The “Everything is big in Texas and we’re excited to embrace that,” said Szczepanski. “Our convention will embrace the ‘Cowboy Spirit’ of Texas and the flavor of Austin, with a lot of music, culture and a healthy dose of ‘weird.’ But even more important than the convention and location are the people. We have great members in Texas, including growers and service providers.”
Szczepanski said this year’s convention will feature a number of events that are sure to contribute to the success of the event.
“We’re continuing something we tried out last year, and that is an offsite party on Thursday night,” he said. “While we do host a reception on Wednesday for those who will be in town for golf or meetings, Thursday will be the first time we have the full group together, and we’re looking forward to a great kickoff with a night of fun, music and an appearance by NASCAR driver and NWA member Ross Chastain (aka the ‘elon Man) at a unique venue, Punch Bowl Social. It’s going to be a great night to come together and celebrate another year Watermelon Family style.”
Szczepanski said the substance of the convention also will have some new emphasis as well, with 2025 being a big year for education that is focused on compliance.
“With new retail requirements coming out, social responsibility audits being the norm, FSMA 204 becoming a reality and the pressures of the H2A system continuing to be a daily challenge, our educational programming will be focused on giving members the tools to succeed,” he said. “We’ll feature a half-day working session sponsored by QIMA to focus on the tools for social responsibility audits, and our education sessions on Friday will devote some time to all of these hot topics.”
Another event that will return this year is the session focused on women. Last year’s inaugural women’s session drew a standing room only crowd and Szczepanski said NWA is “upping the ante” this year with another session that will have a more interactive component.
He said the women’s session would adopt a “Voices from Texas” theme and will feature speakers from the Texas watermelon industry as well as ag leaders from outside the watermelon community.
Focus on the future
Aside from the annual convention, NWA has been busy on various other fronts and Szczepanski described 2024 as a great year for the industry and the NWA alike.
“Our National Watermelon Queen did a record number of promotions, our association found new ways to connect with our members, and the National Watermelon Promotion Board had an assessment increase approved,” he said. “While we celebrate these victories, we’ll definitely be focused on the future.”
Szczepanski said that future includes NWA increasing the support it provides to its members regarding labor concerns; enhancing the dialogue with federal officials on regulatory matters; and finding new avenues to listen to and collaborate with members.
He added that none of this would be possible without the help of his members.
“We get great participation from our volunteer members,” said Szczepanski. “This is evident in a big way when we host the convention and members literally roll up their sleeves to help us put on a world class event, but not everyone can see the help we get throughout the year.”
He said a “secret weapon” for the association is the network of state and regional chapters, which provide a vital link between the national association and local growers. This helps identify emerging issues, share best practices and ensure that advocacy reflects the needs of all members.
“We have nine chapter organizations across the country, and the leadership of those chapters includes some of the great leaders and advocates in the watermelon industry,” he said.
Szczepanski said he feels fortunate for the support he receives on a daily basis from the membership and NWA board.
“These first two years at NWA have been an incredible experience,” he said. “I'm lucky to have a staff who bring a wealth of institutional knowledge, as well as officers who serve three successive two-year terms as vice president, president and then chairman. Those officers have been an incredible resource for me, including our Chairman John Gee, who finished his term at the convention last year and was so pivotal in my entry to this industry.
“I’m excited to see my way through these first two complete cycles,” Szczepanski continued. “The first cycle was a chance to define our strategy and chart our course. In the second cycle, the focus was on communications and making sure we were providing information clearly to our members, and listening effectively as well. Now the third cycle is about creating value, and we certainly have big plans to do that over the next year.”
