California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross and Broadcast Journalist Hugh Hewitt to Keynote UnitedAg Annual Conference, March 14-17 in Napa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross and Broadcast Journalist Hugh Hewitt to Keynote UnitedAg Annual Conference, March 14-17 in Napa

More than 200 UnitedAg member representatives and other ag leaders are expected to attend the event at the Westin Verasa


IRVINE, Calif., (AgPR) Jan. 25, 2017 – UnitedAg, a member-owned agricultural trade association representing more than 650 organizations in California and Arizona, announced it will hold its 37^th Annual Meeting & Conference March 14-17 at the Westin Verasa in Napa, Calif. Themed “Advancing Together,” this year’s conference will feature leading experts addressing key issues facing the state’s agricultural businesses and community, including healthcare, water, labor, land rights, food safety and more. Keynote speakers will include Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Hugh Hewitt, lawyer, author and broadcast journalist. More than 200 representatives from UnitedAg member organizations and partners, and other agricultural community leaders, are expected to attend.

The conference is open to representatives of UnitedAg member organizations and to nonmembers. The discounted early-bird registration deadline is Feb. 3; late registration will continue thereafter while space is available.

“At United Ag, our ethos has always been one of ‘Innovation Through Collaboration.’ This is why our annual conference this year is centered around ‘Advancing Together,’” said Kirti Mutatkar, President and CEO of UnitedAg. “Our previous conference themes – ‘Focus’ in 2015 and ‘Breaking Through’ in 2016 – were necessary building block for creating an organization that can now advance together. We will keep those past themes in mind as we now emphasize pulling together experts with different specialties and building alliances with our trade partners.“

Conference highlights on Thursday, March 16, include:

• Annual Membership Meeting & Breakfast featuring Mike Biselli, Board Member, Prime Health and Senior Advisor, 10.10.10 – “Reimaging Our Industry Together,” 8 a.m. breakfast/9 a.m. talk

• Keynote session with Hugh Hewitt – “A Flock of Black Swans: A Breakdown of American Politics and Modern Journalism,” 10:15 a.m.

• Annual Luncheon with keynote speaker Karen Ross – “Challenges & Opportunities for California in the Next 10 Years,” 12 p.m.

• Session featuring Dr. Arjun Chanmugam, Vice Chair, Integration and Health Care Transformation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine – “Mobile Population Health – A New Medical Delivery Model,” 1:45 p.m.

• Panel session featuring Amy Wolfe, President and CEO, AgSafe; Emily Rooney, President, Agricultural Council of California; Joel Nelson, President, California Citrus Mutual; Kasey Cronquist, CEO, California Cut Flower Commission; and George Radanovich, President, California Fresh Fruit Association – “Advancing Together – A Unified Voice,” 3:30 p.m.

• Annual Gala & Dinner Dance – 6:30 p.m.

Prior to the conference, on Wednesday, March 15, attendees can enjoy either the UnitedAg Annual Golf Tournament or a bicycle tour of the wine country (additional fees apply). Also, a silent auction to support the Agricultural Education Foundation’s Annual Scholarships will take place throughout the day on both March 15 and 16. Activities on Friday, March 17 – a Health Innovation Panel and WomenAg Leadership Academy session – are by invitation and not open to general conference attendees.

The conference sponsors include HPC National, Blue Shield of California, OptumRx, Plantel, HBLA Certified Public Accountants, Milliman, SAIN medical, CJ Lake LLC, and First Dental Health.

Registration Information
The conference fee is $500 for individuals/$900 for couples for members, and $600 for individuals/$1,000 for couples for nonmembers who register before the Feb. 3 early-bird deadline. After Feb. 3 the fee will be an additional $50 for individuals and for couples, respectively – again, while space is available. Register online at www.unitedag.org or call (800) 223-4590 for more information.

About UnitedAg
Founded in 1980, UnitedAg is a member-owned agricultural trade association dedicated to providing innovative solutions for a strong and healthy agricultural industry. UnitedAg represents more than 650 agriculture-affiliated member organizations, including agricultural companies (growers, shippers, coolers, processors, dairy and livestock producers, and supporting businesses); associates; cooperatives; and partner agricultural associations. UnitedAg helps its members meet their employee benefits needs, promotes their interests with lawmakers, and helps them comply with legislation and regulation. Based in Irvine, Calif., UnitedAg has offices in Oxnard, Corona, Salinas, Fresno and Santa Maria. For more information, visit www.unitedag.org or contact Maribel Ochoa at 949. 471.3206 or pr@unitedag.org.

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