{mosimage}In his 22nd season as a collegiate head coach, Larranaga enjoyed a magical carpet ride that saw him become the Colonial Athletic Association's all-time leader in wins and the first coach at a mid-major school to take his team to the Final Four in 27 years. Larranaga also led George Mason to a school record in wins, the school's first-ever national ranking, George Mason's first-ever appearance in the top 10, and the school's first-ever wins over top 10 teams.
The Patriots captured the nation's attention as the "Cinderella" of the NCAA tournament, defeating numerous heavyweight teams including Michigan State, No. 10 North Carolina, Wichita State, and No. 2 Connecticut to reach the Final Four. The Patriots finished the year with a 27-8 record and ranked eighth in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. Coach Larranaga will address attendees at the closing general assembly, October 17, 2006.
In addition, development of the education program, trade exposition, and facility tours for the Foodservice Distribution Conference & Expo is moving forward, according to the International Foodservice Distributors Association here. This includes more than 40 workshops on subjects that drive efficiency and increase competitiveness (to view conference workshops, click here ).
The trade exposition includes the latest in warehousing and transportation hardware and technology solutions and more than 50 percent of show space is already sold. Two Atlanta area foodservice distribution centers are also currently under consideration for facility tours.
"This conference provides a real opportunity for distributors to find ways to improve their bottom line," said Mac Sullivan, president and coo of Pate Dawson Co. and overall conference chairman. "At one place, distributors can see the latest technologies and equipment, attend informative seminars in operations, transportation, IT, HR, and finance, and can share time with peers."
In addition to Sullivan, other executives guiding the conference include Education Chair Tony Canty, vice president of IT and accounting at Labatt Food Service, and Exposition Chair Dennis Tesnow, corporate director of distribution at Reinhart FoodService. "We have a balance of timely educational sessions with topics for everyone—from specialty distributors with a single facility to broadliners of international scope," notes Steve Potter, senior vice president of industry relations at IFDA. "This is the one conference of the year that every foodservice distributor needs to attend," stated Potter.
For access to online conference information, click here. If you have questions about the conference, contact Steve Potter of the IFDA staff at 703/532-9400.
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