NCAE Officers
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Michael Gempler
President
Washington Growers League
Yakima, WA
Mike Gempler is the Executive
Director of the Washington Growers League in Yakima, WA. The Growers League provides services and
advocacy to members on labor and employment issues. He also administers the Northwest Growers
Association, which utilizes the H-2A and H-2B programs for agricultural
employers.
Mike currently serves as
President of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, based in Washington, DC.
He also serves as Treasurer of the Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust,
and as a member of the Stewardship Council of the Food Alliance, and as
Treasurer of the Mt. Adams Health Foundation. He received a BS in agriculture
from the Ohio State
University and an MS in agricultural
economics from the University
of Wyoming and is a
graduate of the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program.
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Luawanna Hallstrom
Western Vice President
Harry Singh & Sons
Oceanside, CA
Luawanna Hallstrom is Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Harry Singh & Sons and Business Manager for Oceanside Produce Inc. She oversees various business and marketing aspects of both companies. Currently the California Tomato Commission indicates that Harry Singh & Sons is the largest single vine-ripe tomato producer in the nation. Beyond her role at Harry Singh & Sons, Ms. Hallstrom promotes economic and social development through her efforts in representing agriculture both state wide and nationally. She continues to focus on Agriculture’s contribution to issues of education, environment, health, human rights, international goodwill and understanding. Ms. Hallstrom’s work includes supporting legislation that promotes sustaining agriculture, immigration reform, food safety and a secure domestic food supply for our nation. For two decades her long time commitment to immigration reform has been targeted to sustain our country’s agriculture industry so that it remains economically viable, work toward social reform and help to create secure boarders. In addition to her work with NCAE, Ms. Hallstrom is also co-chair of the Agricultural Coalition for Immigration Reform, American Farm Bureau Labor Committee co-chair, and an appointee through Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Board of Food and Agriculture.
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John Arnold
Eastern Vice President
Southwick, MD
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Fred Leitz
Treasurer
Leitz Farms, LLC
Sodus, MI
Fred Leitz, Jr., along with three brothers and his mother, runs Leitz Farms, LLC, a 4th generation family farm in Sodus, Michigan. With his three brothers, Mr. Leitz also has a land holding company, Leitz Realty, LLC. Mr. Leitz is chairman of the Sodus Township Planning Commission and is also the Michigan Farm Bureau Labor Advisory Chairman. In 1986 he was the recipient of the Michigan Farm Bureau's Distinguished Young Farmer Award. Mr. Leitz has been a member of NCAE since 1998.
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Jasper Hempel
Secretary
Western Growers Association
Irvine, California
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