Our lineup of informative speakers changes every year for the Florida Agricultural Financial Management Conference as we provide attendees with the opportunity to learn from experts on a range of topics from agricultural accounting practices to developing business plans to succession planning and more. Below is a list of speakers from the 2013 FAFMC Conference along with links to view / download most of the speakers’ presentations.
We will begin posting information on speakers for the 2014 event as we get closer to the conference, so be sure to check back!
Darryl Allen
Prof. Darryl Allen teaches advanced managerial accounting in the Kenneth G. Dixon Graduate School of Business at the University of Central Florida. Prior to entering his PhD program, Prof. Allen worked 28 years in the corporate environment. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati, he joined the Uniroyal Tire Company in Joliet, Illinois, where he worked on the internal audit staff until 1971. He joined Mobil Oil in 1971 as a construction team auditor in Joliet, Illinois, and moved though several positions over the next 25 years. Prior to retirement from Mobil, he was the Accounting Executive for Nigeria, Indonesia, and Qatar, and actually lived in Nigeria for six months.
Prof. Allen received his PhD from George Washington University in June 2003. He received his MBA from Marymount University of Virginia in May 1992 and his BBA in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati in June 1967. He has been a member of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Virginia since 1987.
Jodi Bainter
Jodi started sharing her family’s story through speaking engagements in 2006 and in December of 2012, she published the book, Make it Morning, chronicling her family’s journey. In 2011, she co-founded the A3 Foundation, Amputees Active Again a nonprofit organization to provide prosthetics and resources to amputees. Jodi is a graduate of Central Michigan University and has enjoyed a great career for the last 15 years at the Walt Disney Company. Jodi, Brett and their son Jake live in Orlando, Florida. Their inspirational story has been featured in People Magazine, ESPN, NPR, St. Pete Times and more.
Richard J. Budell
Mr. Budell joined the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 1985. He has held a variety of management positions within the Department and is currently the Director of the Office of Agricultural Water Policy. In his current position, he is responsible for the development and implementation of agricultural Best Management Practices addressing non-point source water quality impacts statewide. Mr Budell has served on numerous advisory committees to FDEP including the Pollutant Trading Policy Advisory Committee and the Designated Use Classification Policy Advisory Committee. Mr. Budell recently completed work on a National Academy of Sciences Committee evaluating the nutrient reduction strategies being employed in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
Summer Crenshaw
An innovator in business development with over a decade of experience in emerging media marketing and public relations, Summer has driven exposure for businesses diverse in both industry and size. Coupled with a passion for driving consumer affinity and creating interactive buzz in the marketplace, Summer drives her clients’ messages to their target audiences.
As a part of the leadership team at Hi Frequency Marketing, Summer developed unique tactics to drive online and offline brand engagement. In this role she worked with major and independent record labels, consumer product firms, video game manufacturers and major motion-picture studios. Her efforts contributed to media exposure featured on outlets such as CNN News, Inc. Magazine, Brandweek, Billboard, Advertising Age, Adweek, and The Economist. Leveraging this experience, Summer joined Careerbuilder.com as part of a leadership team that created and developed a new multi-million dollar enterprise market for the company. Working with a high-performing sales team and Fortune 500 clients, Summer brought a unique perspective and approach to employment branding and execution that energized recruitment campaigns.
As Director of Marketing at Relish Restaurant Group, Summer pioneered transmedia campaigns that propelled brand awareness for 9 distinguished fine dining brands. Her strategies attracted national notoriety from such restaurant outlets as Zagat, American Farm-to-Table Association and McCormick’s Taste Makers. Summer also served as a board member for Greater Cincinnati Independent Restaurant Association and Farmers’ Fair, and was also a founding member-at-large for Christ Heart Healthy Restaurant Partnership program that placed heart-healthy menu items in local restaurants that were endorsed by Christ Hospital, one of the top cardiac hospitals in the country.
Working closely with corporate executives, diverse media outlets and known personalities throughout her career, Summer consistently delivers creative and effective solutions that meet the demands of today’s fast-paced business environment. She has extensive experience in public relations strategy, key message development, day-to-day media relations, event management and media training.
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Lauren Y. Detzel
Ms. Detzel is a shareholder and chair of Dean Mead’s Estate and Succession Planning Department. She is Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. Ms. Detzel specializes in techniques to reduce or avoid paying estate tax such as family limited partnerships, grantor retained annuity trusts (GRATs), sales to intentionally defective trusts, charitable trusts, lifetime gifts and generation skipping trusts. Much of her practice involves planning for the succession of closely held or multi-generational family businesses.
Ms. Detzel also handles many contested tax matters in the transfer tax area, ranging from audits of returns and administrative appeals within the IRS to Tax Court and Federal District Court litigation.
Noranne Downs
Noranne Downs is a graduate the University of Massachusetts, formerly called Southeastern Massachusetts University, with a degree in Civil Engineering. She was the first female to receive a Civil Engineering degree from Southeastern Massachusetts University. Ms. Downs is a Registered Professional Engineer in the state of Florida.
Ms. Downs started with the Florida Department of Transportation in 1991 as a project manager and became the District Five Secretary in October 2006, managing up to a $1 billion annual district budget. As District Secretary, she is responsible for all Florida Department of Transportation operations for the nine-county Central Florida area.
Ms. Downs also serves as:
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for SunRail (Central FL Commuter Rail)
- Board Member for LYNX, Central Florida’s regional transit system
- Board Member for the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) and also serves as:
- Member of the OOCEA Audit Committee
- Member of the OCOEA Operations Committee
- Former Treasurer of the OOCEA Board & former member of the OOCEA Finance Committee
- Board Member for Osceola County Expressway Authority (non-voting)
- Board Member for MyRegion.Org
Paul P. Gregg
Paul Gregg is a faculty instructor and co-Chair of the Department of Finance in UCF’s College of Business. He teaches Personal Finance, Intermediate Corporate Finance, and Financial Statement Analysis.Prof. Gregg started his career with Price Waterhouse, where he rose to Senior Audit Manager. He audited a variety of Fortune 500 clients and also served an international tour of duty. He subsequently joined CNG Producing Company, an oil-and-gas exploration company owned by Consolidated Natural Gas. While there, he became Senior Vice President and CFO, with responsibility for all financial, planning, and marketing functions—including hedging and derivative trading activity. After CNG was acquired, he joined Road Runner High Speed Online, where he was Senior Vice President, responsible for all accounting, information technology, HR, tax, and procurement functions.
Prof. Gregg earned the B.S.B.A. (summa cum laude) and M.S.A. degrees from UCF. He is a Florida CPA and also performs CFO consulting work. He is currently CFO for Rini Technologies, Inc., a former UCF incubator company involved in engineering research for the Department of Defense. He is also a 2004 inductee into the UCF College of Business Administration Hall of Fame and was the FMA Finance Professor of the Year at UCF in 2006/2007. He also serves on the UCF Foundation Investment Advisory Committee.
Ben Merchant
An economist by trade, Ben became fascinated with the food industry 4 years ago when he moved to the US when relocated by his work. All told, Ben has been working within the certification industry for the past 7 years, and his presentation today will be a look at the causes and costs of food safety.
Kevin L. Ryan
Kevin L. Ryan is the current CEO/Executive Director of the International Corporate Chefs Association plus is the founder and president of MARKETING A LA CARTE. MARKETING A LA CARTE is a Marketing and Public Relations firm specializing in the foodservice industry and exclusively representing the culinary profession and foodservice associations for more than 22 years. Clients have included the American Culinary Federation, U.S. Culinary Team USA, World Association of Cooks Societies, National Restaurant Association, Florida Restaurant Association, EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, Chefs Collaborative, The Culinary Institute of America and the International Corporate Chefs Association. As of September 2013, Ryan is starting another new association for the next 200 chains. The Chain Menu Innovators Association is designed for the growth chains who rank from 201 to 400 in annual sales on Technomics top 500 chain listing.
Other clients who have utilized his marketing and public relations services during the past 20 + years include numerous branded food companies and commodity boards where MARKETING A LA CARTE has provided culinary educational training programs, research services, ideation sessions and product development. Working with chefs in almost every type of operation including numerous national chain concepts has helped Ryan use his creative talents and contacts to build the nation’s only firm which specializes in the culinary profession.
While running an Orlando advertising agency Ryan founded in the mid-80s, he helped numerous local restaurants achieve great success. From grand openings to special promotions, these restaurants received benefits from the cost-effective programs that were heavy on publicity and efficient in the use of advertising. Many of the chefs in those operations were members of the American Culinary Federation Central Florida Chapter who was to host a U.S. “Culinary Olympic” Team Tryout in 1986. The public relations skills of Ryan helped the ACF land spokespersons on Good Morning America, Live with Regis, The Today Show and the ABC Radio Network. This exposure helped Ryan launch MARKETING A LA CARTE in 1989, a national marketing firm specializing in publicity, event management and sponsorship sales for the nation’s culinary profession.
More than a decade of success with the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and Culinary Team USA, the official team of chefs that represents the United States in international culinary competitions, helped to mold MARKETING A LA CARTE into the first international firm specializing in the culinary profession. The database and contacts accrued over the years has helped Ryan become the most widely know marketing experts in the culinary field. While handling the World Association of Cooks Societies, these contacts spread to more than 52 nations.
In the past 20 years, chefs in America, Africa, Asia and Europe have gained publicity and generated revenue and publicity due to the efforts of this specialized firm. Events MARKETING A LA CARTE has helped publicize include the ICCA Summit, ACF National Convention, announcement of Global Chef Certification process open to all cooks and chefs, the World Cooks Tour for Hunger in South Africa, and Team USA’s award-winning performances in the Culinary World Cup (Luxembourg), the American Culinary Classic (Chicago) and the “Culinary Olympics” (Germany).
Representing both campuses in Hyde Park, New York, and St. Helena, California, for The Culinary Institute of America, MARKETING A LA CARTE provided marketing of their customized educational services and research & development designed for the nation’s leading food manufacturers, suppliers and foodservice operators. MARKETING A LA CARTE also represents food companies, commodity boards and restaurant chains in the areas of research and development, marketing and public relations. Ryan’s most recent significant accomplishment was the founding of the nation’s first chefs association designed for corporate chefs from the top 200 chain operations. The International Corporate Chefs Association was announced in May 2002 at the NRA Show and the membership drive began in August 2002. The ICCA was proud to celebrate its 10th Anniversary in 2012 and is in support of the new Chain Menu Innovators Association.
Wendy Sage-Hayward
Wendy is a consultant at the Family Business Consulting Group. She has 25 years of experience working with business leaders, family firms, and boards. She serves clients across industry facilitating meaningful conversations with multi-generational families on matters relating to firm continuity, next generation preparation, governance and, when needed, conflict resolution.
Wendy has a Masters Degree in Family Systems Counseling Psychology from the University of British Columbia and is currently completing an Executive Masters Degree in the Neuroscience of Leadership from the Neuroleadership Institute. She is an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business guiding programs for business families and advisors in the Business Families Centre.
Wendy is a member of the board of directors for her family agribusiness firm which consists of approximately 45 cousin partners and recently celebrated its 128th Anniversary. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband and two children.
John Savercool
John Savercool serves as Senior Lobbyist and Managing Director of UBS Americas Inc., which covers all of the primary business units within UBS, including the Investment Bank, Wealth Management and Global AM. John directs the firm’s lobbying, political and policy advocacy efforts at the federal level. John’s lobbying targets to date have included all major banking and securities issues, regulatory reform in financial services and tax legislation, among others.
John is a veteran of Washington of 31 years. He began his career with U.S. Congressman Mike Oxley of Ohio and former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. John then embarked on a 17-year career with Texas Senator Phil Gramm, the former chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. John also served as chief of staff for Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in 1993. From 1999 to 2003 he served as Vice President for federal affairs for the American Insurance Association. John lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two daughters.
Dr. Edmond J. Seifried
Over the years, Dr. Ed Seifried has touched the hearts and minds of almost every director and CEO of community banks across the nation. While recognized for his keynote speeches, Dr. Ed is a valued educator for community bank directors, CEOs, senior management, and up and coming community bankers.
Carrying on his tenure as Professor Emeritus of Economics and Business at Lafayette College, Dr. Ed has led the educational programs as Dean for the West Virginia Banking School and the Virginia School of Banking. He has been on the faculty of many banking schools, including Stonier and the Graduate School of Banking at LSU.
Most recently, Dr. Ed is the Executive Director of the Sheshunoff Affiliation Program. This highly acclaimed program provides high performance education and idea exchanges for community bank CEOs, Lenders, and Technology/Operations Officers.
Having served as a community bank director, Dr. Ed believes that one has to experience the dynamics of being a community bank director to fully understand their needs to create the bank’s strategic plan, assess risk, set risk parameters, monitor risk, and to be thoroughly educated.
Bryan Silbermann
View Bryan Silbermann’s presentation!
Click to view the PMA/Sesame announcement details!
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Mr. Bryan Silbermann serves as the Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and served as the President from 1996 until August of 2013. Since joining PMA in 1993 Mr. Silbermann has been instrumental in launching and developing new programs and services for the fresh produce and floral industry including: Produce for Better Health Foundation, PMA’s Foundation for Industry Talent, Center for Produce Safety at UC Davis, PMA’s first affiliate: PMA Australia-New Zealand, Research into consumer demand and groundbreaking trends, Standardized coding systems (PLU and UPC), Produce Traceability Initiative and Food safety communication campaigns. He is a frequent and sought-after speaker. He has been interviewed by media worldwide. Supermarket News recognized Mr. Silbermann as one of the top fifty “power players” whose actions drive the food industry. Mr. Silbermann studied from the University of Chicago and Oxford University, England.
Michael Swanson Ph.D.
Michael Swanson is an agricultural economist and consultant for Wells Fargo, the largest commercial agricultural lender in the United States. Based in Minneapolis, his responsibilities include analyzing the impact of energy on agriculture, forecasting for key agricultural commodities, such as wheat, soybeans, corn, and cotton, and livestock sectors, such as cattle, dairy, and hogs. Additionally, he helps develop credit and risk strategies for Wells Fargo’s customers, and performs macroeconomic and international analysis on agricultural production and agribusiness. Michael joined Wells Fargo in 2000 as a senior economist.
Prior to joining Wells Fargo, he worked for four years at Land O’ Lakes, a large national dairy cooperative supervising a portion of the supply chain for dairy products, and four years in South America with Cargill Cafetera de Manizales S.A. His areas of responsibilities included grain imports and value-added ingredient sales.
Michael received undergraduate degrees in economics and business administration from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., and both his master’s and doctorate degrees in agricultural and applied economics from the University of Minnesota.
Tom Windram
Tom is a Partner in the Washington National Tax office of McGladrey LLP and also the national leader for the Federal Tax Credits and Incentives specialty line which includes extensive work in renewable energy credits & incentives – qualification / investment structures for Solar, Wind, Biomass, etc.
Tom often gets involved in tax credit projects for key clients. Prior roles that Tom held at McGladrey include leading the accounting for income taxes practice and tax technology lead.
Prior to joining McGladrey, Tom spent eight years at Deloitte where he led the national software research tax credit practice. Before that, Tom was at KPMG for three years, where he specialized in accounting for income taxes and corporate tax. He holds a MS in Taxation from Robert Morris College and BS in Accounting from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.