Kroger's Griffin Set to Helm United Fresh Board

Reggie Griffin, The Kroger Co.'s corporate VP of produce & floral merchandising & procurement, is poised to ascend to chairman of the board of the United Fresh Produce Association at its May 2, 2011 meeting in New Orleans.

Also nominated as United Fresh's chairman-elect is David W. Krause, president, Paramount Citrus, along with Ron Midyett, incoming sec./treasurer, who is CEO of Apio Inc. Current board chair Steffanie Smith, CEO of River Point Farms will move to the position of immediate past chairman and remain on the board and the executive committee.

“In total, the slate of nominees for our consolidated board of directors (details for which appear below), together with our returning board members and new officers, makes this a tremendously diverse and skilled set of leaders to represent our entire industry and guide our association in the year ahead,” said board development committee chairman Jim Lemke, C.H. Robinson.

In addition, the following industry leaders have also been nominated to serve as new members of the United Fresh Board for a two-year term beginning May 2011:

•Tony Freytag, national marketing director/senior management committee, Crunch Pak Sliced Apples
•Scott Danner, COO, Liberty Fruit Co., Inc., Kansas City, Kan.
•David Hille, president, Cabbage, Inc.
•John Keeling, EVP/CEO, National Potato Council
•Dave Russell, VP of sales, Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. N.A
•Angela Paymard, chairman, N2N Global

Current Board members nominated to new positions of service on market segment boards and councils include:

•Chairman, Fresh-Cut Processor Board – Jan Berk, San Miguel Produce, Inc.
•Chairman, Global Advisory Council – Paddy Callaghan, Nature’s Best Ltd.
•Chairman, Nutrition & Health Council – Dan’l Mackey Almy, DMA Solutions, Inc.

The following officers of market segment boards and councils will continue service on the board:

•Chairman, Grower-Shipper Board – Fred Williamson, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce
•Vice Chairman, Grower-Shipper Board – Will Steele, Frontera Produce
•Chairman, Wholesaler Distributor Board – Brendan Comito, Capital City Fruit Company, Inc.
•Vice Chairman, Wholesaler-Distributor Board – Ron Carkoski, Four Seasons Produce, Inc.
•Chairman, Retail-Foodservice Board – Mitch Smith, McDonald’s Corporation
•Vice Chairman, Retail-Foodservice Board – Randy Scott, Food Lion
•Chairman, Food Safety & Technology Council – Walter Ram, The Giumarra Cos.
•Chairman, Supply Chain Logistics Council Chairman – David Dever, Pandol Brothers Inc.
•Chairman, Government Relations Council – Barry Bedwell, Cal. Grape & Tree Fruit League

The following current at-large board members will continue service on the board: Mike Celani, Ready Pac Foods, Inc.; John Chrosniak, DuPont Crop Protection; Tony DiMare, DiMare Company; Emily Fragoso, Status Gro; Roger Harkrider, H-E-B; Brent Harrison, Al Harrison Co. Distributors; Ana Hooper, Darden Restaurants; Lorri Koster, Mann Packing Co.; Mike Martin, Rio Queen, Inc.; Phil Muir, Muir Copper Canyon Farms; Mark Murai, California Strawberry Commission; Roger Pepperl, Stemilt Growers, LLC; Bruce Peterson, Peterson Insights, Inc.; Doug Riley, Hy-Vee, Inc.; John Smith, Bayer Crop Science; Ivan Tarriba, Farmers Best International, LLC; Geoff White, Safeway, Inc.; Greg Wohlleb, Bunzl Distribution, Inc.; and Jackson Woodward, Horton Fruit Company.

Board members concluding service at the May meeting include:

•Jim Lemke, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., who served as chairman of the board in 2009-2010 most recently as immediate past chair
•Mike Cavallero, Dole Food Co., who served as secretary-treasurer of the board from 2008-2011
•David Barney, who has served as chairman of the Global Advisory Council
•Ashley Rawl, who has served as chairman of the Nutrition & Health Council
•Charles Hall, Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association
•Brian Kocher, Chiquita Brands International
•Rick Urschel, Urschel Laboratorie