VIP dinner kicks off Southern Exposure 2023
ORLANDO, FL — The Southeast Produce Council held its annual VIP dinner Wednesday evening, March 1, at the Swan Reserve Vue Ballroom, just prior to the opening of the 2023 Southern Exposure conference and trade show, here.
A record crowd was expected for this year's event, themed "Produce, The Final Frontier." Among the full schedule of events planned for Southern Exposure were 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 opening gala, the keynote luncheon and the expo.
Victoria and Mark Shuman of Shuman Farms with Garry Bergstrom, a member of the SEPC board of governors.
Jane Narwold of Sutherland's Foodservice and Larry Narwold of Gold Coast Packing.
David Sherrod, president and CEO of the Southeast Produce Council; Kent and Vicki Kuwata; and John Shuman of Shuman Farms.
Ricardo Roggiero of Freshway Produce, Maclaren Oglesby of Sbrocco International and Jose Roggiero of Freshway Produce with Derek Ennis and Bobby Creel of L&M Cos. Inc.
Craig and Kaylin Fields with Julia and Rick Estess, all of RPE.
Mike Roberts of Harps Food Stores, Faye Westfall of SEPC and Gary Baker of MDI.
Jennifer Pierce of the Southeast Produce Council.
Susan Ann and Clark Roper of Chick-fil-a with their daughter, Charlotte.
Candy and Steve Pinkston, retired from Sunny Valley International, with Sheila and Brad Carden of the National Watermelon Promotion Board.
Sloan Lott of Bland Farms with Theresa Nolan of the James & Theresa Nolan Foundation.
Kristen Yerecic Scott of Yerecic Label with Rick Stein of FMI.
Gordon Hochberg
About Gordon M. Hochberg | 
Gordon M. Hochberg was born in New York City, and grew up in Westchester County, NY. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from Lafayette College in 1973.
He started his career at The Produce News in the late 1970s, and has been with the publication ever since.
He served on the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Agricultural Society from 2012 to 2018. He currently serves on the Southeast Produce Council’s Board of Governors.
He enjoys music, theater and reading (American and ancient history are his favorites). And he’s been a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees since attending his first game in the late 1950s. He and his wife, Kathi, have been married since 1974.
