As the industry turns the page on 2018 and welcomes 2019, the FreshStart 2019 conference held by the United Fresh Produce Association provides an ideal opportunity to reflect on the prior year and set goals for the new year, all while raising money for a good cause.

Formerly known as the Midwinter Leadership Forum, the event was rebranded this year as the FreshStart Conference with a goal of connecting businesses to growth opportunities serving the next generation of consumers.Alex DiNovo, president and chief operating officer of DNO Produce, with his wife, Kristin, and their five young children. The United FreshStart Foundation’s mission of providing increased access of fresh fruits and vegetables to kids rings true to DiNovo, who is chairman of this year’s FreshStart conference.

This year’s FreshStart Conference takes place Jan. 15-17 at the La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, CA, and features a full lineup of networking and educational opportunities, including several events that raise money to benefit the United Fresh Start Foundation.

“I’m excited to start the new year with such an important event for the foundation,” said Phil Muir, president and chief executive officer of Muir Copper Canyon Farms, and chairman of the United Fresh Start Foundation Board of Trustees. “This annual event brings the industry together to fundamentally change the way the next generation connects with fresh produce. Not only will we showcase the significant impact we’ve had on kids in just the last year, we also will kick off our yearly fundraising efforts, which this year will enable us to launch new programs and partnerships while continuing to grow our current initiatives.”

Among the highlights are the annual golf tournament, the Bids for Kids silent and live auctions, the annual gala dinner, and the half-day conference. Last year’s auctions and golf tournament raised over $100,000 to support the United Fresh Start Foundation’s mission of increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

“I can’t think of a more important cause to support, or a nicer place to be than Palm Springs in January,” said Cindy Jewell, vice president of marketing at California Giant Berry Farms and United Fresh chairman of the board.”

“The FreshStart 2019 conference is a great opportunity for the industry to gather in one place with the sole purpose of supporting the United Fresh Start Foundation,” said Kim St George, director of sales and marketing/private brands for Mann Packing, and the chair of the gala reception and dinner. “This two-day event provides ample opportunities for our industry colleagues to support the mission of increasing children’s access to fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Alex DiNovo, president and chief operating officer of DNO Produce in Columbus, OH, who is the FreshStart 2019 Conference chair, believes the event is one of the most important of the year for the industry.

“The whole point of this conference is to focus on the foundation’s three core missions, which are giving kids access to produce in schools, communities and our businesses, but also it's a great networking opportunity,” he said.

For DiNovo, 35, and the father of five young children ages 2 to 7, the message rings true. His company, a produce distributor and fresh-cut processor, counts school districts as an important segment of its business and supplies schools with single-serve, two-ounce and four-ounce cups. He said it is particularly gratifying to provide a healthy product to those in need, with an added benefit of helping his own business. In fact, it is a key reason he welcomed the opportunity to serve as chairman of the FreshStart 2019 conference.

“The confluence of doing the right thing and helping out my own business and the industry in general really sparked my interest in getting involved,” said DiNovo.Ron Carkoski

“Plus, with my five kids, I have my own little test market,” he quipped.

Another reason the FreshStart Conference appeals to DiNovo is the timing at the beginning of the year.

“It might sound cliché, but I like to think about it as providing a ‘fresh start’ to the year,” he said. “It gives us an opportunity to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new year. I am looking forward to speaking with people about their main objectives in 2019 and evaluating our own goals for the year. What are other companies doing and how does that resonate with my own company? It’s a great learning experience.”

Another highlight of the FreshStart Conference is the gala dinner, where an industry member is honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. This year’s honoree is Ron Carkoski, who retired from Four Seasons Family of Companies in Ephrata, PA, on Dec. 21 after 24 years with the company, the last 14 as chief executive officer.

“Ron is a fellow trustee with me on the FreshStart Foundation board, and I met him five or six years ago when he was chairman of United Fresh,” said DiNovo. “He is a true industry leader whose words carry a big impact. He is a big proponent of servant leadership. I have never forgotten the message he spread at the conclusion of his chairmanship of the United Fresh board of directors. He encouraged everyone in attendance to get involved and work towards becoming a servant leader and said he got far more out of volunteering his service than he put in. This applied to United, but also more generally to him as a human being. I believe that I got more heavily involved with United Fresh in part as a result of Ron’s message at this event.

“Ron places an big emphasis on the importance of moral and caring leaders in this industry,” DiNovo added. “It will be a real honor for me to be there to see him honored.”

“As Ron plans his retirement after nearly three decades of service to the fresh produce industry, I can’t think of a more deserving individual to recognize with the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Tom Stenzel, United Fresh president and chief executive officer.

Carkoski joins a distinguished group of past recipients, including Hugh Topper, Bruce McEvoy, Rick and Tonya Antle, Mike Cavallero, Joe Procacci, Reggie Griffin, Frieda Caplan and Bob Grimm (posthumously).