Sarah Frey
Sarah Frey, CEO of Frey Farms
Sarah Frey is the founder and CEO of Frey Farms, an Agribusiness headquartered in South Florida. Sarah oversees the diverse operations of the Frey family of companies, including land acquisition, regenerative agriculture initiatives, raw ingredient manufacturing, and a fully integrated beverage business. Spanning seven states, Frey Farms is a leading U.S. grower, shipper, and marketer of fresh fruits and vegetables and is best known as America’s largest producer of fresh watermelons and pumpkins.
As a teenager, Sarah fearlessly expanded her mother’s summer produce delivery route from 12 independent grocery stores to over 150, saving her family’s struggling small farm. She defied rural poverty, running her full-time business while attending high school and college. At age 19, Sarah’s negotiation with Wal-Mart, securing fresh produce contracts, was a turning point that led to expansive growth into national retail. Her business negotiation strategies became the subject of a Harvard Business case study. Sarah’s four older brothers returned to the farm and joined her in growing the business. Today, the Frey Family proudly feeds America 200 million servings of fresh produce annually. Distributed across the U.S. from over 200 cold-chain distribution centers and 35,000 retail grocery and food service locations. Her entrepreneurial ventures led to the development and production of Tsamma, America’s first bottled, nationally distributed watermelon juice. Penguin Random House published Sarah’s best-selling book, The Growing Season: How I Built a New Life and Saved an American Farm. Sarah also serves as co-executive producer of the optioned film rights to The Growing Season. Frey serves on the board of FMI, The Food Industry Association, which advocates for the retail grocery industry to advance a safer, healthier, and more efficient consumer food supply chain. Frey has held industry appointments by both Democratic and Republican administrations. As one of the most influential women in agriculture, serving in bipartisan Ag Advisory roles for multiple members of the US Congress. Sarah is a highly skilled and persuasive communicator who has provided congressional testimony on key issues affecting the US food supply, including the Ag guest worker program reform.
Frey is an appointed Advisor of the NCAC, U.S. Representative and House Committee on Agriculture Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson’s National Agriculture Advisory Council. Sarah provides the Committee with fruit and vegetable commodity-specific expertise to inform agriculture policy and strategy on the upcoming Farm Bill. In 2025, Sarah was appointed Senior Advisor on Rural Policy to the America First Policy Institute. AFPI was Founded by Brooke Rollins, USDA Secretary of Agriculture. Sarah passionately advocates for better health initiatives, nutrition policies, and economic opportunities for underserved rural communities. Frey Farms proudly partners with Feeding America® and actively works to improve the lives of those in rural poverty. Her companies provide financial support, professional college advisory assistance, and internships to students interested in pursuing higher education in business and agriculture, demonstrating their commitment to the future of these communities. Sarah attributes her American success story to humble beginnings, hard work, and strong family bonds.
Todd Doehring
Todd Doehring, Director Centrec Consulting Group
Todd Doehring is Director at Centrec Consulting Group, a management consulting firm working exclusively in the food and agriculture sector. With expertise in agricultural finance, Todd collaborates and trains lenders, analysts, and underwriters, and serves in a part-time, quasi-CFO role for a few large farming operations. His work spans economic assessment, financial analysis, succession planning, financial management, and strategic planning for agribusinesses and producer groups across the country.
Todd has been a member of the Farm Financial Standards Council for over 25 years, is a past president, and currently co-chairs its Technical Committee, where he contributes to shaping financial reporting standards for agriculture. He holds degrees from the University of Illinois and brings practical insight and leadership to the landscape of ag finance.
Paul Neiffer
Paul Neiffer, CPA
Paul Neiffer, CPA is a thought leader on income and estate tax planning services and FSA planning related to farmers and their families. Paul is past president of the Farm Financial Standards Council and past chairperson of the AICPA Ag Conference. He writes the “FarmCPA” column for Top Producer magazine along with their Top Producer Podcast and is also the primary author of the “FarmCPAReport.com” blog. Paul is a nationally recognized speaker on many subjects related to farmers and processors including (1) tax planning, (2) estate tax and succession planning, (3) farm management accounting, (4) farm bill, (5) farm economics and many other related topics.
Dr. Edmond J. Seifried
Dr. Edmond J. Seifried, Executive Director of the Sheshunoff Affiliation Program
Dr. Ed Seifried is Professor Emeritus of Economics and Business at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He also serves as Executive Consultant and Chief Economist for the Sheshunoff CEO Affiliation Programs.
Dr. Seifried serves as the dean of the Virginia and West Virginia Banking Schools and has served on the faculty of numerous banking schools including: Stonier Graduate School of Banking, and the Graduate School of Banking of the South.
He frequently appears as a guest speaker at regional and national conferences and has delivered over 2500 economic presentation to various groups both in the United States and abroad. Dr. Seifried is the author of the book “The Art of Strategic Planning for Community Banks.” In addition to his academic and consulting experience, Dr. Seifried serves as a director of a community bank.
Jeff Ruby
Jeff Ruby, Author of RedRock Leadership: Transform Your Company and Unleash the Potential for Exponential Growth
I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to help others. At the age of 10, I was building soda can lamps and selling them to my neighbors for a profit.
After graduating from The University of Akron, I was named head of sales for a national lighting contractor where I helped grow revenue from $700k to $5.8m in less than four years.
At 30, I started my first company and learned firsthand how poor planning and lack of leadership can bring a company to its knees. It was during that time that I learned the value of being surrounded by solid mentors. Under their guidance I set some lofty goals. Then, once those goals were accomplished, I sold the company and relocated my family from Northeast Ohio to Florida.
Shortly thereafter, I packaged what I learned while building that business and I started RedRock Leadership.
In 2020 I published RedRock Leadership: Transform Your Company Culture and Unleash the Potential for Exponential Growth, which outlines best practices that’s helped strengthen 1,000’s of business leaders around the world.
Today, I’m a Certified EOS Implementer® and I help emerging growth companies establish vision, get traction, and stay healthy.
Clayton Willis
Clayton Willis, Senior Relationship Manager at CoBank Farm Credit Leasing
Ever since I was a child I have loved the agricultural industry. Some of my favorite memories as a boy were helping my father feed the cows and work on the tractor. When I was old enough to have cattle of my own, I furthered my love for the industry by joining my local FFA chapter, where I fell in love with the organization. I was able to give back to an organization that had given me so much by serving a one year term as the Florida FFA State President. While serving in this position, I discovered my true passion, telling others about Florida agriculture. This lead me to study Agricultural Education and Communications at the University of Florida. Through this degree program I have learned how to successfully market an agribusiness and connect producers to consumers. I currently work as a Relationship Manager for CoBank-Farm Credit Leasing.
Jonathan Watson
Jonathan Watson, CEO and Integrator at Quality By Design, Inc.
Jonathan Watson is the CEO and Integrator at Quality By Design, Inc., a Florida-based landscaping and irrigation company known for delivering high-quality installations for large-scale residential and commercial projects. QBD also operates a large tree and shrub nursery that supplies plants for internal use and sales to other landscapers. Jonathan holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida and began his career as a manufacturing engineer at Lockheed Martin.
Transitioning from aerospace to the family business, Jonathan worked his way up from the ground floor, gaining hands-on experience in every facet of the company. Now, as CEO, he has overseen QBD’s growth to over $40M in annual revenue, supported by a vertically integrated farm operation and a clear roadmap for expansion. Jonathan self-implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) at QBD, reshaping the company’s leadership structure, improving alignment, and fostering a culture of clarity and accountability.
Outside the office, Jonathan enjoys spending time on the water with his wife and two young sons.
James Watson
James Watson, Founder and Visionary of Quality By Design, Inc.
James Watson is the Founder and Visionary of Quality By Design, Inc., a Florida-based landscaping and irrigation company specializing in large-scale residential and commercial installation. A graduate of Florida International University with degrees in Marketing and Management Information Systems, James began his career at Arvida Corporation, where he led its in-house landscape division before moving into land development and operations for large master-planned communities.
In 1992, James left Arvida to start Quality By Design from his home office. Over three decades later, QBD has grown into a $40M+ design/build company, landscaping more than 4,000 homes each year and operating four farm locations that supply the majority of the company’s plant material.
A lifelong entrepreneur, James’s first ventures included selling tomatoes door-to-door, mowing lawns, and making jewelry. He considers his greatest achievement raising two successful children with his college sweetheart, Joan, his wife of 38 years.
Eric Hjort
Eric Hjort, President of Tater Farms
Eric Hjort is President of Tater Farms, one of Florida’s leading turfgrass producers. Since 2006, he has driven innovation with automated harvesting, autonomous tractors and mowers, and advanced irrigation, while championing environmental stewardship. His leadership earned Tater Farms the Florida Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award in 2021.
Derek Farnsworth
Derek Farnsworth, Ph.D. Associate Professor
Dr. Derek Farnsworth is an associate professor in the Food and Resource Economics Department at the University of Florida. He teaches agricultural finance courses, and his Extension programming is focused on agribusiness management. He conducts research on topics such as agricultural labor markets, production economics, and pest management. Dr. Farnsworth received his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics in 2014 from the University of California, Davis. He received both a BS in Business from the Kelley School of Business and a BA in Mathematics and Economics at Indiana University, Bloomington in 2009.
Alison Bogart
Alison Bogart, President of Bogart risk Auditing LLC
Alison has 25 years of experience in internal auditing and risk management. She has a BBA double major undergraduate degree in Accounting and in Information Technology, as well as a Masters of Science in Cybersecurity. She gathered extensive multi-industry experience working in the consulting divisions of the nation’s 1st and 5th largest public accounting firms : Deloitte & Touché and RSM McGladrey. She’s also had mid-sized corporation experience by working for two Fortune 200 companies. Most recently, Alison has worked as the internal audit leader in three Educational institutions. She has achieved 3 prestigious certifications in the risk management field: CFE – Certified Fraud Examiner, CIA – Certified Internal Auditor, and CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor. Her specialties include: internal controls, Sarbanes Oxley compliance, IT audit, as well as fraud prevention and detection.
She was honored in 2009 as one of LEAD’s “4 under 40” young professionals in Brevard County Florida. Alison has been on the board of directors of many Central Florida non-profit organizations including United Way and Catholic Charities. She is the immediate past President of the Institute of Internal Auditor’s Brevard Space Coast Chapter. She is a volunteer mentor and teacher through Junior Achievement.
Marcinda Kester
Marcinda Kester, State Executive Director USDA, Farm Service Agency
Marcinda Kester was appointed by the Trump Administration to serve as the state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands in June 2025.
Kester has worked for FSA for 33 years. She started her career as a county executive director in Florida, where she worked for 12 years before moving to Kentucky to serve as a farm program specialist in the Kentucky FSA State Office before being promoted to farm program chief. After spending nine years in Kentucky, Kester moved back to Florida where she worked as the county executive director for Polk, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties, for the last nine years.
Kester has received numerous awards throughout her career, most notably earning the FSA Administrator’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
She has been actively involved in the National Association of FSA County Office Employees, including serving as past president, president, and secretary, where she provided leadership and guidance to the association’s membership that represents over 7,000 employees. She is also treasurer of the Southeast Circuit Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association.
Kester has also been directly involved in production agriculture. She owned and operated a cow/calf operation in Brooksville, Florida.
She has a dual bachelor’s degree in marketing management and human resources management.
Kester is originally from Austin, Indiana, and currently lives in Lakeland, Florida. She enjoys going to rodeos, refinishing old furniture and antiquing.
Elio Chiarelli
Elio Chiarelli, PhD, AIF®, CFPA Financial Advisor & CEO Capital Defender Advisors
Elio has over 13 years of experience with client servicing, investment fiduciary guidance for plan sponsors, investment management, and portfolio construction. He has a significant background in agricultural education and economics, and he has earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) designation through the Center for Fiduciary Studies. He has also received the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) credential from the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA), demonstrating expertise required to act as a plan fiduciary and help plan fiduciaries manage their roles and responsibilities.
Elio received his BS in Agricultural Education from Penn State. He received his MS in Agricultural Education and Food & Resource Economics as well as his Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida. Prior to joining Capital Defender Advisors, Inc. Elio served as the Chief Investment Officer and Chair of the Investment Committee at Kidder Advisers, Inc. for 5 years. He is also active in the community through his service with the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, the First Baptist Church of Alachua, the Latin American Discipleship Outreach Mission Board and the Gainesville Ducks Unlimited Chapter.
Mike Joyner
Mike Joyner, President Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association
As president, Mike Joyner leads FFVA’s day-to-day operations, overseeing the association’s work in the areas of advocacy, labor, food safety, water and natural resources, crop protection, transportation, trade and more. With more than 35 years of experience in the agriculture industry, Mike has been recognized as one of the most influential business leaders in Florida agriculture for several years in Florida Trend’s Florida 500. Prior to being named president of FFVA in 2018, Mike served as assistant commissioner of agriculture and chief of staff for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, helping to lead the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for almost eight years.
Mike currently serves on the Agriculture Policy Advisory Committee to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative; The Center for Produce Safety Board of Directors, the University of Florida Leadership and Education Foundation, Inc.; and several other state and national industry boards, committees and advisory groups.