SEPC's annual board meeting includes Vanderbilt mansion tour

The Southeast Produce Council's recent summer board meeting included a tour of a famous, built-by-a-Vanderbilt mansion in North Carolina.

The SEPC held its annual summer board meeting on Aug. 9-11 at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Asheville, N.C. Attendees enjoyed a tour of Asheville's famous Biltmore Estate — a 250-room, Gilded Age-era mansion built for George Washington Vanderbilt — to commemorate the occasion before its scheduled series of meetings. 

The SEPC board of directors, board of governors and staff discussed several strategic goals and tactics during the two-day event, including final preparations for the organization's upcoming Southern Innovations conference, set for Sept. 22-24 in Nashville, Tenn.

“It was a special board meeting in Asheville," said Board Chair Raina Nelson, of Westfalia Fruit U.S. "We had extremely productive sessions, and as we parted ways, it was clear each of us had a distinct and confident vision of the council’s future. ... I am very proud of the work this council is doing, and I am excited to see the efforts of the summer board meeting materialize."

SEPC Vice Chairman Tim Graas echoed Nelson's thoughts on the success of the summer board meeting.

“It's always refreshing to bring this outstanding group of people together to refocus and collectively build on past successes — time very well spent on

adding meaningful value for the industry and the SEPC," said Graas, of Associated Wholesale Grocers. "We are very well positioned for an exciting future."

SEPC President and CEO David Sherrod said the meeting gave members a chance to really hone in on SEPC's strategic plan.

"It was evident that our primary focus still remains to create the best networking events, innovative content, community involvement and educational opportunities within the produce industry," he said. "We intentionally worked on our strategic plan and have come away with a very aggressive action plan to take us to new heights and into the future. It was wonderful to see us lean into our vast experience and faith to help us steward this amazing council."