A number of virtual events have been added to the United Fresh event calendar this month, with a “variety of United Fresh Washington Conference concurrent educational sessions throughout the week to prepare to advocate for your business during virtual Congressional Meetings with the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate” from which to choose during the week of Sept. 21-15.
You can register at https://www.unitedfresh.org/events-programs/the-washington-conference/education/ and read up on the offerings that include a 3-4 p.m. ET session on Tuesday, Sept. 22, dealing with “Advocacy in a Virtual Environment.” This will look at “effective ways to create productive sessions with elected leaders and administration officials,” and speakers will be Dana Culhane-Brennan, Vice President of Government & Public Affairs, Grimmway Enterprises, Inc; Alex DiNovo, President & COO, DNO Produce; Kim Durcho, Vice President, BIPAC; and Mollie Van Lieu, Senior Director, Nutrition Policy, United Fresh Produce Association.
A concurrent session, “What We Can Learn from Other Food Sectors?” will examine other food sectors to “understand how they are managing their supply chain from the initial chaos of a nationwide shutdown to the ‘new normal’ as the country begins to slowly open back up.” Speakers will be Dave Carlin, Senior Vice President, Legislative Affairs and Economic Policy, International Dairy Foods Association; Jonathan Eisen, Senior Vice President, Government Relations International Foodservice Distributors Association’ and Kedrin Simms Brachman, Director of Government Relations, National Fisheries Institute
Wednesday’s sessions from 3-4 p.m. ET are “What’s the Future of Federal Nutrition Programs?” that focuses “on how schools are adapting their eating environments during the COVID-19 pandemic, how our industry can sustain the gains of fresh produce consumption in nutrition programs in the age of COVID, whether school salad bars can ever come back, and whether COVID-19 might actually lead to new importance for fresh produce in federal nutrition programs.” Speakers will be Jacqlyn Schneider, Deputy Chief of Staff, Senate Agriculture Committee; and
Katie Wilson, Executive Director, Urban School Food Alliance.
The concurrent session will be “Managing Workforce Challenges in a COVID-19 Environment” and how the “produce industry faces challenges in workforce availability, worker safety, and increased government requirements at the federal, state, and local levels.” Speakers are Jon DeVaney, President, Washington State Tree Fruit Association; Colby Pereira, Vice President, Operations, Braga Fresh; and Toby Purse, Chief Farm Officer, Lipman Family Farms.
One Thursday 3-4 p.m. ET session is “International Response to COVID-19 Outbreak,” looking at how ag and food systems worldwide “have addressed COVID-19 and how it has impacted global trade.” Speakers will be Montserrat Duarte, CEO, Agros Produce; Eric Olafson, Director, Global Trade & Business Development, Port Miami; Matias Pinto Pimentel, Head of Economic Department/Trade Commissioner, Embassy of Chile; and Viviane Schappo, Senior Director, Supplier Latam, Apeel.
That day’s concurrent session is “Partnership with FDA and the Fresh Produce Industry,” with info on “the crucial relationship FDA has with our industry around creating guidance, understanding FSMA regulations, addressing outbreak investigations, and navigating the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Speaker is Frank Yiannas, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response, FDA.
For more information on the Washington Conference and getting engaged, contact Angela Tiwari, Director of Grassroots and Political Action, at 202.303.3416.
