkers have the best opportunities for development and productivity.
They recently collaborated with Women Infants and Children (WIC) to provide new moms with a comfortable and safe environment to pump in the field, including a private location to pump and coolers to ensure that the breastmilk stays fresh. The company also partners with local Catholic charities to offer moms free diapers and car seats, and works with United Way to give the children of harvesters free school supplies. 5. Mountain View Fruit, California Mountain View Fruit Sales has formed an official partnership with the California Farmworker Foundation (CFF) to provide employees with access to programs and services geared toward strengthening their personal and professional skills. Farmworker Foundation Help Farmworkers Gain New Skills
“The California Farmworker Foundation was built to improve lives and we want to make sure that we are investing into communities where farmworkers live,” said Hernan Hernandez, executive director for the CFF. CFF, a non-profit association where every dollar donated goes directly to programs for farmworkers, is currently targeting farmworkers who are in the Central Valley. By analyzing farmworker data and speaking directly to employees on site, CFF determines what the most pressing needs are for farmworkers. “We are improving lives by investing in five areas: personal development, professional development, community engagement, immigration and citizenship, and health and wellness,” said Hernandez. Some of the services CFF offers include women’s self-defense workshops, health
education classes, financial wellness workshops, fitness classes, immigration services and English classes. Now playing an official role in this grassroots movement, Mountain View Fruit Sales can directly enrich their relationships with their employees and provide opportunities that will allow them to learn and master new skills that can improve their quality of life. 6. Ocean Mist Offers Scholarships to Employee’s Children Since 2017, Ocean Mist Farms has awarded academic scholarships to high school graduates who embody the farm’s four guiding values—integrity, quality, passion and success. The Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Program grants a total of seven $1,000 academic scholarships each year, with two of those scholarships exclusive to a dependent of an Ocean Mist Farms Affiliate Company employee. “As a company that values family, education and community, we’re happy to offer a program that embodies these values to our employees and their families,” said Diana McClean, Ocean Mist Farms’ senior director of marketing, in a press release. These scholarship opportunities provided by Ocean Mist, as well as the real and substantial investments being made by many WG members into their workforces, are part of the American Dream and will help these employees and their families climb the American Economic Ladder.
Recipients of Ocean Mist scholarships will use their grants toward obtaining a higher education.
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Financial Services
With Our Appreciation
The Western Growers Retirement Security Plan (RSP) was started in 1979 to provide our members with a low cost, institutional platform of investments. The RSP is formed as a Group Trust, which allows multiple employers to unite together to obtain and offer low cost fund options that would not be available in the market place for small- or medium-sized employers. Furthermore, it allows you and your employees to have access to a wide variety of investment options, financial planning assistance and help with funding choices. There currently are 30 employers within our RSP, who service over 1,000 participants and more than $85 million in assets. The RSP investment committee currently consists of eight members who all represent the employers within RSP. Among them are Ron Burke and Milo Ferini, who are retiring this year. Western Growers would like to thank Ron Burke and Milo Ferini for their years of service!
RON BURKE Ron is president and co-founder of Gold Coast Packing in Santa Maria, Calif. Ron has been on the RSP committee since 1984 and is also a former Western Growers director. Ron played an integral role in growing the plan assets of RSP, informing other grower members in his area about the importance of joining the RSP. Ron always took a proactive approach in getting the cost structure down; the ‘all in’ plan expenses of RSP are now down to less than 1 percent for the employers and participants. Ron also saw a need to have the plan not only actively managed, but also encouraged adding passive index funds for participants who wanted an index-only option.
MILO FERRINI Milo first joined the RSP investment committee in 1979, representing Bonipak Produce and RSP for nearly 40 years. Milo has been instrumental since the inception of RSP, and with his investment experience, has helped the committee grow the investment choices in the plan beyond just a traditional mutual fund platform. It was Milo who first implemented separate account managers as a fund selection to the participants. As a requirement to be admitted into the plan offering, Milo insisted that the portfolio manager who was actively managing investments as a fund option, be in attendance at every RSP committee meeting to discuss the investments they were holding.
NASSIF TAKES HIS PLACE INWESTERN GROWERS HISTORY Always the Advocate
By Tim Linden A few months ago, former Western Growers chairman and longtime board member Gary Pasquinelli commenting on the career of soon-to-be retired WG President & CEO Tom Nassif, said the association got more than it bargained for when it hired the former ambassador to Morocco almost two decades ago. “When we hired Tom, we knew we had a good man. He possesses a rare skill set and has brought a remarkable degree of professionalism to the job,” Pasquinelli said. “His commitment to the job and his integrity are unmatched.” Others pointed to those same varied talents, specifically mentioning his financial skills. Pasquinelli succinctly said “we got a twofer” referring to Nassif ’s ability to handle the business side of running a large organization as well as the politics involved in any member association. Interestingly, when Tom Nassif recently looked back on his Western Growers career, he noted his biggest surprises upon taking the position was the immediate need for his business acumen. “I was surprised by the financial shape the organization was in,” he said. “Very few people knew it…not on the staff nor on the board.” But Nassif quickly tapped into his ability to run a company and righted the ship. He worked with the board to jettison some financially failing programs and sharpened the accounting pencil. Over the past two decades, he has developed what is arguably the most innovative, and most financially secure, trade association in the fresh produce space. Nassif came to the position with a lot of experience because of both a fascinating career that spanned a couple of continents and several industries. He worked in the United States and North Africa; lived in the East, West and Midwest; worked as a lawyer, businessman and diplomat; lived a spiritual life and founded a church; and through it all, has had a thoroughly rewarding and challenging life.
The Early Years Thomas A. Nassif was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in July of 1941, and lived there for the first decade of his life. His family had emigrated from Lebanon to the United States, first coming to the East Coast. Nassif said the relocation to Iowa by his parents was simply an effort to pick a place where they could try to be successful. “Immigrants went to areas where they could make a living. My dad came to Iowa to barter with farmers bringing dry goods out to the farms trading them for food to feed his family,” he said, adding that there was a Lebanese community in Cedar Rapids large enough to support two Orthodox churches. The Nassifs moved to Hollywood, CA, in the early 1950s with the elder
Nassif exploring an opportunity to invest in a draft beer business. “My dad wanted to use the proceeds from the house we sold in Iowa; my mom would have none of that, telling my dad he had to buy the family a house.” So Tom’s dad sold Oriental rugs instead. “He was a great salesman,” Tom remembers. Tom graduated from high school and then went on to Los Angeles State
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College, getting his degree in business in 1965. That was the first year the school became part of the State College system, changing its name to California State University at Los Angeles. Though his father wanted him to become a doctor, Nassif had set his sights on a law degree in high school after reading a book about the famous trial lawyer Clarence Darrow. He, in fact, graduated from California Western School of Law in 1968. The Labor Lawyer By the time Nassif began his law career in Los Angeles, he was married to Zinetta. “We were living in L.A. with all the freeways, and it didn’t seem like a great place to raise kids.” The Nassifs did have some familiarity with the Imperial Valley as he had college classmates who lived there. “We thought we would give the small town a try. What I remember is that there were locusts everywhere. They were on the grass; they were on the roof. A thick layer of locusts. That was tough getting used to.” But relief came to the pest problem and Nassif remembers the Imperial Valley as
“a wonderful place to raise a family.” Both of his children were born there, and the family lived there for more than a decade. At first, Nassif hung out his own shingle, handling whatever cases came through the door. During this period,
he interacted with local growers both socially and professionally. It was at the beginning of the ‘70s that the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association was looking for a lawyer to handle some labor law cases. Nassif was recommended for the position by his local farmer friends. “When they interviewed me, I told them I know nothing about labor law and I know nothing about agriculture. But I told them I hate to lose. If they hired me, nobody would work harder.” He did get the contract and represented the association and Imperial Valley farmers throughout the 1970s. He practiced a lot of labor law with Western Growers member and fellow attorney Ron Barsamian. In fact, he recommended Mike Saqui to Ron and they eventually became partners. Saqui noted that Nassif was a “badass” lawyer in his day. Nassif remembers that he was the first attorney to lose a case in front of the newly-minted Agricultural Labor Relations Board in the mid-1970s. He said it was a sham case with a pre-ordained decision in which he had no chance of prevailing. But the loss did lead to a partnership
Nassif and his sisters
Tom, words cannot express the appreciation and gratitude that we owe you for all the very important work that Western Growers has done on behalf of our industry thanks to your exceptional leadership. The DiMare Company
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are political appointees, who typically are large donors to the party in power. Nassif secured his position through hard work as he was neither a large donor nor a career public servant. He came to the ambassadorship with several goals established by President Reagan involving diplomatic relations among the countries in North Africa, including re-establishing the relationship between Algeria and Morocco and ending the war in the Western Sahara. There were also many other initiatives including rooting out some systemic diseases. While he was ambassador, some significant activities occurred including the bombing of Libya by the United States. “We were very successful in getting everything done that was asked of us, including restoring diplomatic relations with Algiers and ending the war in the Western Sahara.” In fact, Nassif was decorated by the late King Hassan II of Morocco and the president of Lebanon for his work on Middle East issues. He calls the experience life changing and said it is one of the highlights of his life. “I was asked to stay on for the administration of George Bush
Nassif as the Deputy Chief of Protocol in the Reagan Administration
position with San Diego’s largest firm— Gray, Cary, Ames & Frye. He maintained an office in the Imperial Valley and got further involved in that community, both professionally and personally. It was that involvement that led to his second career… this time in the public sector. The Public Servant It was in late 1980s, after President-elect Ronald Reagan had won the election, that Chuck Tyson contacted Nassif and asked him if he would consider working in the Reagan Administration. Tyson had worked for Reagan when he was governor of California and he was named as a member of Reagan’s first National Security Council team in D.C. Nassif went to President Reagan’s inauguration, but was reluctant to take a position in the new administration and disrupt his family life and career. “But then I was offered the position of Deputy Chief of Protocol for The White House where I’d be greeting all of the leaders and high level people that would come visit. That was just too interesting to pass up. Zinetta and I prayed about it and decided we would do it for a couple of years. I was appointed in April. The kids (ages of 11 and 9) finished the school year in the Imperial Valley and then the family joined me in Washington.” From there, Nassif ’s diplomatic career took off. “It was a case of the harder I worked, the luckier I got.” He became Acting Chief of Protocol and then was promoted to the position
of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East and South Asian affairs in 1983. It was a plum job as Nassif was very much interested in working on policy for the Middle East, where his family roots were deeply planted. Two years later, in 1985, he was selected by President Ronald Reagan to serve as ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco. He and his family moved to Morocco, and he stayed in that position until the end of Reagan’s term. In the world of ambassadors, about half are career diplomats and about half
I, but it was time to go home.” A New Home & New Skill Sets
Nassif took a position as chairman of Gulf Interstate Engineering, a Houston, Texas-based company working on developing oil and gas pipeline properties in North Africa and the Gulf. His position
Nassif during his time as Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco
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Congratulations Tom! Steven and David Gill
The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation would like to congratulate Tom Nassif on his retirement from the leadership reins of Western Growers.
www.agleaders.org (831) 585-1030
California Agricultural Leadership Foundation has been passionate about developing leaders for over 50 years.
THANK YOU TOM FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE
Congratulates Tom Nassif for his years of leadership & vision in Agriculture
www.taproduce.com
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required a lot of travel so he gathered his family and let them decide where they should relocate. “They picked La Jolla.” The family did move to the San Diego County city in California and Nassif stayed in that position for six years. His bona fides as a businessman were well developed, but he said it was a period in which he had to travel too much, spending too much time away from his family. Next on the professional bucket list was work in the immigration environment. From 1994 until he joined Western Growers in 2002, Nassif worked as a consultant on border crossing issues helping to develop the Calexico East Point of Entry. “We built the border crossing from scratch,” he said. The actual crossing was built in 1996. As the work was winding down, Nassif was just starting his own consulting firm when Western Growers came calling. A Final Career Stop In 2001, longtime Western Growers Board Member the late Jon Vessey asked his friend Tom Nassif if he would interview for the top staff position at the organization. Nassif was not that interested. He liked
Tom and Zinetta Nassif with former U.S. President GeorgeW. Bush
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the idea of establishing his own consulting business, working on the international stage, and he was happy with his home location in La Jolla. But after consulting with Zinetta, he agreed to at least interview for the spot. A couple of interviews later, he was offered the position. “We prayed about it and decided that if it were offered we would take it,” he said. At the time, the search committee had been charged with “looking outside the box” as they contemplated potential candidates. Nassif ’s depth of experience checked many of the boxes that were on the committee’s wish list, and the position also checked many of the boxes on his wish list for future employment. First and foremost was his passion for produce. As a labor lawyer for agriculture three decades earlier, he learned to love the industry and the people in it. It seemed like a match made in heaven…literally. Setting the Association on a Better Course Nassif took the position on February 1, 2002, and was raring to get to work to tackle the thorny issues that faced
Nassif at an Ag Day celebration in Sacramento with First Lady of California, Maria Shriver
agriculture, such as immigration reform. He never gave it a thought that the association was in a difficult financial position. But it was, and that became his first order of action. Nassif realized that several programs
were not fiscally solvent and he went about to eliminate those financially failing efforts. By the end of his first year in office, the necessary steps had been taken and he was named president/CEO of both the association and insurance sides of
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and exceeded it many times over.” In fact, he notes that being a fiscal conservative might be a drawback. “The board is always telling me we should spend more money. I’ll leave that to the next president,” he quipped. The Western Growers Experience While Nassif did list some specific highlight efforts during his Western Growers career (which are explored below), it is the association’s culture that he both inherited and honed that will be his most enduring legacy. He noted that Western Growers is a “top roots rather than grass roots organization.” The board of directors is made up of company owners and CEOs. They are the people that run companies and quickly make decisions. That structure was instrumental as Nassif and his staff tackled emerging problems and launched new entities. Under his watch, Western Growers greatly expanded its business in the agricultural insurance world expanding Pinnacle Claims Management and becoming a contractor for Covered California working with small business firms. For this, David Zanze and his team deserve the credit, he said. The association
Nassif testifies before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship
the business. Running a fiscally solvent organization has been at the top of his agenda ever since. Since those early days, the organization has done very well with its for-profit
entities running a profit every year. “My goal was to create a rainy day fund of $10 million that was free of obligation so that no matter what happened, we would always have that. We have established that
Vessey & Company would like to congratulate our longtime colleague and lifelong friend, Tom Nassif on his retirement.
20 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2019
took the lead in the development of food safety solutions after the spinach outbreak and has led the charge in ag innovation. The ability of the association to pivot quickly meshed well with Nassif ’s leadership style. “I don’t micromanage but I will get into the weeds,” he said, adding that he likes to give his staff direction and then let them take the ball and run with it. He was reluctant to single out staff or board members for specific praise as he has worked with dozens of excellent people and didn’t want to leave anyone out. But he did say that many of the accomplishments under his watch came about because of the hard work and direction of many staff and board colleagues. For example, board members Bruce Taylor and Vic Smith, as well as staff member Hank Giclas, were instrumental in establishing the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology. David Zanze took the lead for the advancements on the insurance side of the building. Jasper Hempel and Giclas were the point people for the solutions that came from the spinach crisis. “Matt McInerney and Jasper Hempel were my mentors and most trusted colleagues,” he said “Dave Puglia’s hire was a seminal moment for the organization and the recruitment of Ward Kennedy, Karen Timmins, Jason Resnick and Dennis Nuxoll has formed a strong foundation for our future leader, Dave Puglia.” Nassif believes his first non-moves after joining the organization were critical to his success. “The staff in place was a blessing. I didn’t clean house like a lot of CEOs do after they take over. I didn’t fire one person and I never hired a family member or a friend, except my executive assistant, Audrey Seybert.” Instead, he has utilized the talents around him to achieve great success for the association as a whole, leaving Western Growers as a leader in the ag space on so many fronts. Immigration Reform The battle to achieve immigration reform has been the source of Nassif ’s biggest frustration and, ironically, possibly his greatest success. Under Nassif, Western Growers has been leading the charge for immigration reform, and the creation of regulations that would establish a legal workforce for production agriculture, for two decades. That outcome has not yet been achieved, though Nassif remains optimistic
CONGRATULATIONS TOM NASSIF
Thank you for trusting in Anthem Blue Cross for 25 years. Enjoy a long and healthy retirement.
Anthem Blue Cross is the tradename of Blue Cross of California. Anthem Blue Cross and Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Company are independent licensees of the Blue Cross Association. ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross name and symbol are registered marks of the Blue Cross Association.
The supreme quality of leadership is integrity.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Tom, Thank You for Setting an Example.
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