UnitedAg’s 43rd annual meeting and conference brought over 200 ag professionals together under a theme of “Building Communities.”
The two-day event, held in early March at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim, Calif., focused on the importance of building a brand, as it can strengthen connections and engage more deeply with colleagues and industry partners, and the need for a more personalized health care experience — all in hopes of building a healthier and more sustainable agricultural community.
“There is nothing more powerful than discovering what your community is passionate about; community is more than just belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter,” UnitedAg CEO Kirti Mutatkar said in a news release.
The conference kicked off with a bowling tournament and welcome reception at Downtown Disney’s Splitsville Luxury Lanes. Over 100 conference attendees participated in the events, with proceeds benefitting UnitedAg’s scholarship foundation, the Agribusiness Education Foundation, according to the release. Mutatkar congratulated the winning team before closing the evening with an overview of the next day’s events.
Conference guest speakers included brand strategist Sasha Strauss, founder of Innovation Protocol, a brand consultancy that exclusively serves innovators; Tom Daly, former California state assemblymember; Louie Brown, partner at Kahn Soares & Conway LLP; Eric Bream, president of Bream Family Farms; Dr. Carladenise Edwards, strategic and board advisor for Parsley Health, Clover Health and Heluna Health; and Rodney Braga, president and CEO of Braga Fresh Family Farms, who addressed the 2022 WomenAg Leadership graduates with a personal message during the annual luncheon.
Another highlight included a special award given to Tom Amaro for more than 25 years of service to UnitedAg.
Three top ambassadors were also honored for their contributions and ideas to improve and enhance members’ health care experience, according to the release. Program adviser and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rosemary Ku congratulated the top-performing ambassadors — Kacy Smith of Valley Farm Management, Veronica Luna of Rancho Guadalupe LLC and Veronica Blanco of Innovative Produce — for their successful initiatives in 2022.
The conference culminated with the annual dinner dance with an homage to the ’80s, along with a dessert auction that benefited the Agribusiness Education Foundation. Led by guest auctioneer Louie Brown, the auction raised over $18,000 in donations, surpassing the $10,000 goal, according to the release.
More information about UnitedAg is available at unitedag.org and on Facebook and Twitter.
