**POST-EVENT RELEASE**
ANAHEIM, CA— On Monday, March 6th, 2023, UnitedAg held its 43rd Annual Meeting and Conference at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa in Anaheim, California. More than two hundred ag professionals attended the conference "Building Communities." The two-day event focused on the importance of building your brand, as it can strengthen your connections and engage more deeply with colleagues and industry partners, as well as the need for a more personalized healthcare experience, all in hopes of building a healthier and more sustainable agricultural community. "There is nothing more powerful than discovering what your community is passionate about; community is more than just belonging to something; it's about doing something together that makes belonging matter," said Kirti Mutatkar, CEO of UnitedAg.
The conference kicked off with a bowling tournament and welcome reception at Downtown Disney's Splitsville Luxury Lanes, where more than one hundred conference attendees participated in the bowling tournament and reception where proceeds benefited UnitedAg's scholarship foundation, the Agribusiness Education Foundation. President & CEO Kirti Mutatkar congratulated the winning team and closed the evening with an overview of the next day's events.
The conference guest speakers included brand strategist Sasha Strauss, founder of Innovation Protocol, a brand consultancy that exclusively serves innovators; Tom Daly, former California state assemblymember; Louie A. Brown, Jr., Partner, Kahn Soares & Conway, LLP; Eric Bream, President, Bream Family Farms; Rodney Braga, President & CEO, Braga Fresh Family Farms, Dr. Carladenise Edwards, Strategic & Board Advisor for Parsley Health, Clover Health, and Heluna Health and a special message from Congressman John Duarte.
One of the most touching moments occurred during the annual luncheon when Rodney Braga addressed the 2022 WomenAg Leadership graduates with a personal message. Other memorable moments include the special award given to Tom Amaro for more than 25 years of service to UnitedAg, and the top three ambassadors were awarded for their contributions and ideas to improve and enhance members' healthcare experience. Chief Medical Officer and program adviser Dr. Rosemary Ku congratulated the top performing ambassadors, Kacy Smith of Valley Farm Management, Veronica Luna of Rancho Guadalupe LLC, and Veronica Blanco of Innovative Produce, for their successful initiatives in 2022.
The conference culminated with the annual dinner dance with an homage to the 80s. Attendees danced the night away but only after participating in a dessert auction that benefited the Agribusiness Education Foundation. Led by guest auctioneer Louie A. Brown, Jr., the auction raised over 18k in donations surpassing the 10k goal.
The conference sponsors included Blue Shield of CA , SAIN Medical, Costco Health Solutions, Teladoc Health, Bank of America,Wells Fargo, Church Brothers, Rijk Zwaan, Christopher Ranch, LLC, Innovative Produce, Brent Eastman Insurance Services and Moore Insurance Services.
If you would like more information about UnitedAg, visit us at http://www.unitedag.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
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About UnitedAg
Established in 1980, UnitedAg represents more than 1,000 agriculture-affiliated member companies and helps its members meet their employee benefits needs, promotes their interests with lawmakers, and complying with health legislation and regulation. Based in Irvine, Calif., UnitedAg has offices in Irvine, Salinas, and wellness centers throughout the Central Valley and Northern California and provides benefits to over 55,000 agricultural workers in California and Arizona.
Visit us at http://www.unitedag.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
For more information, contact Maribel Ochoa at 714.615.5583.
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