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Month: January 2019

Winter


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Recent Posts

  • 6th Annual NCAE Ag Labor Forum Registration Opens
  • Press Release on H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program
  • E-Verify is intended to detect workers without legal status. How do immigrants get around it?
  • Workers in Mexico’s Export Agriculture
  • Commentary: Writers from 1969 predict the farms, trends of 2019

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    All contents and materials © Copyright National Council of Agricultural Employers 2019
    The NCAE is a 501 (6) trade association incorporated in Washington, DC.

    Paul Meador


    Committee Member, Florida Citrus Mutual

    Everglades Harvesting & Hauling, Inc. and its family of companies is based in LaBelle, Florida and was established in 1990.

    Everglades harvests labor intense agricultural acres throughout the United States, transports raw agricultural crops from the farm to the first point of process or packing, and manages citrus and specialty crops all over Florida. Each of these tasks are accomplished with a significant number of H2A guest seasonal workers supported by many full-time employees. Paul is well versed in working with leaders in government and industry to create a positive outcome.

    Paul is a fourth generation Florida Citrus and Vegetable Grower. Executive Board Member of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Vice President /Board Member of Florida Citrus Mutual, and Executive Board member of the National Council of Agricultural Employers. Past President of the Hendry/Glades County Farm Bureau. Past Vice President Gulf Citrus Growers Association, also a Broker/Salesman specializing in large tracts of Agricultural Property in Florida.

    Married for more than thirty years, Paul and his family reside in Southwest Florida.

     

    Jon DeVaney


    Chairman, Washington State Tree Fruit Association

    Jon DeVaney has served as the President of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association since September of 2014, when the Association was established through the merger of four existing tree fruit industry organizations.  In this capacity he oversees the Association’s industry education, data collection and reporting, and state and local government relations activities.

    Prior to this merger, he was the Executive Director of the Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association from November of 2009.  Mr. DeVaney has an extensive background in agricultural policy and politics, having previously served as a long-time staff member for Congressman Doc Hastings, as Washington State Director of USDA Rural Development (2005-2009) and on the staff of the Northwest Horticultural Council.  Mr. DeVaney has a B.A. from the University of Washington and an M.A. from Georgetown University.

    Michael Lalich


    Vice-Chairman, Low Country Labor

    Maureen Torrey


    Treasurer, Torrey Farms

    Maureen is a member of a 12th generation family farm located in Western New York which encompasses fresh market and processing vegetables, grain farm, and dairy operations. She also operates a trucking company with her husband Paul Marshall.

    She has served and participates in numerous organizations. She is past chairperson of United Fresh, past director of the Produce Marketing Association, first chairperson of the USDA Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee, and former seven year Director of NY Federal Reserve – Buffalo. Currently she is a trustee at Genesee Community College. She serves as Director on the Executive Committee of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, Erie Niagara Insurance, Summit Insurance, NYS Vegetable Growers, Ag Affiliates, and NYS Agri Business Child Care Board; and numerous other community Organizations. She participates in many local, state and national conferences as a speaker and information education source every year.

    Diane Kurrle


    Secretary, U.S. Apple Association

    Joe Young


    Immediate Past Chairman, New England Apple Council

    Joseph Young grew up on his parents’ apple orchard in New Boston, NH. In January of 1993, after receiving his degree in business, he went to work for the New England Apple Council. In October of 2005, he was promoted to Executive Director. He is currently the Chairman for the National Council of Agricultural Employers. He is also the very proud father of 2 great kids: Hannah and Ben.

    Fred Leitz, Jr.


    Fred Leitz Jr. is a 4th generation fruit and vegetable grower.  He farms with his 3 brothers and has 5th generation working for and with them.  He has been a committee member of many state and national organizations.  He was a board member of US Apple representing Michigan

    Currently Fred is Chairman of his township planning commission and is an Elder at his church.  He stills serves on the executive committee of the National Council of Agricultural Employers and is a past president of that organization.

    He has been married to his wife, Leslie, for 42 years.  They have 2 children and 4 grandchildren.

    Dennis Nuxoll


    Committee Member, Western Growers Association

    Dennis Nuxoll joined Western Growers in Washington, D.C. running their federal office as the vice president of federal government affairs. Nuxoll has nearly 20 years of experience as an attorney, Congressional staffer and agricultural lobbyist in Washington. Immediately prior to joining Western Growers, Nuxoll was the Senior Director of Federal Policy for the American Farmland Trust, an organization that works on agriculture, environmental and rural development issues. In addition to his post at the American Farmland Trust, Nuxoll previously served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Max Baucus marshalling the Senator’s agricultural as well as agricultural trade issues. Nuxoll started his career as an attorney with Stewart and Stewart Law Offices in Washington, D.C., and among the clients he represented were agricultural interests ranging from cattle to wheat to tomatoes to flowers.

    Nuxoll received his law degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in political science and history.

    Tom Bortnyk


    Committee Member, MasLabor

    Tom Bortnyk is the Vice President and General Counsel for másLabor, the nation’s largest provider of comprehensive H-2A and H-2B services. He advises másLabor’s clients on regulatory compliance issues and best practices, in addition to overseeing the company’s quality assurance program and client service processes. Tom has a B.S. in International Affairs from Florida State University and a J.D. from Washington & Lee University School of Law. Prior to law school, he was a project manager at a Florida-based software development firm.

    Mark Powers


    Committee Member, Northwest Horticultural Council

    Mike Carlton


    Committee Member, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association

    As Director of Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s Labor Relations Division, Mike Carlton’s primary responsibilities are representing the association in labor related legislative efforts on the federal level and coordinating members’ use of the H-2A guest worker program and assisting with compliance efforts with labor laws affecting agriculture.

    An industry veteran, Carlton held numerous management positions at Florida Citrus Mutual in Lakeland for 26 years before joining FFVA in 2007, including serving as Director of production and labor affairs and Director of grower relations.

    In addition to his duties at FFVA, Mike currently serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the National Council of Agricultural Employers in Washington DC and on the Executive Committee of the DC based Agricultural Coalition for Immigration Reform.

    Tracy Chapman


    Committee Member, A. Duda & Sons, Inc.

    Mrs. Tracy Duda Chapman was appointed Senior Vice President/Chief Legal & Administrative Officer of A. Duda & Sons, Inc. in June 2016.  In this role, Tracy is responsible for the Corporate Legal, Viera Legal, Human Resources, Safety, Purchasing and Fleet, Risk Management/Insurance and the Government Relations functions of DUDA. She also serves as Assistant Corporate Secretary.  A fourth generation member of the Duda family, Mrs. Chapman joined DUDA in 1992 as Associate Counsel at the corporate headquarters in Oviedo, Florida. She was promoted to General Counsel in 2000. In 2005 she was appointed Corporate Vice President of Corporate Services, with oversight responsibility for Corporate Communications, Governmental Relations, Risk Management, Food Safety and Technical Services. In 2007, she was appointed a Senior Vice President of DUDA and Chief Executive Officer of The Viera Company, DUDA’s real estate subsidiary and the developer of the master planned community of Viera in Brevard County, Florida.  She held that position until being appointed to her current position.

    Before joining DUDA, Mrs. Chapman practiced law in the real estate department of the Dean Mead law firm in Orlando. Mrs. Chapman holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law. She is a member of the Association of Corporate Counsel.  Mrs. Chapman serves on the board of the Florida Land Council, The Florida Chamber of Commerce, Shands Teaching Hospital & Clinics, Inc. and the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation, Inc. She is a former Chairman of both the Florida Land Council and The Florida Chamber. Mrs. Chapman also serves on the Executive Committee of the National Council of Agricultural Employers and previously served on the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s Labor Committee and Environmental and Pest Management Committee, and the Board of the Brevard Zoo. In 1999, Mrs. Chapman was appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush as a Commissioner on Florida’s Environmental Regulation Commission, and served two consecutive four-year terms. She is a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources and is a Past President of its Alumni Association.

    A Florida native, Mrs. Chapman was born in West Palm Beach, and attended high school in Oviedo, Florida. She and her husband, Marc, also an attorney, have two daughters, Amanda and Emma. The family lives in Oviedo and is active in St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.

    Troy Frostad


    Committee Member, Underwood Fruit & Warehouse Company

    Troy Frostad is the General Manager of Mid-Columbia AG SVS, LLC a farm labor contracting company supplying H2A labor for fruit growers in Washington and Oregon.  Troy also serves as the Director of Human Resources for Underwood Fruit and Warehouse, Mt. Adams Orchards and The Dalles Fruit Company. Troy has served in multiple production operations management roles and was the Director of Quality Assurance at Independent Foods until January of 2013.   Prior to Underwood Fruit, Troy worked 8 years for Con Agra Foods in Production, Operations Management and Quality Assurance. He is a member of the National Council of Agricultural Employers and is the chair of the H2A strategy committee and a United States Air Force veteran of 6 years having served in combat roles during Operation Desert Storm.  Troy is also a certified mediator and past board president for the dispute resolution center in Yakima Washington.

    Craig Regelbrugge


    Committee Member, AmericanHort

    Craig Regelbrugge is senior vice president for AmericanHort, where he is responsible for industry advocacy and research programs. AmericanHort is the national trade organization representing the horticulture industry, including nursery and greenhouse growing, garden retail, landscape design and installation, and suppliers.

    Regelbrugge serves in national leadership positions representing the horticulture industry on matters relating to the labor force, plant health, and trade. He is active in the leadership of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition and its partner, the Agriculture Coalition for Immigration Reform.  In 2016, he served on a binational U.S./Mexico working group that developed the Shared Border, Shared Future report, a blueprint for modernization of labor mobility programs between the U.S. and our friend and neighbor to the south.  Craig is a longtime friend of NCAE and a WORKHORSE on Immigration.

    Joel Anderson


    Committee Member, Snake River Farmers Association

    Kelli Griffith


    Committee Member, Mountain Plains Agricultural Service

    Kelli Griffith serves as the Executive Director of Mountain Plains Agricultural Service in Casper, Wyoming. Mountain Plains is a national association of livestock producers utilizing the H-2A visa program for labor needs. She has been involved with National Council of Ag Employers for eight years, prior to her appointment to the Executive Committee she served as co-chair of the Membership committee.

    Kelli comes from an agricultural background in rural Wyoming and is still active in the industry, raising hay and sheep with her family along with her work advocating for Mountain Plains members on labor issues. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agribusiness from Texas A&M and a Master of Science degree in Agriculture from Colorado State University.

    Michael Marsh


    President & CEO, National Council of Agricultural Employers

    Michael earned bachelor’s degrees in history and accounting from the University of Wyoming where he also studied law. He is a certified public accountant.

    Although Michael started his career in public accounting in Casper, Wyoming working for a CPA firm that had many farm and ranch clients, his career changed dramatically when he began to focus in the areas of forensic accounting and fraud investigation. In fact, it was a fraud he uncovered at the National Potato Promotion Board in Denver that ended up tying him inextricably to agriculture. He was subsequently hired to be the Director of Finance for the Almond Board of California and later became the CEO of the largest dairy producer trade association in the US at Western United Dairymen in Modesto. After consulting for a few years in the areas of litigation support and complex financial transactions in Federal District Court, Michael returned to his true passion advocating on behalf of America’s farmers and ranchers at NCAE.