Speakers 2015

Dana Apfelbaum

Dana Apfelbaum

Dana Apfelbaum

Dana Apfelbaum practices in the areas of federal income, estate, and gift tax law and family business succession planning in Dean Mead’s Fort Pierce office.  She counsels individuals in estate planning, with an emphasis on implementing the client’s objectives, asset protection and minimizing wealth transfer taxes.  Ms. Apfelbaum also represents fiduciaries through all stages of probate, estate and trust administration.  In addition, she represents businesses and business owners in all types of business and tax matters, including choice of entity, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, other general business matters, and succession planning.

Marisol Alvares

Marisol Alvares

Marisol Alvares

Marisol Alvares works for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Commissioner Adam H. Putnam. Marisol is a Development Representative II in the Division of Marketing.

Since 2005, Marisol has been the coordinator of the Hispanic, Latin American and Caribbean affairs for the department, encouraging retailers in the region to import and promote Fresh From Florida agricultural commodities.

She is also an Activity Manager for the Southern U.S. Trade Association’s trade shows and trade missions in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.

Marisol has a master’s degree in international affairs at Florida State University and is a Certified Public Manager.

Steve Bousquet

Steve Bousquet

Steve Bousquet

Steve Bousquet is the Tampa Bay Times’ Tallahassee bureau chief. He joined the Times in 2001 after 17 years at the Miami Herald, where he held a variety of positions including Tallahassee bureau chief, and he previously was a reporter at TV stations in Miami and Providence, R.I. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Rhode Island and a master’s in history from Florida State University.

Bousquet was a contributor to two editions of The Almanac of Florida Politics and to The Miami Herald Report: Democracy Held Hostage, an account of the 2000 presidential recount in Florida. You can reach him on Twitter @SteveBousquet

Cliff Bowen

Cliff Bowen

Cliff Bowen

Cliff is the founder and president of Agri-Property Consultants, Inc., located in Fort Myers. He has been appraising real estate for over 40 years. He has specialized in appraising and providing valuation consulting and due diligence services on Florida agricultural lands, rural lands and environmentally sensitive lands for over 30 years.

Cliff provides services for institutional and private investors, estate planning and settlement, state and federal agencies, private land holders, attorneys and agricultural lenders. He has been an expert witness in state circuit courts, federal bankruptcy courts, and federal tax court.

Benjamin E. Crosby

Benjamin E. Crosby

Benjamin E. Crosby, CCIM, ALC Broker

Benjamin Crosby has 34 year of experience as a commercial real estate broker. He has held licenses in nine states, including Florida, California and Texas. He is an accredited land consultant (ALC) and a certified commercial investment member (CCIM) with experience in land sales, commercial property sales and management and with agricultural land, including citrus and other agricultural investments. Crosby has served as a trustee with the Florida Realtors Political Action Committee, as president of the Florida CCIM Chapter, and as vice president of the CCIM Institute Region 8, which includes Florida and Puerto Rico. He is also an instructor of the Land 101 course for the Realtors Land Institute.

Crosby has received a great deal of recognition for his work. In 2014, he was named Land Realtor of America by the Realtors Land Institute, and also received the Excellence in Instruction Award. Crosby was also the recipient of the Hank Thompson Award from the Florida Chapter of CCIM in 2014. Crosby has been recognized numerous times by the Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors (FGCAR), including the Pinnacle Award for Land Deal of the Year (2007), the Pinnacle Award for All Category Deal of the Year (2007), and the Hallmark Award for Top Investment Producer (2009).

Crosby holds a B.A. from the University of South Florida in Business Administration.

Paul Genhouse

Paul Genhouse

Paul Genho

Paul Genho retired June 1, 2014, as President of Farmland Reserve, Inc. (FRI) and Chairman of the Board of AgReserves, Inc. (ARI). ARI is the parent company of Deseret Ranches. He served in this capacity for 9 years (2005-2014). Prior to this position, he was Vice President and General Manager of King Ranch for 7 years. Before moving to King Ranch, Dr. Genho managed Deseret Ranches of Florida for 17 years. He is currently an independent consultant to various agriculture firms and will join the faculty of the University of Florida as a visiting professor in October.

Dr. Genho has a PhD in Animal Science from the University of Florida and has served in numerous leadership positions within the NCBA, scientific, agriculture and academic communities. He has 50 years of experience in acquiring and managing agriculture properties worldwide. He and his wife, Meredith (deceased), are the parents of 9 children and 36 grandchildren.

Brad Gould

Brad Gould

Brad Gould

Brad Gould practices in the area of federal income, estate, and gift tax law and business succession planning in Dean Mead’s Fort Pierce office.  He represents businesses and business owners in all types of business and tax matters, including choice of entity, mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and other general business matters.  Mr. Gould represents individuals, businesses and fiduciaries before the Internal Revenue Service and also counsels clients on estate and wealth preservation planning matters.  Additionally, he represents trustees, personal representatives and family members in controversies regarding wills, trusts and estates.  Mr. Gould is a Certified Public Accountant.

Michael Gunderson

Michael Gunderson

Michael Gunderson

Michael Gunderson joined Purdue University as an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics in August 2012. After earning his doctorate from Purdue in 2006, Mike spent six years in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida (UF). While there, he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in agricultural finance, marketing and strategy. He has won teaching awards from the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the North American Teachers and Colleges of Agriculture, the UF College of Agricultural Life Sciences, and the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. Mike’s research focuses on understanding the factors that influence the financial success of agribusiness firms. He has published 20 peer-reviewed articles on topics such as service quality in agribusiness input industries, agricultural land values and agribusiness management. Mike holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University and a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness, farm and financial management from the University of Illinois.

Fred Hepler

Fred Hepler

Fred L Hepler

Fred Hepler is the Director of Acquisitions for farmland investments at AgVictus Capital Mgmt which is based in Atlanta.  He has over 40 years of experience in managing vertically integrated agricultural companies, representing public pension funds for farmland investments, managing large scale direct farming operations, representing private individuals, trusts & corporations for farm management/consulting, and brokering agricultural real estate sales.

Hepler is a proven visionary and strategic leader that translates business strategies into maximum profits commensurate with the best interest of shareholders, customers, employees, and the public. An expert in enhancing profitability; developing strategic investment and operating initiatives; and growing each segment of a high-quality agricultural business portfolio. Experienced in farm land investment and large scale vertically integrated agricultural business and farm operations with a proven track record of implementing the necessary structure to ensure quality financial performance. Dedicated to maintaining a reputation built on his passion for performance, client service, and uncompromising integrity & ethics.

His diversified experience includes developing a direct farming operation for a private equity firm which included over 50,000 acres in six states, building & managing the largest beef confinement feedlot in the US in conjunction with managing the direct farming operation associated with the feedlot of 18K irrigated acres, and being one of the original partners in the Westchester Group, a global farm real estate sales, management, consulting firm which managed over $1.0 billion of agricultural assets for public pension funds and private investors. During his career he has sold, managed, or farmed in 38 different states which involved 44 different crops.  Fred brings an in-depth level of diversified experience in agriculture investment and operations thru out the United States.

He was born and raised on a livestock grain farm in SW Iowa.  Fred holds an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University and an MBA from Eastern Illinois University. He is an Accredited Farm Manager and an Accredited Agricultural Consultant.

Wynn Jones

Jones founded Angus Investments Inc. in 1981. The company specializes in agricultural properties in South Florida. Prior to that, he was executive vice president of Hatton Bros. Inc., a farming corporation in Pahokee, Fla. Jones was also a partner in Pahokee Builders Inc. Jones is past president and current director of the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau and the Florida Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Florida and is designated as an Accredited Rural Appraiser by the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers.

He is elected to serve on the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Miami Branch.

David M. Kohl, Ph.D.

David M. Kohl, Ph.D.

David M. Kohl, Ph.D.

David Kohl is Professor Emeritus in the Agricultural and Applied Economics Department at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. For 25 years, Kohl was professor of agricultural finance and small business management and entrepreneurship in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics He was on special leave with the Royal Bank of Canada working on advanced initiatives for two years, and also assisted in the launch of the successful entrepreneurship program at Cornell University.

He has conducted more than 6,000 workshops and seminars for agricultural groups such as bankers, Farm Credit, FSA, and regulators, as well as producer and agribusiness groups. He has published four books and more than 1,500 articles on financial and business-related topics in journals, extension, and other popular publications.

Kohl is a two-time recipient of the prestigious American Agricultural Economics Association’s Outstanding Teaching Award. Kohl is one of only five professors in the nearly 100-year history of the Association to receive the award twice.

As facilitator of the United States Farm Financial Standards Task Force and member of the Canadian Agricultural Financial Standards Task Force, Kohl was one of the leaders in establishing guidelines for the standardized reporting and analysis of agricultural producers’ financial information on a national and international basis. The Kohl Agribusiness Centre has been established in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech in honor of his long-term commitment to practical teaching, research, and extension.

Kohl is currently President of AgriVisions, LLC, a knowledge-based consulting business providing cutting-edge programs to leading agricultural organizations worldwide. He is also a business coach and part owner of Homestead Creamery, a value-added dairy business in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Robert Lassiter

Robert Lassiter

Robert E. Lassiter III

In Feb., 2005, Mr. Lassiter was named Vice-President – Agricultural Investments with Prudential Ag Investments, as well as regional Vice-President with Capital Agricultural Property Services (CAP’S), a wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential. He came to Prudential from SunTrust Banks, Inc. where for nineteen years he was Senior Vice-president and manager of their Mid-Florida Agri-Business Department. Prior to SunTrust Bank, he worked in the Farm Credit System for approximately eight years serving as Vice-President and Branch Manager for the Federal Land Bank and Production Credit Associations in North Florida, Hillsborough County and Polk County Florida. Before joining Farm Credit, he worked for Ben Hill Griffin, Inc. for two years serving as Production Supervisor of the company’s Citrus Sections and Juice Processing divisions.

Mr. Lassiter grew up in Lake Wales, Florida and attended the University of Florida where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Resource Economics. He currently lives in Lake Wales with his wife Renee and they have two children, Ryan and Dana.

Civic activities and professional associations: Secretary/Treasurer of Florida Citrus Processors Association; Director and Chairman of the Finance Committee of Polk County Farm Bureau, a member of Florida Fruit and Vegetable Assoc., Florida Citrus Mutual, Gulf Citrus Growers Assc., Florida Forestry Assc., Georgia Forestry Assc., Past Director and Chairman of Economic Development Council Lake Wales Downtown, Inc.; Past member, American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers; Past President and Director of Lake Wales Rotary Club; Past President of Lake Wales YMCA.

Whitney Lett

Whitney Lett

Whitney Lett

Whitney Lett works for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services under Commissioner Adam H. Putnam. Whitney is a Marketing Specialist in the International Trade and Development section of the Division of Marketing.

To facilitate sales of Florida’s agricultural products, Whitney organizes trade events and missions in foreign markets, as well as missions in Florida. She also organizes Outreach seminars to recruit Florida companies to exporting.

Whitney is a graduate of The Florida State University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing with a minor in Art History.

Roger McEowen

Roger McEowen

Roger McEowen

Roger A. McEowen is the Leonard Dolezal Professor in Agricultural Law at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where he is also the director of the ISU Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation. Before joining Iowa State in 2004, he was an associate professor of agricultural law and extension specialist in agricultural law and policy at Kansas State. From 1991-1993, Professor McEowen was in the full-time practice of law with Kelley, Scritsmier and Byrne in North Platte, Nebraska.

Professor McEowen has also been a visiting professor of law at the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas, teaching in both the J.D. and L.L.M. programs. He has also taught at the Drake University School of Law Summer Institute in Agricultural Law.
At Iowa State, Professor McEowen develops and conducts an educational program in agricultural law and policy and is responsible for developing the curriculum and instructional program for the Iowa Farm Income Tax Schools.

He has published many scholarly articles and is also the lead author of a detailed textbook/casebook on agricultural law that is updated twice annually, and a second 300-page book on agricultural law. Professor McEowen also authors the monthly publication, “Kansas Farm and Estate Law.” In addition, he is the co-author of Bureau of National Affairs (BNA) Tax Management Portfolios on the federal estate tax family-owned business deduction and the reporting of farm income, and is the lead author of a BNA portfolio concerning the income taxation of cooperatives.

In 2003, Professor McEowen was named the recipient of the American Agricultural Law Association (AALA) Distinguished Service Award. He is also the recipient of the AALA’s award of excellence for professional scholarship. In 2006, Professor McEowen was named the president-elect of the AALA.

Professor McEowen received a B.S. with distinction from Purdue University in Management in 1986, an M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Iowa State University in 1990 and a J.D. from the Drake University School of Law in 1991.

William A. Messina, Jr.

William A. Messina, Jr.

William A. Messina, Jr.

Bill Messina is an agricultural economist with the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). He is the founding co-director of the department’s comprehensive research initiative to provide objective and current data, information and analysis on the agricultural and fisheries sectors in Cuba. Begun in 1994, this research continues to be conducted in collaboration with a team of researchers at the University of Havana, Cuba. Bill has published widely on Cuba’s agricultural sector. He has made presentations on the topic throughout the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, including testimony before U.S. House and Senate committees and the U.S. International Trade Commission, and staff briefings to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. State Department.

Prior to joining the University of Florida, Bill worked out of Apopka, Florida, for 11 years selling supplies and equipment to ornamental plant and vegetable growers throughout Florida, the southeastern United States and into the Caribbean and Central America.

Shane Platt

Shane Platt

J. Shane Platt

J. Shane Platt is president of Kissimmee Park Properties, where he manages the cattle and citrus operations of the 1100-acre ranch and 60-acre citrus operation. For the past 25 years, he has worked for Farm Credit of Central Florida, ACA, where he is currently chief appraiser and responsible for review and approval of all appraisals before they are accepted. Platt also developed the Appraisal Policy and Procedures for the ACA and developed and published the Environmental Policy and Procedures for the ACA.

Platt is also owner of J Lazy S Cattle and Citrus, a diversified agribusiness venture. In earlier parts of his career, he has been a real estate broker for CKS Properties, specializing in commercial and agricultural properties, as well as a commercial loan officer for Farm Credit of Southwest Florida and the Federal Land Bank Association of Wauchula.

Platt is involved in many Florida agricultural associations, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Greater Osceola Partnership for Economic Prosperity, Agriculture, Florida Land Societies (awarded Landowner of the Year in 2013) and is a past director of the Florida Sports Foundation. He graduated from Tarleton State University with a B.S. in Agriculture Business.

Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam

Adam Putnam is Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, overseeing the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Putnam has opened new markets for Florida’s 300 commodities both at home and abroad through advertising, retail partnerships and international outreach. As a result of his efforts, Florida agriculture is stronger than ever. Since 2011, exports of Florida agricultural products have grown by nearly $1 billion, a 30 percent increase. In the last three years, the growth of Florida agriculture created 25,000 new jobs and yielded an additional $88 million in indirect tax revenues.

Nutritional school lunches are another priority. Putnam has worked to connect schools with local farms so they could access fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables at affordable prices. Putnam has also worked with the Florida Legislature to develop and implement policies  toward securing a stable, reliable and diverse supply of energy. His proposals have expanded production of energy and increased efficiency of energy use, resulting in economic growth and new jobs for Floridians.

In 2011, Putnam established Operation Outdoor Freedom, which provides wounded veterans with unique opportunities for recreation and rehabilitation on state forests, private ranches and other lands. Hundreds of disabled veterans have participated in hunting, fishing and other activities since the program began.

Putnam has also focused on water regulation, condemning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) burdensome regulations on Florida’s water resources and insisting Florida should manage the health of its own waters. The EPA eventually withdrew its regulations.

Before joining Congress, Putnam served as member of the Florida House of Representatives, first elected at the age of 22. Adam was appointed Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, where he provided leadership on the many issues facing Florida’s dynamic agriculture industry, including property rights, water and the Everglades.

Putnam is a fifth generation cattle rancher and citrus grower from Polk County. He is a graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science degree in Food and Resource Economics.

Dr. Edmond J. Seifried

Dr. Edmond J. Seifried

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

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.

Clay Worden

Clay Worden

Clay Worden, CPA

Clay Worden is managing partner of the Orlando office of McGladrey LLP.  He has served clients in the agribusiness industry, providing accounting and consulting services to growers, ranchers, manufacturers, packers, distributors and cooperatives. Worden has assisted clients with audit and accounting, acquisitions, due diligence, bank financing, succession planning, equity transaction, corporate governance, litigation support, organizational governance projects, benchmarking and value-added operational improvement opportunities.

Some of the specific commodities Worden has experience with include citrus, cattle, row crops, grain, milk, nurseries, tree farms, sugar cane, tobacco and aquaculture. His hands-on experience runs deep with packers, processors, bottlers, value add manufacturing and distributors. He is also actively involved with regional and nation agriculture organizations that assist in monitoring, establishing and educating on legislative, tax and accounting matters impacting agriculture families and entities.

Comments are closed.