“Early on he had quite the presence and just did an amazing job at Western Growers. At the time he was hired, Western Growers was going through some rough times. Tom not only kept us afloat, but what he has done with regard to the bottom line is amazing. I think we got way more than we expected. He has been a man who has worn many hats and has done it well. We all knew about his labor relations skills, but we didn’t know he was going to be able to run all the businesses
he came to Yuma to introduce himself and listen to our concerns. I was very impressed with his desire to help all areas of WGA membership. My best memories working with Tom were associated with our travels. There was the Havana, Cuba, trip with multiple samplings of the finest cigars and his dancing at the night clubs. When I was chairman, he and I traveled to Palm Beach for the Florida group’s annual meeting and I really enjoyed his sense of humor which seemed to improve the further he was away from the office.” “I think Tom has done remarkable work for our association during his tenure as he has elevated WGA to greater recognition in the state governments we operate in and to an even higher level in Washington, DC. “He has ‘raised the bar’ for performance and accountability for all of us in our industry. The successes we have had over the last 18 years are directly attributable to his, and his team’s, efforts. We have been very fortunate to have him as our leader. Craig Reade, Bonipak Produce Inc., Santa Maria, CA Former Chairman of the Board “My first year on the board was the year Tom became the CEO so I have witnessed him close up throughout his WG career. I was a young man and it was an honor and a privilege to be on the WG Board. The senior partners at Bonipak like Milo Ferini knew Tom and had a very good opinion of him.
under the WG umbrella so well. “On a personal note, he always treated me and my family very well and made sure when he came to Santa Maria that he got to know our business. He is just a good guy to hang out with, though, I wish he was a little more considerate. I have been fishing with him a couple of times and he always catches all the fish. He should be more considerate of his fellow fishermen. He’s a very competitive guy.”
Tom Nassif with longtimeWG Board Member A.G. Kawamura, who also served as California Secretary of Food and Agriculture during Nassif’s tenure
10 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com JULY | AUGUST 2019
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