FFVA's annual convention to feature Congressman Adam Putnam and
Apollo 13's Fred Haise
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Congressman Adam Putnam is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at
the Annual Cracker Breakfast at FFVA's 66th Annual Convention at The
Breakers in Palm Beach.
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Who in the state of Florida has not heard of the man scheduled as
keynote speaker at FFVA’s 66th Annual Convention? Adam Putnam has
been a Republican member of the House of Representatives since 2001. He
represents Florida’s 12th District, which includes much of Polk
and parts of Hillsborough and Osceola counties.
In February, he announced his candidacy for Florida’s
Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs. He has received
multiple endorsements from agriculture organizations and industry
leaders.
Upon receiving endorsements from members of the Florida Agricultural
Hall of Fame and recipients of the Woman of the Year in Florida
Agriculture, he said, “It is with great humility and honor that I
accept the endorsement of these individuals who have paved the way for
agriculturalists like me and continue to leave an impact on our industry
far greater than they may ever realize. I will look to their guidance
while serving as Commissioner of Agriculture and will work diligently in
addressing the needs of Florida’s producers and
consumers.”
Born July 31, 1974, the fifth-generation Floridian grew up in a
farming and ranching family and graduated from Bartow High School. He
holds a degree in food and resource economics from the University of
Florida. Putnam also served in the Florida House of Representatives from
1996-2000.
Congressman Putnam has been a mainstay in his party’s
leadership as a member of the Committee on Financial Services, which
oversees all components of the nation’s housing and financial
services sectors, and as a member of the committees on Agriculture,
Budget, Government Reform, and the influential committee on Rules.
Putnam is scheduled to speak at the convention’s traditional
“Cracker Breakfast” event on Tuesday, Sept. 29.
Cheating death with teamwork
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Apollo 13's Fred Haise is to speak at the Annual Awards Lunch, Sept.
29, at FFVA's 66th Annual Convention.
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Another outstanding speaker scheduled for Sept. 29 is Fred
Haise, the lunar module pilot for the Apollo 13 mission. Apollo
13’s original flight plan was threatened en route to the moon
after the craft’s service module oxygen system failed about 55
hours into the flight. Haise and fellow crewmen James A. Lovell
(spacecraft commander) and John L. Swigert (command module pilot),
working closely with Houston ground controllers, converted their lunar
module "Aquarius" into a virtual lifeboat. Their emergency activation
and operation of lunar module systems conserved both electrical power
and water in sufficient supply to assure their safety and survival while
in space and for the return to Earth.
Haise plans to share what he’s learned not only from the
mission, but also from extreme adversity he encountered just a few years
later and from other successes. In 1973, Haise suffered severe
burns over much of his body in an aircraft crash, but through sheer
determination and the efforts of a top-notch medical team, he was able
to return to flight status and command the space shuttle Enterprise less
than two years later. Following his retirement from NASA, he spent 17
years with Northrop Grumman running two subsidiary companies.
Teamwork has been a theme throughout his life and has allowed him to
reach seemingly unattainable goals. “No matter what you’re
trying to accomplish, you have to have the right people with the right
background and the right leadership,” Haise says.
Haise was born Nov. 13, 1933, in Biloxi, Miss. He graduated from
Biloxi High School, received a bachelor of science degree with honors in
Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma in 1959, an
honorary doctorate of science from Western Michigan University of 1970,
and attended Harvard Business School, PMD Class 24 in 1972.
Among his many honors are the Presidential Medal for Freedom (1970),
the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award
for 1971, and the American Astronautical Society Flight Achievement
Awards for 1970 and 1977.
Haise is excited to be speaking at the convention and especially
looks forward to answering questions following his presentation.
Learn more about FFVA's 66th
Annual Convention to be held Sept. 27-29 at The Breakers
in Palm Beach. If you have questions, call (321) 214-5200.
