FEATURED SPEAKERS
WELCOME DINNER SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
Wednesday, April 29 | 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
California State Treasurer
FIONA MA
Topic: State Treasury Update
Fiona Ma, CPA, is California’s 34th State Treasurer. She was first elected on November 6, 2018 and was reelected on November 8, 2022. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position.
The State Treasurer’s Office was established in the California Constitution in 1849. The office provides financing for schools, roads, housing, recycling and waste management, hospitals, public facilities, and other essential infrastructure projects that improve the lives of Californians.
As the world’s fourth-largest economy, California relies on the Treasurer as its primary banker. Treasurer Ma’s office processes approximately $3 trillion in transactions annually and oversees an investment portfolio averaging $165 billion, including funds beneficially owned by more than 2,300 local governments. She also serves as agent of sale for all State bonds and trustee for billions in state indebtedness.
ANNUAL BREAKFAST KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Thursday, April 30 | 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Topic: Upstream—The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen
DAN HEATH
Bestselling Author, Speaker & Thought Leader on Change and Innovation, & Host of the What It’s Like to Be… Podcast
Dan Heath is the #1 New York Times bestselling author or co-author of six acclaimed business books—Switch, Made to Stick, Decisive, The Power of Moments, Upstream, and his newest release, Reset (January 2025). His books have been translated into 35 languages, sold over 4 million copies worldwide, and earned honors from Amazon and Apple, including Best Nonfiction and Best Audiobook of the Year, as well as the Owl Award for Best Business Book.
He also hosts the Top 5 Apple Careers podcast, What It’s Like to Be…, where he interviews professionals ranging from a couple’s therapist to a homicide detective and cattle rancher.
Heath holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from University of Texas at Austin, and lives in Durham, North Carolina.
SESSION SPEAKERS
Session 1: Ag Healthcare Innovation Panel
Thursday, April 30 | 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Agricultural employers and their workforces face a distinct set of healthcare challenges, seasonal and transient labor, language and access barriers, rising costs, and limited administrative bandwidth. At the same time, healthcare technology has reached an inflection point where it can finally make a practical difference, if it’s implemented thoughtfully and with people at the center.
This 90-minute summit-style session moves beyond high-level AI promises to focus on real-world applications already in use today.
Dean Noble-Tolla
Chief Product & Analytics Officer, Prealize Health
Dean Noble-Tolla is the Chief Product & Analytics Officer at Prealize Health, overseeing the development of one of the most advanced AI models in healthcare. Over the past 15 years, he has helped health plans and providers turn complex data into actionable strategies, scalable technologies, and measurable growth. At Prealize Health, he led the launch of a groundbreaking AI model that identifies rising risk, predicts when it will occur, and pinpoints the clinical drivers. His prior work includes predictive solutions that reduced medical waste, automated care authorization, optimized wound care triage, and enabled proactive palliative care referrals.
Mary O’Connor
CMO & Co-Founder, Vori Health
Mary I. O’Connor, MD is an orthopedic surgeon, health equity leader, and healthcare entrepreneur. She is co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Vori Health, whose mission is to empower all people to live their healthiest lives. After a distinguished career at Mayo Clinic—where she was named Professor Emerita—Dr. O’Connor led development of Yale Center for Musculoskeletal Care and served as Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine. A passionate advocate for health equity, she has led the national nonprofit Movement is Life since 2010 to eliminate musculoskeletal health disparities. Dr. O’Connor earned her undergraduate degree from Yale University, her MD from Drexel University College of Medicine, and completed her orthopedic training at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Santiago Martin, Jr.
President, Trilogy Personnel & Land Mgmt., Inc.
Santiago "Chago" Martin, Jr. is the President of Trilogy Personnel & Land Management, Inc. He grew up in Bakersfield and spent most of his childhood working on the farms of Kern and Tulare Counties. In 2009, Chago founded Cal Ag Resources, Inc. a single-source partner for comprehensive personnel management and compliance solutions for agriculture. He holds a BS in Management Science from UC San Diego. Chago joined the Board of Directors in 2023 and was appointed Treasurer in 2024.
ANNUAL LUNCHEON & THIS IS AG! PANEL DISCUSSION
Thursday, April 30 | 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm
Tom M. Nunes
President, The Nunes Company, Inc.
Tom Nunes V is the fifth-generation president of The Nunes Company, Inc., a leading grower-shipper of conventional and organic produce marketed under the Foxy® brand. Elected president in 2019, he brings more than 20 years of experience across the company’s operations. A graduate of Cornell University, Tom is committed to honoring his family’s farming legacy while driving innovation and stewardship to ensure a strong future for the next generation.
Zachary Fraser
President & CEO, American Pistachio Growers
Zachary Fraser is the President and CEO of American Pistachio Growers, where he leads efforts to expand global awareness and demand for American-grown pistachios. Prior to joining the organization in 2024, Fraser spent four years with LEARFIELD, overseeing the Fresno State athletics property and earning industry recognition for media and sponsorship growth. He previously served as founding general manager and managing partner of Pacific Baseball Ventures, helping guide collegiate summer baseball teams and advancing numerous players to Major League Baseball.
Kirti Mutatkar
President & CEO, UnitedAg
Kirti Mutatkar is a forward-thinking leader passionate about making high quality, innovative, and affordable health care accessible to the agricultural community of California and Arizona. Under Kirti’s leadership, UnitedAg, a quarter-billion dollar association health plan, is empowering its members and employer groups to take a unique, empathetic, and collaborative approach in working together to provide innovative and cost-effective approaches to health care.
Kirti is a highly accomplished professional who currently holds the position of Chair on the Board of Directors for the Health Care Administrators Association (HCAA). In addition, she serves as a Director at Large for AgSafe, demonstrating her commitment to promoting safety and well-being within the agricultural industry.
SESSION 2: AGCELERATING ADVOCACY
Thursday, April 30 | 2:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Community engagement is key to advocate and represent agriculture and healthcare in this rapidly changing environment. We invite you to join us and our panelists to move agriculture and healthcare forward in this discussion of legislative, regulatory and election strategy.
Louie A. Brown, Jr.
Partner, Kahn Soares & Conway, LLP
Louie A. Brown, Jr. manages the firm’s Sacramento office and the Government Relations Group, representing clients before the California State Legislature and various state administrative agencies. Louie specializes in providing clients with expert advice in maneuvering through California’s complex legislative and regulatory process and played key roles in negotiating legislation and regulation on a variety of topics.
Joshua C. Walters
Chief of Strategy, Alliance of California’s Farmers & Ranchers
Joshua C. Walters is a resourceful political professional and attorney with nearly two decades of experience in politics, campaigns, legislative processes, and issue advocacy. As a proven crisis manager, he develops successful campaigns and innovative solutions for elected leaders, political coalitions, and various organizations in high-stakes environments. Walters specializes in campaign strategy, coalition building, and crafting effective messaging across media platforms.
Jeff Aiello
Owner-Executive Producer, 18Thirty Entertainment
Jeff Aiello is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and producer with over 35 years of experience in broadcast and cable television. He spent 15 years as Director of Marketing, Production, and Programming for ABC 30 and The Walt Disney Company, leading creative initiatives in content development. A skilled cinematographer, editor, and storyteller, Jeff continues to craft compelling documentaries and visual narratives that captivate audiences worldwide.
Lynnette R. Jacquez
Principal, CJ Lake, LLC
Lynn Jacquez is Managing Partner and Principal of CJ Lake LLC, bringing decades of experience in federal service, government relations, and private law practice. She previously served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee, where she helped draft the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. She later co-founded what became CJ Strategies and established CJ Lake LLC in 2011. Ms. Jacquez advises clients on federal legislative and regulatory strategy, funding and policy opportunities, transportation and emissions reduction programs, and workforce and immigration law. She is a member of the D.C. Bar and holds degrees from L’Université d’Aix-Marseilles and the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Eric Bream
President, Bream Family Farms, Inc.
Eric Bream is a third-generation family farmer in Tulare County. Before returning to the family farm in 2014, Eric had a long career with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He is an alumnus of the California Agricultural Leadership Program – Class 48, a board member at Tulare County Farm Bureau and administrator for My Job Depends on Ag. Eric joined the UnitedAg Board of Directors in 2019 and was appointed Chair in 2024.
Jayson Welter
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, UnitedAg
Jayson Welter has over 20 years of legal and healthcare experience both in the private and public sectors serving in key management roles. Throughout his career, he honed his skills by understanding health plans from A-Z, combining this with a deep understanding of healthcare operations, and finally adding the legal and compliance aspects to his vast set of skills.
ANNUAL AWARDS GALA DINNER SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
Thursday, April 30 | 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Chris grew up on a walnut farm in Visalia, California, and earned a BA in Business Economics with an emphasis in accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. After studying comparative economics in 13 countries with Semester at Sea and serving as a legislative intern in Washington, D.C., he joined the Peace Corps in Bolivia. He later earned an MA in International Policy Studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and began his career in education as a math teacher. Chris spent 18 years with the Monterey County Office of Education, serving as a teacher, principal, and senior director while developing and overseeing court, community, and adult education programs. He now serves as CEO of Rancho Cielo.