VIP dinner kicks off Southern Exposure 2026
By
Gordon Hochberg
VIP dinner kicks off Southern Exposure 2026
By
Gordon Hochberg
ORLANDO, FL -- The Southeast Produce Council held its annual VIP dinner Wednesday evening, Feb. 25, at the Orlando World Center Marriott, just ahead of the opening of the 2026 Southern Exposure conference and trade show, here.
A full schedule of events was planned for Southern Exposure over the next three days, including the annual Tom Page Golf Classic (named for Tom Page, one of the founders of the council), the Future Generations Celebration Dinner, two educational workshops, the Southern Roots luncheon for women in produce, the Good Seeds MENtor Program, the Hee Haw Hootenanny (the opening gala), the keynote luncheon and the expo.
Frank Swanson, retired from U.S. Food, with Candy and Steve Pinkston, a member of the SEPC Board of Governors.
Garry Bergstrom, retired from Publix, with John Shuman of Shuman Farms.
Blair Greenhill of Nickey Gregory Co. with Sloan Lott of Bland Farms.
Melissa Thrasher of Whole Foods with Eric Waters of Shuman Farms.
Cody Dunn, Hannah Lynn and Bobby Creel of L&M Cos. Inc.
Kristin Scott of Yerecic Label with Derek Ennis of L&M Cos. Inc.
Rick Stein of FMI with Susan and Mike Tipton of Schnucks.
David Sherrod, president and CEO of the SEPC, and Sloan Lott, chairman of the SEPC board of directors, welcomed everyone to the VIP dinner.
Jane Narwold of Sutherland’s Foodservice with Molly Edenfield Farrow of the SEPC.
Julia and Rick Estess, retired from RPE Inc. with Kendra and Sloan Lott of Bland Farms.
Candy Pinkston with Sheila Carden of the National Watermelon Promotion Board.
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