ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), Alexandria, Va.
The research and education arm of the Global Cold Chain Association named Fabio Fonseca as the 2016-2017 chairman, tasked withexpanding the reach of the organization and building up WFLO’s international presence. Other new WFLO officers elected were vice chairman Nick Pedneault (Congebec Logistics) and treasurer Paul Henningsen (Henningsen Cold Storage). New board members elected to serve 3-year terms include Brian Kyle (Burris Logistics), Kirk Peterson (Unisea Cold Storage) andNaudé Rademan (CCS Logistics). Steve Tippmann (Interstate Warehousing) was re-elected to serve another 3-year term as a board member. And, Michael Jahncke (Virginia Tech) was re-elected to another 3-year term as the Scientific Advisory Council’s representative.

National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa
William Even, an agriculture industry leader with substantial senior management experience in crop and livestock production, joined as new chief executive officer, effective June 6. Previously, Even was a global industry relations lead with DuPont Pioneer, where he built collaborative stakeholder relationships in seed, biotechnology, biofuels and farm policy. Prior to that position, he served as DuPont Pioneer’s commercial unit lead for South Dakota, North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, where he was responsible for leading seed sales, operational marketing, agronomy, training, demand planning, precision agriculture and policy needs in the region. From 2007-2010, Even served as South Dakota’s secretary of agriculture, where he managed six department divisions, including agriculture regulatory services, agriculture development, state fair, wildland fire, resource conservation and forestry and agricultural policy. He also served as deputy secretary of tourism and state development, director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, state energy policy director and policy advisor for South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds. 

Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB), Madison, Wis.
Kari Skibbie was named manager, dairy company communications, where she will work with Wisconsin-based dairy and cheese processors to integrate marketing campaigns and provide targeted support.  Skibbie joins WMMB with more than 20 years of experience in the dairy industry, most recently as the sales and retail director of Holland’s Family Cheese/Marieke Gouda.

National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), Washington, D.C.
Michelle McCarthy joined as vice president of development, responsible for leading and executing short-term, annual and long-term fundraising activities, as well as designing and implementing comprehensive strategies and initiatives that ensure the success of individual, corporate and foundation giving. McCarthy brings 20 years of experience in financial management, fundraising and strategic planning. Previously, she was chief operations officer for Round It Up America, where she was responsible for program oversight, including strategic planning, staffing and cultivating partnerships at all levels to increase awareness and funding. She also served as chief operating officer for the American Red Cross, Los Angeles region, where she played a key role in transitioning the entire organization's operations and financial structure from thousands of chapters to one standard enterprise system. Prior to that, she was senior associate vice president of finance and administration at the University of Southern California, where she oversaw a $2 billion capital construction program aimed at developing a competitive research facility.

Europatat, the European Potato Trade Association, Belgium
Jos Muyshondt was elected as new president, succeeding outgoing president Kees van Arendonk. Domenico Citterio was elected vice president taking over for outgoing vice president Thomas Herkenrath. And, Gilles Fontaine was named treasurer.

Flexible Packaging Association (FPA),Annapolis, Md.
President and CEO Marla Donahue announced plans to retire at the end of the year.
 

PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
Mission Produce, Oxnard, Calif.
Megan Rood was promoted to organic category manager, responsible for managing key account relationships, working with emerging sources of organic supply and developing new organic customers. Rood has been with Mission Produce for seven years, most recently as account manager handling key retail accounts. Previous to that position, she was the lead director on organic sourcing and sales.

Golbon, Boise, Idaho
Industry veteran Bill Wylie joined as a program manager, tasked with managing the development of local marketing and purchasing programs for Hometown Provisions. Wylie’s industry experience spans over 30 years, having held senior sales and management positions for foodservice distributors, specializing in increasing sales of center-of-the-plate premium proteins. And, his sales experience ranges from direct meat and seafood sales to managing the fresh cut steak and seafood programs through broadline distributors with an emphasis on field sales and training. He began his career with the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) program and was instrumental in national growth within the foodservice arena.

Bristol Seafood, Portland, Maine
Jimmy Davolio joined as vice president of sales to further develop the company’s growing portfolio of regional and national accounts. Davolio maintains significant experience within the food industry, having held similar roles at Celebration Foods and Wise Foods. In addition, Darrell Pardy, co-founder and former president and CEO will step down from his role as senior vice president of sales. 

Potandon Produce LLC, Idaho Falls, Idaho
J.P. Surerus was promoted to director of sales. Surerus maintains 22 years of experience in the potato industry, the last five as senior sales manager with Potandon Produce.  And, Stephanie Bench was promoted to director of foodservice. Bench boasts over 25 years of industry experience, spending the last 10 years as the company’s foodservice sales manager.
 

The Kroger Co., Cincinnati
Russ Dispense, president of the company's King Soopers division, announced plans to retire effective July 1, after 51 years with the company. Dispense began his career in the supermarket industry in 1965, when he joined King Soopers as a courtesy clerk. He served in various leadership positions in stores and district management through the years, as well as at warehouses, manufacturing plants and administrative offices. Dispense was promoted to vice president of retail operations and merchandising for the King Soopers division in 1983. He also served as vice president of real estate. In 1999, he was promoted to president of Smith's Food and Drug Stores, and later named to his current role as president of King Soopers/City Market division in 2001.

Cargill Inc., Minneapolis
Mike Fernandez announced plans to leave the company, effective June 4, after nearly six years as corporate vice president of corporate affairs. Ruth Rawling, vice president of global issues management, will succeed Fernandez on an interim basis. Fernandez joined Cargill in 2010 as corporate vice president, corporate affairs. Prior to Cargill, he served 20 years as a chief compliance officer for State Farm Insurance, ConAgra Foods, Cigna and US West. Prior to that, he served in marketing and PR roles at Kodak and was press secretary to U.S. Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings.

FOODSERVICE:
Chick-fil-A, Inc., Atlanta
Tim Tassopoulos was elected president and COO, effective immediately. Tassopoulos most recently served as executive vice president of operations, but began his career with Chick-fil-A as an hourly, restaurant team member. He later joined the corporate staff as a business consultant to develop the first free-standing restaurant concept, which opened in 1986. He also served as director of field operations, vice president of operations and senior vice president of operations, and serves on the company’s executive committee.

Quiznos, Denver, Colo.
President and CEO Doug Pendergast announced plans to depart the company to spend more time with his family. Throughout his time at Quiznos, Pendergast led the organization to several accomplishments, including significant gains in customer satisfaction, enhanced support for franchise operations and occupancy costs and a renewed focus on value pricing. Katie Scherping, current chief financial officer, will serve as interim president and CEO. With more than 30 years of finance, accounting and managerial experience, Scherping joined Quiznos in December 2013 as chief financial officer. She spearheaded the brand's financial restructuring in 2014, and helped overhaul the company’s food cost and supply chain model to improve restaurant-level economics. Most recently, Scherping led the rollout of the new national point-of-sale system.

SUPPLIERS:
Gelest, Inc., Morrisville, Pa.
After opening a new research and development center and pilot laboratory, the provider of silane, silicone and metal-organic materials formed a logistics and order fulfillment team directed by executive vice president Joel Zazyczny. Michael Skeusejoined as research chemicals logistics manager, responsible for managing the shipping team and associated vital logistics functions. Skeuse came to Gelest with more than 15 years of experience, 10 of which were at Reagent Chemical in various logistics and sales management roles. Prior to joining Gelest, he managed a multi-location site at Reagent’s West Virginia facility. Greg Vuk, a 16-year Gelest veteran, was named bulk logistics and receiving manager. An expert in chemical handling and regulations, Vuk will help manage the logistics department and ensure that Gelest meets customer requirements in a timely manner. Gabrielle Lockwood, who has been with Gelest for 10 years, was appointed communications and customer service manager, responsible for planning, coordinating and controlling the activities of the company’s customer service team. She will also work to enhance customer relationships and provide marketing and communication support. Sean Nichols was named global sourcing and procurement manager, responsible for procuring raw materials for the company’s manufacturing operations. He came to Gelest following a 5-year tenure as operations manager in the manufacturing division of Haas Group International. Prior to that position, he worked as a research and development chemist and as a purchasing manager.

Cambridge Engineered Solutions, Cambridge, Md.
New technical sales managers are Joseph DuBord, high temp,U.S. and Canada; Matt Farrar, bakery, West of the Mississippi; Sam Jodka, food and dairy, East; Jim Law, bakery, East; Darren McCune, protein, South East; and Ty Spainhour, protein, South Central. Charlie Hennigar was promoted to outside sales, focusing on OEMs, while Cambridge veteran Eva Winther will concentrate on the filtration market in the United States and Canada.

MULTIVAC, Inc., Kansas City, Mo.
Isaac Pitts filled the controls systems engineer II position. Pitts has spent the past four years with Electric Power Systems as a senior project manager. Prior to that position, he spent two years as a senior project specialist for EN Engineering, and another three years as a senior project engineer for Wheatland System, Inc. Also, Jason Pair was promoted to control systems specialist, providing company-wide electronics support for all departments and customers and determining specific cause for reoccurring issues with electronic equipment and components. Pair began his career with MULTIVAC in August 2012 as a field service technician, primarily working with customers in the Northeast region. Pair maintains an extensive background in electronics, serving in the Marine Corps as an aviation electronic technician for CH53E helicopters, and working as a train conductor for Union Pacific Railroad.

Johnson Controls, Milwaukee, Wis.
The merger with Tyco International announced the senior executive team that will lead the combined company following the close of the planned merger, which is expected on or around Oct. 1. Johnson Controls chairman and CEO Alex Molinaroli will be appointed to the same role for the combined company. Tyco chief executive officer George Oliver will serve as president and COO, with responsibility for the operating businesses and leading the integration. Grady Crosby will serve as vice president, public affairs and chief diversity officer. Simon Davis will serve as vice president and chief human resources officer. Kim Metcalf-Kupres will serve as vice president and chief marketing officer. Judy Reinsdorf will serve as executive vice president and general counsel. John Repko will serve as vice president and chief information officer. Brian Stief will serve as executive vice president and CFO. Jeff Williams will serve as vice president, operations and engineering. Until the close of the transaction, Johnson Controls and Tyco will continue to operate independently under their current leadership structures. 

SPX FLOW, Inc., Charlotte, N.C.
Dwight Gibson was appointed president of the food and beverage segment, effective June 6, succeeding Marc Michael, who was appointed president and CEO of SPX FLOW beginning Jan. 1. Gibson has served as president of strategic initiatives for Ingersoll Rand's climate segment since June 2015.He joined Ingersoll Rand in 2004, and has also served in a variety of general management, business development and product management roles. From October 2011 to June 2015, Gibson served as vice president and general manager for the Thermo King Europe, Middle East and Africa truck and trailer business. Prior to joining Ingersoll Rand, Gibson was a consultant with McKinsey and Co.

Fire Door Solutions, Overland Park, Kan.
Keith Pardoe joined as a technical director for fire door inspections and fire door and frame in-field re-labeling. He will be instrumental in developing educational curriculum and leading training for the growing number of certified inspectors and re-labelers. Pardoe has been a DHI technical school instructor for more than 20 years. His 30-plus-years of industry experience includes over 18 years as the director of education and certification for the Door and Hardware Institute (DHI) and 11 years working in distribution in central and southeastern Pennsylvania. He is a principal member and chair of the National Fire Protection Association’s technical committee on fire doors and windows.

EagleView Technology Corp., Bothell, Wash.
Bill Bunker was named chief executive officer, succeeding Chris Barrow, effective June 8. Bunker comes from ClarityHealth, where he has served as chief executive officer since 2012. Prior to ClarityHealth, he spent over 15 years in a variety of senior leadership positions with particular expertise in operations, product management and marketing at Vertafore, MesageGate, Onyx Software and GeoWorks Corp. Additionally, Rishi Daga, executive vice president of commercial sales, was named president of the company, effective immediately.

Label Insight, Chicago
After serving on the board of directors, Paul Schaut stepped out of semi-retirement and into the active CEO role earlier this year. Over the span of his 30-year career, Schaut has helped to raise a combined $400 million in venture funding, powering more than $600 million in combined revenue growth. He has also helped create more than $3 billion in combined Market Cap across 15-plus organizations. Then, Patrick Moorhead was hired as chief marketing officer, bringing with an extensive background in paid advertising, mobile marketing and executive leadership. Most recently, Moorhead led Twitter's relationship with a major retailer, handling all aspects of the business, including paid media advertising, sharing and leveraging proprietary data and managing customer relationships. Prior to his role at Twitter, Moorhead served as vice president of mobile at Catalina, where he worked with major brands in consumer packaged goods manufacturing to implement industry-leading mobile solutions. Additional past roles include senior vice president and global director of mobile platforms at Foote, Cone & Belding, where he helped lead the charge on growth in SaaS technology.

Sesotec Inc., Bartlett, Ill.
The subsidiary of Germany-based Sesotec GmbH added Rodrigo Delareguera to its sales team. Delareguera maintains extensive industry knowledge of inspection equipment specifically in the development and management of the Latin American region, including Mexico, Central America and South America.

UniCarriers Americas Corp. (UCA), Marengo, Ill.
Jaimie Kowalskiwas named director of marketing, responsible for branding, advertising, lead generation, dealer support and digital innovation as well as leading UCA’s marketing strategy and developing comprehensive marketing plans. Kowalski brings more than 20 years of marketing strategy and planning experience. Prior to joining UCA, she worked in the retail and finance industry, as a marketing director for companies like Sears Holdings Corp. and JPMorgan Chase. Kowalski also has advertising agency experience working at Leo Burnett. Meanwhile, Cliff Pinto was named senior manager of logistics and trade compliance, responsible for managing import and export operations, overseeing transportation and logistics on the domestic and international level and regulating distribution and trade compliance. Pinto has more than 20 years of experience with roles in logistics, trade compliance and operations. Prior to joining UCA, Pinto spent five years as a logistics manager for Mitsubishi Electric Automation, and also worked as an ocean import manager, route development manager and business development manager for Panalpina, Inc.

Gelest, Inc., Morrisville, Pa.
Edward Kimble was promoted to vice president of product management, charged with leading the product management team for the silane, silicone and metal-organic product lines, with a primary focus on product marketing, product demand and developing pricing strategies. Kimble has been the company’s product manager for silicones and performance products for the past five years. An 18-year veteran of Gelest, he has also served as applications and polymer development manager, production chemical group supervisor and process development chemist.

IN MEMORIUM: CHARLES HARPER, CONAGRA FOODS

Charles Harper, the chief executive who transformed ConAgra Foods from a struggling flour mill company into an agricultural powerhouse, passed away May 28 at his home in Omaha, Neb.

Harper, often called Mike, was credited with bringing ConAgra Foods Inc., Chicago, back from the brink of bankruptcy when he joined the company as chief operating officer and executive vice president in 1974.

Founded as the Nebraska Consolidated Mills Co., the company changed its name to ConAgra Inc., Latin for “with the land,” shortly before Harper’s arrival from Pillsbury Foods.

He was named chief executive within a year and chairman within five years for reversing a $12 million deficit in 1974 to a $4 million profit one year later.

After retiring from ConAgra in 1992, Harper joined RJR Nabisco as chief executive. He restructured the company’s debt and split its food and tobacco businesses before retiring again in 1996 to spend more time with his wife Joan “Josie” Bruggema, who had been diagnosed with cancer.

Joan, his wife of 49 years, died in 1999. Survivors include four children; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

IN MEMORIUM: RALPH KETNER, FOOD LION

Ralph Ketner, founder of Food Lion LLC, Salisbury, N.C., passed away May 29.