2026 SCDA at TopGolf Event

Social Media Seminar Provides Tips for 2026 EPC Leadership Class

General EPC membership meeting serves as base for seminar and networking

Members of the 2026 Eastern Produce Council (EPC) Leadership Class participated in a seminar about making the most of social media prior to the general EPC membership meeting, sponsored by the South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), at Topgolf in Edison, NJ, on April 7, 2026. The general EPC membership was also invited to attend this timely seminar.

Shannon Osborn-Jones, M.A., M.Ed. and an Adjunct Professor with Rutgers University Office of Continuing Professional Education (OCPE) walked the group through the big three social media platforms and discussed the four pillars of creating engaging social media content. She also touched on the growing use of AI in creating and managing social media.

Following this session, EPC President Theresa Lowden, introduced South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, Hugh Weathers, who spoke to the attendees about the value of South Carolina produce. Other SCDA representatives along with three South Carolina growers were also on hand to discuss the outlook for the upcoming season.

“It is important to the EPC to present engaging and useful seminars, along with networking opportunities for our membership,” said Susan McAleavey Sarlund, EPC Executive Director. “This type of relevant and practical information helps our leaders and members develop into even more effective professionals.”

The EPC’s renowned Leadership Program provides selected participants the chance to develop leadership skills with additional industry exposure in both field and classroom. The next event of the Leadership Class will be a farm tour at Frank Donio Inc. and a tour of Holt Logistics. “The combination of field and classroom experiences combined with networking makes this program a premier leadership development platform for our up and coming industry members,” said McAleavey Sarlund. “We are excited to see the continued growth and relationships among our class participants as we move through the rest of the activities for this year.”

Participants selected for the 2026 program include: Alec Arena, Frank Donio Inc.; Stacy Conway, C.A. Ferolie; Timothy Dunn, Katzman Distribution; Judy Fierman, Fierman Produce Exchange Inc.; Michael Hearn, Four Seasons Produce; Ryan Kelly, Baldor Specialty Foods; Dylan Lang, Fowler Farms; Joycelyn Muise, F&S Fresh Foods; Veritza Ortiz, Four Seasons Produce; Paul Pascal, Sunny Valley Intl.; Meetkumar Patel, Wakefern Food Corp.; Natasha Phan, Mastronardi Produce; Dante Savanello, JOH; Meghan Szymansky, Crispy Green; Scott Tepper, Fierman Produce Exchange Inc.; Jake Walters, John Vena Inc.; Ben Weir, Local Bounti; and Chris Zuhlke, ProducePackaging.com.

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