ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, Long Beach, Calif.
Duane Kenagy was named the Port of Long Beach’s deputy executive director. Kenagy, who maintains more than 35 years of engineering and project management experience in the United States and overseas, joined the Long Beach Harbor department in 2014 as the port’s capital programs executive, managing its major modernization projects, including the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project and the Middle Harbor Terminal Redevelopment. He was named to his current position of interim chief executive of Port of Long Beach on Sept. 21, 2016. Prior to joining the port, Kenagy worked for Moffatt & Nichol, and was a key player in construction of the Alameda Corridor rail project.

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Washington, D.C.
Tom Starrs, vice president of market strategy and policy for SunPower Corp., was named chair, effective immediately, taking over for Nat Kreamer, president and CEO of Spruce Finance, whose term as board chair expired earlier this year. Starrs had been serving as SEIA vice chair since 2014, and has been with SunPower since 2009. He maintains more than 20 years' experience in the solar power industry, including senior management positions with Avangrid Renewables, PPM Energy and Schott Solar. Before then, he served as a director. Michael Maulick, president and CEO of SunLink Corp., will serve as vice chair. Maulick’s experience includes tenures as CEO of three international technology companies, a 20-plus-year career in engineering and sales executive management at IBM and independent director for the IPO of Rackable Systems.

California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF), Salinas, Calif.
Karen Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda’s Inc., joined the foundation’s board of directors. Learning the business from the ground up, Caplan worked in nearly every department at Frieda’s before being promoted to president and CEO. In 1990, Caplan and her sister purchased the specialty produce company from their mother. Caplan has served as chairperson of the United Fresh Produce Association; president of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council; chairperson and vice chairperson of the USDA Fruit & Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee; and a board member of the Federal Reserve Bank, Los Angeles chapter. Caplan currently serves on the board of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), Denver, Colo.
Dan Halstrom, senior vice president of marketing, will become president Sept.1, assuming the title of president and CEO Dec. 1, succeeding long-time president Philip Seng, who will remain with the organization as CEO emeritus through July 2018. Halstrom joined USMEF as senior vice president for marketing in 2010, overseeing promotional activities for U.S. red meat managed through the organization’s 18 international offices. He was previously vice president of international sales with JBS S.A., where he managed global beef and pork sales. From 1990-1999, Halstrom directed international pork sales for Swift/ConAgra Foods, Inc.

PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
Allen Lund Co., La Cañada Flintridge Calif.
Jason Rabine was promoted to operations manager of the Phoenix, Ariz., location. Rabine has been with the company since May 2014 as a transportation broker.

Dunkin' Brands Group, Inc., Canton, Mass.
The parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins appointed Linda Boff to the board of directors. Boff is the chief marketing officer for GE, responsible for leading the company's global marketing strategies. Boff joined GE in 2004, and was named to her current position in 2015. Her prior experience includes serving as chief marketing officer at NBC's iVillage as well as key marketing roles at Citigroup, the American Museum of Natural History, Times Mirror Co. and several large marketing agencies.

Ready Pac Foods, Inc., Irwindale, Calif.
The wholly-owned subsidiary of Bonduelle promoted Galit Feinreich to chief marketing officer, responsible for the company's innovation organization, including marketing and research and development. She joined Ready Pac Foods in July 2016 as the head of the company's R&D function. Feinreich brings more than 20 years of marketing experience, spending more than half her career at Nestlé USA, where she led white space innovation and strategy for the company's confections and snacks division. During her 12 years at Nestlé, she developed numerous new products, including a new seasonal product segment with Easter Egg Hunt Kits. She also worked on two product lines, Crunch Girl Scout Bars and Skinny Cow Divines Chocolate. Before her time at Nestlé, Galit worked in the marketing and advertising departments for Interwoven, Inc.; Homestore (formerly Move.com); and Hawk Aviation, Ltd., where she played a key part in the strategic development and creative execution for numerous media and product launches. Feinreich is taking over for current CMO, Tristan Simpson, who will be leaving the company at the end of June. She joined Ready Pac Foods in 2011, and led the transformation of the company's innovation and marketing efforts, building best-in-class marketing, research and development (R&D) and corporate communications functions. During her tenure, Simpson updated Ready Pac Foods branding, accelerated a new product pipeline and helped culminate the Bonduelle acquisition. Simpson was also instrumental in helping Ready Pac Foods’ organic chopped salad kit placed second in Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2016 Best New Retail Products contest.

Kroger Co., Cincinnati
Paul Bowen, president of Jay C and Ruler division, announced his retirement after 46 years of service, effective June 21. Bowen began his career with Jay C in 1971 as a produce department manager before taking a military leave of absence to serve in the U.S. Army from 1972-1976. He returned to Jay C in 1976, and advanced to hold a number of leadership positions. In 1988, he was promoted to director of training and development for the division, and was instrumental in leading Jay C's merger with Kroger in 1999, spending two years as the transition project leader. In 2001, Bowen was named vice president of operations, before being promoted to senior vice president in 2002. Bowen has held his current role since 2003, where he oversees 71 Jay C and Ruler stores operating in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.

Santa Monica Seafood, Rancho Dominguez, Calif.
Dave Harrison was hired as vice president of procurement, tasked with leading and managing the procurement, including employee development and training, supplier management, strategic purchasing, supplier negotiations and contracting, development of supply management systems, procedures and analytics and inventory management and control. Harrison has held vice president of global strategic sourcing positions for a number of multi-billion dollar corporations. Previously, he was a consultant with Alexander Proudfoot, which has been working with Santa Monica Seafood as part of its good-to-great improvement program.

Green Giant, Salinas, Calif.
Tom Byrne was named vice president of business development, and will play a critical role in packaging standardization and innovation along with fostering strategic business relationships. Byrne previously served as vice president and general manager of Sambraillo Packing. Emery Jones was appointed to the newly created role of vice president of planning, where he will evaluate and lead new ventures and focus on a variety of continuous improvement strategies. Jones comes from the Silicon Valley technology sector, where he oversaw mergers and acquisition strategies. He also served as a Green Giant Fresh consultant for nearly a year. Jared Gill was hired as director of technical operations, responsible for engineering, equipment/plant designs, processes and continuous improvement. Gill came from Dole, and is the son and nephew of founding members of Growers Express, a fresh produce supplier and manager of Green Giant Fresh. In addition, Sandy Amaral was promoted to vice president of accounting, where she will oversee all accounting-related functions. Amaral joined the company in 2010 as financial controller.

Albertsons Cos., Boise, Idaho
Karl Varsanyi joined as group vice president of digital product management, responsible for the digital experience (web, app and in-store) for all brands and locations. Varsanyi is a customer experience leader with 16 years of practice in the digital retail and technology industries. He maintains a strong track record of building new innovative products, platforms, teams and cultures across digital and physical retail, having most recently served as group vice president of product management, strategy and experience for Macy’s, where he turned it into an omni-channel retailing leader. And, Ramiya Iyer was appointed group vice president of IT digital and marketing/merchandising. She maintains a deep understanding of how digital technology is changing consumers’ shopping behavior, and brings a unique combination of retail, technology and global leadership experience. Prior to her tenure as the vice president of eCommerce at Levi’s, she held various IT leadership roles at Walmart.com and SamsClub.com.

Maschhoffs LLC, Carlyle, Ill.
Paul Fox joined as chief operating officer, responsible for operations across the company’s 9-state footprint. Fox maintains more than 20 years of experience in operations leadership. Out of college, he joined Tyson Foods as a management trainee. During his 17 years at Tyson, his responsibilities would grow to encompass international operations. After his days at Tyson, Fox entered the private equity sector, where he served as chief executive officer of Dickinson Frozen Foods, Marfood USA (subsidiary of Brazil’s Marfrig Group) and O.K. Industries. Most recently, Fox served as managing director of Economic Benefits for the Family Farms Group, where he was responsible for assisting the company’s farmer-members’ implement strategies to enhance revenue, reduce costs and scale businesses.

Lancaster Colony Corp., Westerville, Ohio
David Ciesinski was appointed chief executive officer and principal executive officer, effective July 1, taking over for John (“Jay”) Gerlach, Jr., the company's current CEO, who will retain his role as executive chairman. Ciesinski has served as the company’s president and COO since joining the company in April 2016. He is a veteran of the packaged foods industry with a background that includes executive leadership positions at H.J. Heinz Co. and Kraft Foods Group, Inc. Gerlach has been with the company for 41 years, include 20 as CEO.

ARYZTA AG, Zurich
James (Jim) Leighton joined the board as an independent non-executive director. Leighton brings more than 30 years of international operations, management and manufacturing experience within the food and retail sector. He served as president of Perdue Foods from 2009-2013, and senior vice president of operations and supply chain from 2006-2009. From 2002-2006, he served as the senior vice president of operations of ConAgra Foods, Inc. And, between 2013-2016, Leighton served as chief operating officer, and subsequently as interim chief executive officer of Boulder Brands Inc. Currently, Leighton is president of 40 North Foods and chief executive officer of Getting FIT, both entities that he founded.

FOODSERVICE:
Legacy Foodservice Alliance, Inc., Glen Allen, Va.
Stephen Push assumed the additional title of chairman to his current CEO position, which he has served since the company’s inception in 2009. Push began his distribution industry career in 1978 with Institutional Distributors, Inc., which was then a foodservice distributor in Kentucky. Following that, he served in several senior management roles over 26 years at Pocahontas Foods USA and Progressive Group Alliance, before founding Legacy.

SUPPLIERS:
LoneStar Restaurant Supply, a division of ABC Hotel and Restaurant Supply, Inc., Dallas, Texas
Drew Mallett was promoted to corporate chef. Mallett brings a unique combination of corporate and culinary experience, and is no stranger to kitchen operations in a variety of environments, from fine dining to private clubs to corporate dining. Mallett previously served as business development manager, and will continue to drive existing and new sales opportunities as well as focus on culinary trends and strategies to better serve a niche market from a culinary perspective. As a result, Ken Harrison was appointed business development manager, responsible for driving existing and new sales opportunities in the South Central region of Texas. He will work closely with LoneStar’s sales and marketing teams, as well as customers, dealers and distributor networks. In his 25-plus years of foodservice sales experience, Harrison has held sales management positions for Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, Quaker Oats and Sara Lee, and has managed and sold products through broadline distributors like Sysco, US Foods and Ben E. Keith.

Engage Technologies Corp., Brooklyn Park, Minn.
The parent company to Squid Ink Manufacturing, Eastey Enterprises, American Film & Machinery and Cogent Technologies named David Mylrea as chief executive officer, taking over for founder William Hoagland, who passed away Dec. 30, 2016. Previously, Mylrea was executive vice president, secretary and general counsel of Engage, and capital partner with Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP. Since 1999, he has held several management roles with Hinshaw, including partner-in-charge of the Minneapolis office, regional director, practice group leader, department head and business development partner. He also served as a member of the firm’s executive committee. Before that, he was chief operating officer, secretary and general counsel of PDS Gaming Corp.

HANTEMP Controls, Westmont, Ill.
Jeff Mackowiak was named mechanical engineer. He brings 25 years of experience in industrial refrigeration manufacturing and a broad skillset in areas relating to product development and management.

Spartan Motors, Inc., Charlotte, Mich.
James Sharman was elected to serve as chairman of the board, effective immediately, succeeding Hugh Sloan, who is retiring from this role, which he has served in since 2010. Sharman joined the Spartan board in February 2016 as an independent director and brings a diverse background to the role, including executive and leadership positions in supply chain management/logistics, business management and private equity companies. He currently serves as the chief operating officer of Coyote Logistics, LLC. Prior to that, he spent several years as principal of Truecast Capital, LLC. His work history includes president and CEO of World Kitchen, Inc. and Rubicon Technology, as well as vice president general manager, Latin America for the Case Corp. He also served as the commanding officer of an engineering company in the U.S. Army, and was an assistant professor at the United States Military Academy, West Point. Tom Ninneman was named president of fleet vehicles and services, which includes the Utilimaster and Spartan Upfit Services brands, effective June 2. Ninneman will succeed John Forbes, who is retiring from the role he has served in since July 2010. Ninneman most recently served as the chief operating officer of Smeal Fire Apparatus Co., which Spartan acquired earlier this year. Prior to joining Smeal, he served as the president of Taylor Corp., and has also served in a variety of operating and managerial roles at Oshkosh Corp. He brings over 25 years of business and leadership experience, including 10 years anchored in custom vehicle manufacturing across the emergency response,  construction and defense markets. Forbes joined the Utilimaster Corp. as its chief financial officer in 2009. Less than one year later, he transitioned into the role of president, where he has since focused on building the team, supporting customers, increasing revenues and improving profitability.

National DCP, Atlanta
The supply chain management cooperative serving Dunkin' Donuts franchisees hired Robert Sharpe as president and COO, responsible for directing NDCP in the execution of its strategic long-term goals, enabling growth, high service level delivery and profitability. He maintains executive-level responsibility for all operations functions, including distribution, supply chain and manufacturing ventures and over time, will assume leadership of additional corporate functions. Sharpe maintains more than 30 years of executive leadership experience in North America, Europe and Asia, transforming food processing, packaging and manufacturing companies into multi-billion dollar regional and global leaders. Prior to joining NDCP, he served as the president and CEO of CSM Bakery Solutions. Previous roles have also included chief executive officer and board member of Campofrío Food Group; president, CEO and board member of Groupe Smithfield; and president, international operations of Smithfield Foods, Inc.

Flair Flexible Packaging, Appleton, Wis.
William (Bill) Masterson joined the team of packaging films for retort products. He brings over 20 years in packaging sales and project management, 15 of which were focused on working with customers developing and optimizing processes using peelable retort lidding, formable retort films, pre-made retort pouches and die-cut foil lids. Throughout his tenure in the packaging industry, he has worked with a variety of manufacturers and suppliers across the United States and abroad.

LINKFRESH Inc., Ventura, Calif.
Jeremy Wardell was appointed to the new position of customer success director, ensuring customers optimize the success of their LINKFRESH solution. He will also inject his extensive knowledge and expertise into other areas of the customer journey, such as communications and feedback, pre-sales, project delivery, product development, customer on-boarding, product training and ongoing customer support. Wardell accumulated many years of customer success expertise working with other computer software and technology companies in a variety of roles, from project delivery and deployment to product and operational management.

ESE, Inc., Marshfield, Wis.
Craig Moeller was promoted to technical sales manager. Moeller has been serving as an inside sales/application specialist for ESE since April 2016. Prior to joining ESE, Moeller served as an electrical engineer and in business development for Jacobs Engineering Group.

PAC Machinery, San Rafael, Calif.
Douglas Haberlein was named regional sales manager of the South Eastern territory, bringing with nearly two decades of sales management experience. Before joining PAC Machinery, Haberlein served as a sales executive at International Thermal Systems. Before that, he was Midwest regional sales engineer at Guyson Corp.

PeriShip, Branford, Conn.
Curt Kole was named vice president of sales and business development, responsible for the development of PeriShip’s sales strategy and management of its expanded sales representation throughout North America. He will also be responsible for the further development of PeriShip’s strategic alignment with FedEx as their exclusive provider of transportation services. Kole maintains 30 years of experience in transportation and logistics, including more than 17 years with FedEx Custom Critical, where he was involved in the development of their cold chain suite of services and their entry into the Pharmaceutical market.