New Slate of Industry Luminaries Lead PMA Boards

Jan DeLyser, VP of marketing for the Irvine, Cal.-based California Avocado Commission, was elected as the new chairwoman of the 2012-2013 Produce Marketing Association (PMA) board of directors, for which five other officers and 28 new directors were also installed.

Upon accepting her new leadership duties with PMA at its 2012 Fresh Summit International Convention & Exposition in Anaheim that concluded earlier this week, DeLyser said: “While we are thrilled with PMA's success this year, we recognize the need to keep moving forward in our efforts to create the next generation of member value. We will be working diligently over the next several months to develop a new strategic plan that will help PMA focus its efforts to expand our member value worldwide.”

Also elected as officers to the 2012-2013 PMA board are:

Chairman-elect Tim Riley, EVP, The Giumarra Cos., Los Angeles
Secretary/Treasurer John Oxford, president and CEO, L&M, Raleigh, N.C.
Immediate Past Chairman Richard Dachman, VP of produce, Sysco Corp., Houston
Vice Chairman Jim Corby, VP of produce, Delhaize America, Salisbury, N.C.
Vice Chairman Derrick Jenkins, VP of produce/floral, Wakefern Food Corp., Elizabeth, N.J.

Together with PMA president and CEO Bryan Silbermann, the officers comprise PMA’s executive committee.

The remaining 2012-2013 directors of the association are:
Miguel Allamand, president, Exportadora Subsole, S.A., Chile (new)
Mark Allison, senior manager, produce procurement, The Cheesecake Factory Inc., Calabasas Hills, Calif.
John Anderson, chairman, president and CEO, The Oppenheimer Group, Coquitlam, Canada
Greg Calistro, executive director, produce and floral, Save Mart Supermarkets, Modesto, Calif.
Vernon Crowder, VP and agricultural economist, Rabobank N.A., Fresno, Calif. (new)
Kevin Fiori, VP sales and marketing, Sunkist Growers Inc., Sherman Oaks, Calif. (new)
Elliott Grant, founder and CMO, HarvestMark, Redwood City, Calif. (new)
Dan Johnson, corporate director produce and floral merchandising, The Kroger Co., Cincinnati
Paul Kneeland, VP produce, floral and seafood, Kings Food Markets, Parsippany, N.J. (new)
Alec Leach, president, Taylor Farms Inc., Salinas, Calif.
David Lessard, director of produce, Ahold USA Retail, Assonet, Mass.
Joe Loiacano, produce purchasing manager, Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op, Dublin, Ohio (new)
Pat McEntee, GM, fresh foods, Woolworths Ltd., Australia (new)
Larry McIntosh, president and CEO, Peak of the Market, Winnipeg, Canada
Matt Middleton, VP of sales, Marie’s/Ventura Foods, Dallas
Russ Mounce, senior director produce and floral, Sam’s Club, Bentonville, Ark. (new)
Don Murphy, director produce and floral, Grocery Outlet, Berkeley, Calif. (new)
Rob Ondrus, director category management/produce, Reinhart Foodservice, Rosemont, Ill.
David Parsley, senior VP supply chain management, Brinker International Inc., Dallas
Stephen Patricio, president and CEO, Westside Produce, Firebaugh, Calif. (new)
Victor Smith, CEO, Fresh Innovations LLC, Yuma, Ariz.
Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, CEO, Seald Sweet International, Vero Beach, Fla.
Craig Stephen, CEO, Clear Compass Advisors LLC, Montgomery, Ohio
Michael Stuart, president, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, Maitland, Fla.
Maureen Torrey Marshall, VP, Torrey Farms Inc., Elba, N.Y.
Miguel Usabiaga, VP, Empacadora GAB Inc., McAllen, Texas (new)
Johan van Deventer, managing director, Freshmark, Cape Town, South Africa (new)
Robert Verloop, executive VP of marketing, Naturipe Farms LLC, Naples, Fla. (new)
Ex officio Jim Leimkuhler, PMA Foundation chairman, president, Progressive Produce, Los Angeles (new)
Ex officio Felicity Robson-Rous, PMA Australia-New Zealand, general manager, OneHarvest, Brisbain, Australia

Retiring from the board are:

Michael Agostini, senior director of produce and floral, Walmart, Bentonville, Ark.
Mitch Ardantz, managing partner, Bonipak Produce, Santa Maria, Calif.
Marty Craner, president/owner, B&C Fresh, Orange, Calif.
Patrick Hynes, senior director of purchasing, Darden Restaurants, Orlando, Fla.
Martin Ley, VP, Del Campo Supreme, Nogales, Ariz.
Victor Moller, president, Hortifrut SA, San Jose, Costa Rica,
Frank Padilla, VP, GMM produce & meat, Costco Wholesale, Seattle, Wash.
Joe Pezzini, chief operating officer, Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville, Calif.,
Mike Solomon, president and CEO, Ready Pac Foods, Irwindale, Calif.
David Werner, corporate director of marketing, Ben E. Keith Foods, Fort Worth, Texas
Jin Ju Wilder, president, Status Gro, South Pasadena, Calif.
Mike O’Brien, VP produce and floral, Schnuck Markets, Saint Louis, Mo.

Newly-appointed officers for the PMA Foundation board of directors are:
Chairman Jim Leimkuhler, president/owner, Progressive Produce Corp., Los Angeles
Vice chairman Dick Spezzano, president, Spezzano Consulting Service Inc., Monrovia, Calif. Secretary/treasurer John Oxford, president and CEO, L&M, Raleigh, N.C.
Past chairman John Anderson, chairman, president and CEO, The Oppenheimer Group, Coquitlam, B.C., Canada.

All the above join Margi Prueitt, PMA Foundation executive director, and Yvonne Bull, PMA CFO.

Meanwhile, at-large members of the PMA Foundation 2012-2013 board are:
Tonya Antle, principal, Tanimura & Antle, Salinas, Calif.
Leonard Batti, VP, MIXTEC Group, Monterey, Calif.
Aribel Beck, VP finance and administration, Naturipe Farms LLC, Estero, Fla.
Karen Caplan, president, Frieda’s Inc., Los Alamitos, Calif.
J. Scott Carr, president and CEO, YottaMark, Redwood City, Calif.
Chris Cervini, president, Lakeside Produce Co., Leamington, Ontario, Canada
Matt Curry, president, Curry & Co., Brooks, Ore.
Tony D’Amico, president, To-Jo Mushrooms, Avondale, Pa.
Kevin Delaney, director corporate sustainability and productivity, Procacci Bros., Philadelphia
Gabriel Fonzo, CEO, Integrity, SA, Santiago, Chile
Tim Knoerzer, human resource lead, global vegetables & Asia Pacific, Monsanto, St. Louis
Doug Ranno, COO, managing member, Colorful Harvest, Salinas, Calif.
Jim Richter, executive VP sales and marketing, Wilcox Fresh, Overland Park, Kan.
Kent Shoemaker, CEO, Lipman, Immokalee, Fla.
Bryan Silbermann, president and CEO, PMA, Newark, Del.
Marc Solomon, VP of procurement, Fisher Capespan, Gloucester City, N.J.
Jorge Suarez, director human resources, Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville, Calif.
Larry Zink, industry relations & outreach coordinator, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.