Sam's Club's Russ Mounce Takes Helm of PMA Board

The Produce Marketing Association installed its new board of directors, which signifies global diversity with companies from more than nine countries and women representing more than one quarter of the leadership.

Russ Mounce, VP and DMM of produce for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Sam’s Club, was installed as new chairman of PMA’s board at the recent Fresh Summit conference and expo in Atlanta along with five other officers and 29 directors.

PMA's new board officers for the 2015-2016 term, whom together with PMA CEO Bryan Silbermann comprise PMA’s executive committee, include:

• Immediate Past Chair Kevin Fiori, SVP, sales and marketing, Sunkist Growers, Valencia, Calif.
• Chair-Elect John Oxford, president and CEO, L&M Produce, Raleigh, N.C.
• Secretary/Treasurer Drew Yurko
• Vice Chair Elliott Grant, CEO, ShopWell, San Carlos, Calif. 
• Vice Chair Paul Kneeland, VP of fresh merchandising, Fresh Formats, Canton, Mass.

Meanwhile, PMA's new 2015-2016 directors include:

• Manuel Alcaino, president, Decofrut, Vitacura, Chile
• Robert Barkley, CEO, Barkley Ag Enterprises, Yuma, Ariz.
• Jose Antonio Gomez, chief commercial officer, Camposol SA, Lima, Peru
• Soren Bjorn, EVP Americas, Driscoll's, Watsonville, Calif.
• Jim DiMenna, CEO, Red Sun Farms, Ontario, Canada
• Jeff Dunn, president and CEO, Bolthouse Farms, Bakersfield, Calif.
• Robin Fisher, category manager, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Scottsdale, Ariz.
• Ana Hooper, VP of total quality, Darden, Orlando, Fla.
• Derrick Jenkins, VP, produce and floral division, Wakefern Food Corp., Elizabeth, N.J.
• David Lake, CEO, 4Earth Farms, Commerce, Calif.
• Cathy Leffingwell, produce management director, Brinker International, Dallas, Tex.
• Lam Lin, GM, fresh foods sourcing, C.R. Vanguard, Shenzhen, China
• Inés Masallach, marketing director, Imalinx Latin America, San Cristobal, Mexico
• Irénke Meekma, managing director, Bakker Barendrecht BV, Ridderkerk, Netherlands
• Howard Nager, VP of marketing, Domex Superfresh Growers, Yakima, Wash.
• Cynthia Nunes, VP fresh fruit North America, Dole Fresh Fruit Co., Westlake Village, Calif.
• Jaime Peisach, president, Passion Growers, Miami, Fla.
• Jim Sarcletti, director of produce and floral, Supervalu, Minneapolis, Minn.
• Kent Shoemaker, CEO, Lipman, Immokalee, Fla.
• Oleen Smethurst, assistant GM manager, Costco Wholesale Canada, Ottawa, Canada
• Tara Smith Vighetti, partner and director of sales, Smith Packing, Saint Augustine, Fla.
• Dan Sutton, VP of produce procurement , Albertsons, Boise, Idaho
• Thomas Wheeler, director of produce operations, Mollie Stone’s Markets, Mill Valley, Calif.
• Jin Ju Wilder, director of corporate strategy, Valley Fruit & Produce, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Max Yeater, president, Pro*Act LLC, Monterey, Calif.
• Tommie van Zyl, CEO, ZZ2, Polokwane, South Africa
• Ex-officio Dick Spezzano, chair, PMA Foundation for Industry Talent, president, Spezzano Consulting Service, Monrovia, Calif.
• Ex-officio John Said, chair, PMA Australia-New Zealand, Managing Director, Fresh Select, Victoria, Australia

Retiring from the board are:

• Miguel Allamand, president, Exportadora Subsole, SA; Santiago, Chile
• John Anderson, chair, president and CEO, The Oppenheimer Group, British Columbia, Canada
• Vernon Crowder, SVP, senior analyst, Rabobank Group, Fresno, Calif.
• Ziggy Kwarcinski, GM core fresh, Woolworths Supermarkets, Bella Vista, Australia
• Craig Ignatz, VP of produce and floral merchandising, Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh, Pa.
• Alec Leach, president, Taylor Farms, Salinas, Calif.
• Joe Loiacano, senior manager, fresh produce and frozen foods, Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op, Dublin, Ohio
• Leonardo Miyao, perishables commercial director, Grupo Pão de Açucar, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• Don Murphy, director of produce and floral, Grocery Outlet, Emeryville, Calif.
• Steve Patricio, president and CEO, Westside Produce, Firebaugh, Calif.
• Tim Riley, president, The Giumarra Cos., Los Angeles, Calif.
• Miguel Usabiaga, VP, Empacadora GAB Inc., Hidalgo, Tex.
• Johan van Deventer, managing director, Freshmark (Pty), Ltd., Cape Town, South Africa
• Robert Verloop, EVP of marketing, Naturipe Farms LLC, Salinas, Calif.

2015-2016 PMA Foundation for Industry Talent Board of Directors:

Serving two-year terms, Dick Spezzano, president of Spezzano Consulting Service, Monrovia, Calif., will remain chair of the PMA Foundation for Industry Talent’s Board of Directors.

Also retaining their positions are:

• Immediate Past Chair Jim Leimkuhler, president, Progressive Produce, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Chair-Elect Leonard Batti, president, Taylor Farms Florida, Orlando, Fla.
• Secretary/Treasurer Drew Yurko

Together, with Margi Prueitt, PMA SVP and PMA Foundation executive director, the officers that comprise PMA Foundation’s executive committee:

New members elected to a two-year term include:

• Juan Alarcon, CEO, Turbana Corporation, Coral Gables, Fla. 
• Jerry Butt, president and CEO, MIXTEC Group, Glendale, Calif.
• Mark Munger, VP, sales & marketing, 4Earth Farms, Commerce, Calif.
• LeighAnne Thomsen, marketing manager, Mission Produce, Oxnard, Calif.
• Tom Wonderly, chief human resources officer, Castellini Co., Highland Heights, Ky.

Continuing members of PMA Foundation 2015-2016 board are:

• Aribel Beck, CFO and VP of finance and administration, Naturipe Farms LLC, Estero, Fla.
• Chris Cervini, president, Lakeside Produce Co., Leamington, Ontario, Canada
• Marty Craner, president, B&C Fresh Sales, Orange, Calif.
• Tony D’Amico, president, To-Jo Mushrooms, Avondale, Pa.
• Gabriel Fonzo, CEO, Integrity, SA, Santiago, Chile
• Mikel Hancock, senior director of produce and floral, Walmart, Bentonville, Ark.
• Kelly Jacob, VP of retail, Pro*Act, LLC, Houston, Tex.
• Melany Jolly, EVP, Cream of the Crop, Inc., Carmel, Calif.
• Jill Overdorf, director of business and culinary development/corporate chef, Coosemans Shipping of LA, Vernon, Calif.
• Doug Ranno, president, Harvest Sensations, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Dave Rhodes, director of produce and floral, Marsh Supermarkets, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Jim Richter, CEO, Wilcox Fresh, Overland Park, Kans.
• Bryan Silbermann, CEO, PMA, Newark, Del.
• Jorge Suarez, director human resources, Earthbound Farm, The WhiteWave Foods Co., San Juan Bautista, Calif.
• Larry Zink, industry relations and outreach coordinator, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.