Thunderbird School of Management Meets the California Crackup

The Almond Industry Conference (AIC) will once again feature a group of high-caliber keynote speakers who will share their insights into California’s government, family business management and the future of the California Almond industry.

To kick off the conference, Richard Waycott (Almond Board of California president and CEO) and Mike Mason (Almond Board chairman) will co-host the Presidential/Chairman of the Board Address on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 8:00 a.m. The opening address will highlight key achievements and research during the 60-year existence of the Almond Board that have led to growth and prosperity of the industry. This will be followed by the “Growing Advantage: Generational Perspectives” symposium, which will provide a retrospective look at how the industry has evolved throughout the years.

Ernesto Poza

Ernesto Poza, a clinical professor of entrepreneurship at the Thunderbird School of Global Management, is an internationally recognized leader in family business, education, research and consulting. His Wednesday luncheon address will look at the challenges business owners may encounter while revitalizing mature businesses through strategic thinking, succession planning and change management. His work has been featured on CNN, NBC and NPR, as well as in Fortune Small Business, BusinessWeek and many more well-known publications.

Joe Mathews

The Dec. 9 luncheon will feature Joe Mathews and Mark Paul, co-authors of The California Crackup. They will discuss “How Reform Broke the Golden State and How We Can Fix It” during Thursday’s luncheon. Joe Mathews is also a contributing writer at the Los Angeles Times, the lead blogger at NBC’s California website, Prop Zero, and a contributor to The Daily Beast.

Mark Paul was formerly national editor and editorial page editor of the Oakland Tribune and deputy editorial page editor and columnist at the Sacramento Bee, where he won the 2000 Best in the West award for his editorials on the administration of Gov. Gray Davis.

To save your seat for these exciting speakers and to view the conference agenda, please visit AlmondBoard.com/conference