<p> During the Western Growers Association’s 88th Annual Meeting in Hawaii, the Board of Directors named Bruce C. Taylor, Chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms California, as the new Chairman of WGA. At the close of this week’s meeting, Bruce will assume volunteer leadership responsibilities from outgoing Chairman Steve Barnard, president and CEO of Mission Produce, Inc., according to a press release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_western_grower_nov_2013_body00.jpg" alt="images 111313" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Tom Nassif, president and CEO, Western Growers, tells AndNowUKnow, “Western Growers is delighted to have Bruce Taylor as our new chairman. Bruce is a long-standing board member who also has a family legacy with our organization. His grandfather, Bruce Church, served as our chair in 1937. As a collaborator and passionate leader, Western Growers looks forward to benefitting from the vision that Bruce brings to every endeavor with which he has been involved during his distinguished career.”<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> After attending the UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School, Taylor, a third-generation produce grower-marketer in the Salinas Valley, joined the family business and led the development of Fresh Express. Since the founding of Taylor Farms in 1995, Bruce and several partners have expanded this national fresh salad leader to nine manufacturing facilities in North America. He is the past chairman of the Produce Marketing Association and the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. Bruce was elected to the Western Growers board in 1999.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> The Board also selected Vic Smith, president and CEO of JV Smith Companies, as senior vice chairman; Larry Cox as vice chairman; Mark Teixeira of Teixeira Farms as treasurer; John Manfre of Frank Capurro and Son as secretary, and thanked outgoing directors.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"> Congratulations on becoming the new Chairman, Bruce!<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href=" http://www.wga.com/blog/2013/11/12/bruce-taylor-named-western-growers%E2%80%99-chairman-board-88th-annual-meeting-hawaii" target="_new"> Western Growers Association </a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
