AFFI Elects New Board Leadership

The election of three officers and seven members to the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) board of directors took place at the trade organization’s annual meeting and keynote breakfast held in conjunction with the 2013 AFFI Frozen Food Convention in Anaheim, Calif.

Newly elected officers are Jeff Varcoe, VP of food safety and quality for the Schwan Food Co. in Marshall, Minn., as chairman; Dave Yanda, president and CEO of Manitowoc, Wis.-based private label food processor Lakeside Foods Inc. as vice chairman; and George F. Smith, president and CEO of Stayton, Ore.-based farmer cooperative and fruit and vegetable processer NORPAC Foods Inc. as immediate past chairman. Varcoe succeeded Smith on Feb. 25.

The seven board members elected to three-year terms are Michael Allen of The Kellogg Co., Ricardo Alvarez of Spartan Foods of America Inc., Paul Bakus of Nestlé Pizza, Angelo Fallucca of Palermo Villa Inc., John Geocaris of Little Lady Foods Inc., James Matthews of H.J. Heinz Co. and Rob McCutcheon of ConAgra Foods Inc. The new directors join a board of 16 frozen food industry leaders.

“Each individual brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, which will assist AFFI in serving its diverse and growing ranks of more than 500 members representing every facet of the frozen food industry,” noted Kraig R. Naasz, president and CEO of the McLean, Va.-based organization.