Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Western Growers provides a lobbying voice in state and federal government, affordable health benefits, technology and innovation development, transportation solutions, legal and human resources guidance and more.

Behind the association are more than 400 employees who are dedicated to serving America’s food heroes; here is an inside look at two of Western Growers’ champions.

William Metcalf: Covered California for Small Business Call Center Team Lead

William Metcalf joined the Western Growers Family of Companies as a service center representative in March 2014. He was elevated to his current role, Covered California for Small Business Call Center Team Lead, in September 2015. In this role, William has developed training materials for call center staff and identified and implemented process changes to improve call center functionality.

William has been a top performer since joining the Western Growers team. He is a subject matter expert on the processes and guidelines introduced by Covered California over the years. Will is known for his “let’s find a solution” attitude and is truly dedicated to doing what it takes to get the job done right.

Nimesh Valand

Network Systems Administrator

Nimesh Valand joined the Western Growers IT Department in November 2014. He considers his promotion to Network Systems Administrator his biggest professional accomplishment. In this role, Nimesh is responsible for the day-to-day operation of Western Growers’ computer networks. He enjoys this role because he gets to interact with colleagues across the organization where he has made many close friends.

Around Western Growers, Nimesh is known for his dedication to the company and its employees. He strives for 100 percent customer satisfaction and is widely referred to as an “IT Rock Star.” Nimesh makes sure he is up to date on the latest technologies and is always willing to lend a helping hand, regardless of the situation.

Beyond work, Nimesh values time with his family. He is proud of the academic accomplishments of his two children. His daughter recently graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in nursing and his son will be heading to UC Riverside to study biomedical sciences.

In his free time, Nimesh enjoys reading, traveling and exploring new technologies. If you happen to catch him in front of a television, he will likely be watching one of his favorite spy movies (perhaps James Bond, Jason Bourne or Mission Impossible).

Fun fact: His marriage was arranged. Nimesh and his wife have been happily married for 26 years.

Editor’s Note: William and Nimesh were recently honored as recipients of the Employees’ Choice Award, a WG program where employees select and honor fellow team members for their exemplary work and embodiment of the outward mindset.