AWARD OF HONOR: TOM NASSIF A Natural Selection
By Tim Linden W estern Growers Chairman of the Board Ron Ratto, who also headed up the selection committee for the 2019 Award of Honor recipient, said selecting G President/CEO Tom Nassif was as close to a no-brainer as there is. “How could we not acknowledge his service to Western Growers,” he said. “We know we are going to be celebrating his career at Western Growers at the Annual Meeting (which is where the Award of Honor is presented each year), it was a natural selection to name Tom.” While the award has typically been given to an industry member with a hands-on connection to production agriculture, Ratto said there is no one that has done more for the Western Growers community over the last two decades than Tom Nassif. “The Award of Honor is the highest recognition for individual achievement to the ag community. Who has accomplished more for our industry?” Ratto, who is president of Ratto Brothers Inc., Modesto, CA, is also chairing the search committee to find Nassif ’s replacement, as the Western Growers president is retiring at the end of the year after nearly two decades of leadership. Ratto said they are big
shoes to fill but the search committee is moving forward with the effort and hopes to have a selection by the Annual Meeting, which will be held November 10-13 in Hawaii. It will be at that convention that Mr. Nassif will be recognized at the Award of Honor Dinner on November 12 at the Wailea Beach Resort in Maui. Western Grower & Shipper asked a number of people who are well acquainted with Mr. Nassif to weigh in on his service to Western Growers and his impact on the industry. (Some of the comments have been condensed and paraphrased.) “I’m a relative newcomer to Western Growers as it has only been the last 10-12 years that I have been actively involved with the board and dealing with Tom. I know some of my colleagues have a history going back 30 or 40 years. My quick impressions are that Tom is brilliant and funny and uses his wit in a very useful way. It has been my good fortune to be involved in this industry with a person of his caliber. “Under his leadership, this organization has done a wonderful job of building businesses that have brought great value to the membership. Tom has a great staff but he is the leader…and it is to his credit that he has built such a talented staff. “He has built some great programs from food safety to technology that set the trade association apart. He has done a tremendous job for Western Growers and for the industry. I don’t think there is anyone that has done any more than he has.” “I first met Tom because of my involvement with California Women for Agriculture. It was Tom who asked me if I would consider serving on Western Growers board as an at large member. Tom saw an advantage in having women with grassroots backgrounds in agriculture serving on the board. He appreciated what we brought and wanted to have a broader scope of participation on the board. Tom is inclusive. Eventually, I was able to get elected on my own right. He encouraged me to step up into a leadership position. “When I think of Tom, advocacy and diplomacy come to mind. He is the consummate diplomat. I’ve seen him in action in both Ron Ratto, Ratto Brothers Inc., Modesto, CA 2019 Western Growers Chairman of the Board. Carol Chandler, Chandler Farms, Selma, CA Treasurer, Western Growers Board of Director
Tom Nassif, Bob Gray, and Steve Barnard
6 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com JULY | AUGUST 2019
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