Ann Donahue
Western Growers, Director, Marketing and Communications
Ann Donahue serves as Director, Marketing and Communications for Western Growers, where she is responsible for external communication efforts and publicizing the Association’s executives, initiatives, and members across all media platforms. Ann spent more than 20 years as an editor and reporter covering entertainment journalism, with bylines at publications including Variety, the L.A. Times, Billboard, […]
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FFVA Emerging Leaders Visit the WGCIT in Salinas
The Emerging Leaders from the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association visited the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology in Salinas on June 27, and seven of the Center's startups pitched the group their agtech solutions. Lead by Director Sonia Tighe and Communications Manager Veronica Figueroa, the FFVA Emerging Leaders include: Thomas Addison of H&A Farms; Renee L. Buxton…
Statement of Western Growers on the Reintroduction of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act
IRVINE, CALIF. (June 26, 2023) - Following the reintroduction of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act on June 23, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: "We thank Representatives Zoe Lofgren, Dan Newhouse and their colleagues for reintroducing the Farm Workforce Modernization Act this Congress - a bill that passed the House twice in recent years. Many…
Leon Panetta, Chairman of the Panetta Institute of Public Policy, Will Keynote the Salinas Biological Summit
IRVINE, CALIF. (May 22, 2023) – Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the Chairman of the Panetta Institute of Public Policy, will deliver the keynote address at the Salinas Biological Summit, speaking on the topic of food security and innovation. Registration is now open to attend the event, which will be held June 20-21, 2023 at CSU Monterey Bay's Salinas City Center. Co-presented by…
Pinnacle Claims Management Names Kyle Gerdts Vice President, Sales and Account Management
IRVINE, Calif. (June 26, 2023) - Pinnacle Claims Management, Inc. is pleased to announce Kyle Gerdts is joining the organization as Vice President, Sales and Account Management. In this role, he will be responsible for business development and client service. Gerdts joins from HealthComp, where he served as Director of Sales with responsibilities for consultative sales and strategy. Prior…
WG Now Offers Pre-Harvest Testing Technical Support
Pre-harvest testing is a hot topic and technical support is now offered by Western Growers. On Nov. 2, 2022, Western Growers, in collaboration with the California Leafy Green Marketing Agreement, (CA LGMA) held an in-person workshop on the subject at the Monterey County Farm Bureau in Salinas, Calif. The event was the first in a ...
Major COVID-19 Updates This Week
Once again, the State has announced major COVID updates this week. For starters, on Monday October 17, 2022 Governor Newsom announced that the California COVID-19 State of Emergency (SOE) will (supposedly) end February 28, 2023. However, he indicated that as the SOE ends, the California “SMARTER Plan continues to guide California’s strategy to best protect ...
Don’t Miss the Upcoming Leave Laws, Interactive Process, and Reasonable Accommodations Workshop in Oxnard
By Anna Bilderbach This four-hour onsite workshop is designed for new or veteran HR practitioners and department leaders. This course is delivered by Western Growers University and its Corporate Counsel. In this session, you will learn about: Federal and state employee leaves Who qualifies and who doesn’t? What is an employer’s obligation? The Interactive Process ...
NLRB Orders Consequential Damages
On December 13, 2022, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”), by a 3-2 majority, issued a very “consequential” decision in the case of Thryv, Inc. and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Like the ALRB, the NLRB’s standard remedy for unlawful terminations include backpay directly related to lost payroll and fringe benefits. With the new ruling, ...
The Speak Out Act
On December 7, 2022, President Biden signed the “Speak Out Act.” (“Speak Out”). “Speak Out” voids in as unenforceable any non-disclosure or non-disparagement agreement related to workplace sexual harassment and sexual assault. The Act bars employers from enforcing such agreements with former or current employees, independent contractors, providers…
RxDC Reporting Enforcement Relief Announced: More Time to Comply!
Although they are cutting it a little close, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (the “Departments”) have given us all a gift for the holidays: The Departments announced today that they are offering enforcement relief in connection with the Prescription Drug Data Collection (RxDC) Reporting mandate. For those who have been ...
Working in Rainy Conditions
With the recent onset of unprecedented rainstorms, with yet another major front moving in this week and next week, planting and harvesting activities will be severely constrained. Below are a few important recommendations to consider before engaging in agricultural operations due to excessive rain or flooding in your fields. First and foremost, before you decide ...
Digital edition of January/February issue of Western Grower & Shipper Magazine is Now Available
By Ellie Amesse The January/February issue of Western Grower & Shipper Magazine is now available. Print copies should be in your mailbox soon, and the digital issue can be accessed here. This issue is all about agricultural technology and equipment. The cover story is titled “Robots on the farm: how farm workers have safer, better-paying ...
Updates from the WGCIT
The Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology was created to link Western Growers members with innovators in the agtech space. Below are news updates from the Center’s startups: AgNote Now AgNote can intelligently estimate your crop harvest dates! One of the newest additions in AgNote’s farm management software is Harvest Date Estimation. It takes ...
Western Growers Co-Sponsors 2022 Organic Grower Summit
This year the Organic Grower Summit in Monterey, Calif. on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2022 again provided growers with firsthand knowledge and information in areas ranging from agtech to food safety to sustainability. The Grower of the Year was awarded to Jeff Huckaby, President of Grimmway Farms, headquartered in Bakersfield, Calif. During Huckaby’s 25-year tenure at ...
WG Updates: Anniversaries, Employee Recognition and Pets
Congratulations to our members who have recently celebrated milestone membership anniversaries! Our latest issue of Western Grower & Shipper Magazine recognizes members celebrating big anniversaries. Our latest magazine issue also highlights two exemplary WG employees: Janet Darling and Sarah Secrist. Janet and Sarah were recently honored as recipients of the…
Share Your Voice: Farm Bill Public Listening Session at World Ag Expo
By Tracey Chow Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pennsylvania), chair of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, and Rep. David Valadao will host a listening session Tuesday at the World Ag Expo to gather public feedback on the 2023 Farm Bill. They will be joined by other members of the Committee and the California Congressional delegation to ...
Save the Date: 2023 Employment Law Update Webinar – March 8, 2023
Please join us for a webinar in which Western Growers attorneys will provide a comprehensive review of the new California and Federal employment laws and cases that will impact employers in 2023 and beyond. Jason Resnick, Sr. Vice President & General Counsel, and Teresa McQueen, Corporate Counsel, will be conducting a content-packed webinar to update ...
EPA Denies Pesticidal Seed Treatment Petition
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has denied a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity that asked the EPA to amend the “treated article exemption” to make clear it does not apply to seeds treated with systemic pesticides. This is a success for Western Growers; last month, WG joined more than 30 other agricultural organizations ...
WG President and CEO Dave Puglia Appears on Inside the Issues with Alex Cohen to Discuss Card Check Legislation
Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia appeared on Spectrum News 1’s Inside the Issues with Alex Cohen on Oct. 3, addressing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of AB 2183 and the ramifications that ending the secret ballot process will have on farmworkers in California. “It’s not really about mail-in voting – if it were, the [UFW] would not have…
WG Annual Meeting Less Than a Month Away – Register Now!
The Western Growers Annual Meeting will be held Nov. 2-5, 2022 at The Venetian Resort – that’s less than a month away! Click here to register now and experience the premiere networking event in Western agriculture, drawing hundreds of attendees each year for insightful panels and keynote speeches alongside networking events and top-tier entertainment. Speakers this ...