ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:

Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Chicago
Colin Dennis became the organization’s 76th president, succeeding Mary Ellen Camire, IFT's 2014-2015 president and food science professor at the University of Maine's School of Food & Agriculture.In his position as president, Dennis will work with food scientists, technologists and professionals from related disciplines in academia, industry and government to support IFT's new strategic priorities, which include focusing on advancing and promoting careers in the science of food; establishing productive and interactive global networks; promoting science, technology and their application; and advocacy efforts contributing to evidence-based science to the public dialogue on food issues. Dennis' career in food science and technology started in 1970 when he was appointed as the first mycologist in the UK Government's Institute of Food Research. Subsequently, he was appointed as the first director of food technology at Campden Food & Drink Research Association, where he initiated several new research activities in chilled foods, aseptic packaging and hygienic design.

Port of Long Beach, Long Beach, Calif.
Long Beach City College executive Lou Anne Bynum, harbor board vice president, and former City Councilman Doug Drummond, former board president, were elected to second terms on the Board of Harbor Commissioners. Bynum is executive vice president of college advancement and economic development for Long Beach City College (LBCC). She joined LBCC in 1997 and advanced to her current role in 2012. Drummond represented the 3rd District on the Long Beach City Council from 1990-1998. He became a Long Beach Police Department officer in 1959 and retired in 1988 as a Commander. Before he became a Harbor Board Commissioner in 2011, Drummond was a member of the City of Long Beach Civil Service Commission and the board of directors of the Long Beach Transportation Co.

PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
The Kroger Co., Cincinnati
Mike Donnelly was named executive vice president of merchandising, tasked with leading the company's merchandising, procurement and marketing teams, in addition to digital, manufacturing and corporate brands, supply chain, culinary innovation, The Little Clinic and Vitacost. Donnelly joined the company at Fry's Food Stores in California in 1978, and was promoted to senior vice president in 2011. Chris Hjelm was named executive vice president and CIO and will continue to lead the company’s technology, research and development and customer connect and support centers. He will also take on additional responsibilities for 84.51 degrees, indirect sourcing and corporate travel. Hjelm joined Kroger in 2005. Fred Morganthall was named executive vice president of retail operations, responsible for leading all supermarket retail operations. Morganthall began his career in grocery retail in 1978 with Spartan Stores and joined Harris Teeter in 1986. He joined Kroger in 2014 as part of the Kroger-Harris Teeter merger and was promoted to senior vice president of retail divisions in June. Mike Schlotman was named executive vice president and CFO. Each leader has been assigned additional responsibilities to streamline decision making under this new organizational structure, responsible for convenience stores, jewelry stores, data integrity and risk management. Schlotman joined the company in 1985. He was promoted to CFO in 2000. Meanwhile, Geoff Covert announced plans to retire as senior vice president of retail divisions after nearly 20 years with the company. Before joining Kroger, he spent 22 years in a number of management positions with Procter & Gamble. Covert joined Kroger in 1996 as vice president of the grocery products group. He later served as senior vice president and president of Kroger manufacturing, before being named president of the company's Cincinnati/Dayton, Ohio, division. Sukanya Madlinger was promoted to senior vice president of retail divisions, succeeding Covert. She joined Kroger in 1986 in the store management training program and has held various leadership positions in operations and merchandising before being named to her current role as president of the Cincinnati/Dayton division in 2010. Taking over for Madlinger is Tim Brown, who currently serves as president of Kroger's Delta division. Brown began his Kroger career at 17, working as a bagger at a store in Illinois. He joined the company's management training program in 1981. Throughout his 38-year career, Brown has served in leadership positions in merchandising and operations in seven of Kroger's retail divisions and at the company's general office in Cincinnati. He has been president of Kroger's Delta division since 2012.

Pinnacle Foods Inc., Parsippany, N.J.
Ioannis (Yannis) Skoufalos, global product supply officer of The Procter & Gamble Co., was elected as an independent director of the company and a member of the board's Compensation Committee and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Since joining P&G in 1984, Skoufalos has held roles of increasing responsibility in engineering, manufacturing and product supply in various global geographies.  He replaces Jason Giordano, managing director at Blackstone, who will step down from the board, effective Sept. 11.

Cargill, Minneapolis
David MacLennan, currently Cargill's president and CEO, was elected chairman of the board, taking over for Gregory Page, who will step down as executive chairman. MacLennan joined Cargill in 1991 and has held various leadership positions within the financial, risk management, energy and animal protein businesses in the United States, London and Geneva. He left the company in 2000 to become president of Fixed Income Capital Markets at U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray and returned to Cargill in 2002. In 2008, he was named Cargill's chief financial officer.

Hail Merry, Dallas, Texas
Food sales industry executive James Moss joined the company as senior vice president-sales, responsible for strategic sales management, managing the company’s sales force, IGNITE, oversee the company’s broker, Presence Marketing, and managing sales across all existing and new channels. Previously, Moss was vice president-sales for NextFoods, vice president for Buxton Co., vice president – retail operations for CROSSMARK, and held a series of sales positions for companies in the consumer products industry such as Dr Pepper Snapple Group and GlaxoSmithKline.

Flowers Foods, Thomasville, Ga.
Joe Beverly announced plans to retire from the company's board of directors on May 26, 2016 at the expiration of his current term. Beverly, chairman emeritus of Commercial Bank and retired vice chairman of the board of directors of Synovus Financial Corp., has served as a director of Flowers Foods and its predecessor company, Flowers Industries, since 1996.

Smithfield Foods, Inc., Smithfield, Va.
Julia Anderson, former vice president of global applications at H.J. Heinz Co., was named new global chief information officer, succeeding Mansour Zadeh, who will move into a consulting role as senior advisor for SAP implementation for an interim period, after which he will retire. Anderson will be responsible for the strategic planning, oversight and global operation of all information systems and technology functions. She will also be in charge of implementing the company's "One SAP" project, designed to streamline the business processes and technology resources across Smithfield's fresh pork and packaged meats divisions. Anderson brings more than 29 years of information technology excellence and an extensive track record in Fortune 500 consumer branded companies. Prior to joining H.J. Heinz in 2013, she held a variety of roles with PepsiCo, Inc., most recently as senior director of foodservice, equipment innovation and customer systems. She also held leadership roles at Kraft foods during the merger with General Foods and Oscar Mayer.

Southeastern Grocers, Jacksonville, Fla.
The parent company of the Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo and Harveys chains appointed Mark Scates as senior vice president of store operations. Scates is a former executive with Coles, the Australian retailer that previously employed Southeastern’s CEO, Ian MacLeod. Bill Nashaan, currently the chief merchandising officer, will move into the new role of overseeing the Harveys banner as well as the company’s Winn-Dixie stores in South Florida. At Winn-Dixie, Shawn Sloan was named regional vice president of North Florida; Eddie Garcia as regional vice president of Central Florida; and Joey Medina as regional vice president of West Florida. Drew Elkins was named regional vice president of Alabama and Mississippi; and Tracey Edwards as regional vice president of Louisiana.

Whole Foods, Austin, Texas
Jason Buechel, chief information officer, added the role of executive vice president. Formerly the global vice president of Whole Foods, Buechel launched several platforms and initiatives for the company, including the pilot Affinity shopper rewards program and delivery program with Instacart. Before joining Whole Foods, he worked 12 years at Accenture, where he was the managing director and partner in the company’s retail operations practice.

Bob Evans Farms, Inc., New Albany, Ohio
Douglas Benham, director of Bob Evans since August 2014, was appointed executive chair. Meanwhile, Mary Kay Haben, who has served as non-executive chair since October 2014, will become lead independent director. Benham was president and CEO of Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. from 2004-2006, where he led the revitalization of a 40-year-old $3 billion quick-service concept. He also served as a board member for O'Charley's Inc. and Sonic Corp.

Dean Foods Co., Dallas, Texas
Ralph Scozzafava was named executive vice president and COO, effective Oct. 1, responsible for overseeing the commercial functions of sales, marketing and R&D along with the addition of operations, procurement and logistics. Scozzafava joined Dean Foods in October 2014 with more than 30 years of experience in the consumer goods and grocery categories. Before Dean Foods, he was chairman of the board and CEO of Furniture Brands International, where he built organizational capabilities and improved operating results. Scozzafava also held several general management, sales, marketing and operations leadership roles at Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co., where he ultimately served as vice president of worldwide commercial operations. Scozzafava also spent many years in management with Johnson & Johnson, Clorox and the Campbell Soup Co.

Hilmar Cheese Co., Hilmar, Calif.
John Jeterannounced plans to retire after 31 years with the cheesemaker, including building a second plant in Texas and becoming a major global player in cheese byproducts. David Ahlem, who has been chief operating officer and son of Chuck Ahlem, one of the founding farmers, will succeed Jeter. Jeter was 32 when the founders asked him to manage the $2.5 million startup. Ahlem worked for Cargill Animal Nutrition before joining Hilmar Cheese in 2004. He managed the 2006 startup of the Texas plant and returned to California in 2011.

SUPPLIERS:

FoodLogiQ, Durham, N.C.
Dean Wiltse was named new chief executive officer, succeeding founding CEO Tom Finegan, who will continue to serve as chairman and a special advisor. Wiltse joins FoodLogiQ following an extensive track record of growing companies and driving revenue growth and strong returns for investors of start-ups, pre-IPO businesses and public companies for over 25 years. His tenure as president and CEO of Greenfield Online/Ciao from 2001-2005 marked the establishment of what is said to be the world's largest inter-relationship of global online consumer communities and a successful Nasdaq IPO. As founder of Thumbspeak in 2009, he established what is said to be the first do-it-yourself mobile relationship marketing platform. Also new to the company is Katy Jones as vice president of marketing, responsible for growing the marketing arm of the business, launching a robust lead generation program and expanding product marketing via web, digital and social channels. Meanwhile seasoned executives, Jay Corscadden and Jamie Duke, were elected to the board of directors. Corscadden is the managing general partner of Clarkston Merchant Partners, responsible for making and managing the firm's principal investments. Before co-founding Clarkston Merchant Partners, Corscadden co-founded and managed Adams Harkness Ventures. He began his career with KPMG Peat Marwick before then joining the software and consulting division of Siemens-Nixdorf Information Systems. Duke is an independent management consultant with a unique blend of strategy, technical and hands-on operating experience. Most recently, Duke spent 11 years as chief operating officer of SciQuest, Inc., chief information officer of BuildNet, vice president of sales and marketing for NetOriginate and group vice president for technology and alternative delivery channels for First Citizens Bank.

Swisslog, Newport News, Va.
Christian Baur was appointed division president, warehouse and distribution solutions, with the main goal of enhancing customer focus and technological development. Volker Jungbluth was named head of strategic research and development. Previously managing director of Swisslog Germany, Jungbluth will shift his focus to the ongoing conceptual and strategic development of Swisslog technologies as well as the Swisslog product and solutions portfolio. His tasks include identifying future challenges, developing innovative product ideas and optimizing the Swisslog solutions portfolio to meet market and customer demands. Nicholas Tripptree was tapped vice president of customer service, Americas.

LogFire, Atlanta
Mark Lewis joined as Oracle practice director in charge of all aspects of the Oracle and LogFire partnership. His role will be to develop technical, operational and go-to-market frameworks to provide Oracle customers with a full, cloud-based warehouse management solution. Lewis maintains more than two decades of supply chain experience, over half with Oracle.

Triple/S Dynamics, Dallas, Texas
Chris Rippee was named president, succeeding Jeff Sullivan, effective Sept. 14. Rippee began his career as a design engineer and progressed up through management roles to his most recent position of vice president of operations. Rippee maintains an extensive background in operational and manufacturing optimization, including training and implementing Kaizen principles of Lean Manufacturing and 360 Process Improvement.

DENSO Corp., Long Beach, Calif.
Haruhiko “Hal” Kato was appointed president of DENSO Products and Services Americas, Inc., the aftermarket sales, manufacturing and distribution arm, succeeding Yoshihiko Yamada, who retired after 38 years with the corporation. An engineer by training, Kato joined DENSO in 1986 in air conditioning systems research and development. He has held various positions within the corporation’s global network, including overseas assignments at DENSO International Asia Pte. Ltd. in Singapore from 1995-2001 and DENSO Europe B.V. in Amsterdam from 2001-2006. In 2012, Kato became general manager of the aftermarket business and product development group of DENSO’S climate, heating and cooling product division.

KM Packaging Services, UK
Kerry Wilson was appointed print services manager, responsible for the management of all graphics relating to KM printed film. Wilson maintains over 12 years’ experience in flexographic print and packaging and extensive knowledge of artwork and reprographics.

IN MEMORIUM: FRED WALKER, AMERICOLD
Fred Walker, senior vice president of engineering/facility with Americold, Atlanta, passed away Aug. 10. Walker was an esteemed member of the temperature-controlled warehousing community for over 40 years. As a strong supporter of the Global Cold Chain Alliance and its core partners, he served on the board of the World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO) and was a long-time faculty member at the annual WFLO Institute.

IN MEMORIUM: JOHN CORRENTI, NAVISTAR INTERNATIONAL CORP.
John Correnti, member of the board of directors for the Lisle, Ill.-based company, passed away Aug. 18. Correnti had a long career in the steel industry, having most recently served as chairman and CEO of Big River Steel, LLC.

IN MEMORIUM: ROBERT BEAVERS, JR., MCDONALD’S OFFICER
Robert Beavers Jr., a long-time McDonald’s officer, board member, supplier and entrepreneur, suddenly and unexpectedly passed away Aug. 18 while on a vacation in China with his wife of 50-plus years. Beavers was founder and chief executive of Beavers Holdings LLC, and majority owner of the six operating companies, including Best Harvest Bakeries, Best Croutons, Best Diamond Plastics, Best Diamond Packaging, Best Chicago Meat Co. and Beavers Real Estate.Beavers started his career as a $1-an-hour crew person at McDonald’s. After taking up a position at McDonald’s headquarters in 1968, he moved to New York to open more than 150 McDonald’s in the northeast. He later became regional vice president in Washington, D.C., and returned to McDonald’s headquarters as senior vice president. Beavers also served as the first African American member of McDonald’s board of directors from 1982-1999. After he retired in 2000, he divested his position in Fresh Start Bakeries, and with a former McDonald’s executive as his partner, acquired sole ownership of one of the Fresh Start divisions in Kansas City, now known as Best Harvest Bakeries, one of the five operating entities under the Beavers Holdings umbrella.

IN MEMORIUM: WILLIAM LANIER HALSEY III, HALSEY FOODSERVICE
William Lanier Halsey III passed away at his home Sept. 3. After returning from the war, he began his career at the family business, the W.L. Halsey Grocery Co., started by his two grandfathers in 1879. By 1955, he had taken the company from retail trade to wholesale, expanding into institutional foodservice, serving hospitals, nursing homes, hotels and other large feeders. The main office moved to Madison, Ala., in 1971. Today, Halsey Foodservice services customers within a 250-mile radius. Halsey served as president of the Institutional Food Distributors of America, president of the Alabama Wholesale Grocer’s Association and member of the board of governors of the National American Wholesale Grocer’s Association. He was a past vice president and founder of the Continental Organization of Distributor Enterprises and the United States Wholesale Grocer’s Association.

IN MEMORIUM: FRANK VISVIKIS, JACMAR FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTION
Frank Visvikis, president of Jacmar Foodservice Distribution and vice president of the Jacmar Cos., City of Industry, Calif., passed away Sept. 10 surrounded by family at his home in Huntington Beach, Calif.

IN MEMORIUM: FRED DELUCA, SUBWAY
Fred DeLuca, co-founder of Subway, Milford, Conn., died of Leukemia, according to the sandwich giant’s website. DeLuca and business partner Dr. Peter Buck opened their first sub sandwich shop in Connecticut in 1965 when DeLuca was only 17 years old. Today, the chain boasts 44,268 restaurants in 110 countries. DeLuca fell ill in 2013 while traveling to visit franchisees. He had been receiving treatments and still overseeing the brand as CEO, but recently named his sister, Suzanne Greco, as president to run the day-to-day operations. DeLuca was an active member of the International Franchise Association and a recipient of numerous awards and accolades.

IN MEMORIUM: JACK LEPPERT, S.S. PIERCE CO.
Jack Leppert, former president of the S.S. Pierce Co., a Peabody, Mass.-based division of Seneca Foods, passed away Sept. 14 at the Sunset Village Retirement Community in Sylvania, Ohio. His work in the foodservice distribution business began after his WWII service as a B24J navigator with the 491st Bombardment Group in Pickenham, England. While he worked for a number of distributors in his career, during his 10 years leading S.S. Pierce, the company's sales grew from $10 million annually to more than $400 million. Leppert retired shortly after the sale of the company to Kraft Foodservice in 1986.