Remembering Hank Giclas

Hank Giclas passed away recently, and an entire industry feels this loss.

A wise leader once told me it wasn’t important to be the one with all the best ideas but instead, to create an environment where the best ideas could come forward from your team and flourish.

This was the unique skill of Hank Giclas. While he was Vice President and a mainstay at Western Growers Association, he was one you could depend on for his insight and his welcoming of new ideas. In my dealings with Hank, you could sense he had one foot in the present but always kept the other foot in the future. Hank saw a vision where data and technology could play a transformative role in the agricultural industry.

This is where my path crossed his. Hank Giclas was visionary in this regard, and the people that knew him knew this. Our industry is transitioning through some massive changes, and we’ll truly miss his thoughtful leadership.

It’s up to us now, and we will persevere. We feel for his friends and family, and our prayers go out to them.

We’ll miss you, Hank.