Schnuck's O'Brien Leads PMA Board

Mike O’Brien, VP of produce and floral for St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets Inc., took the helm of the 2010-2011 Produce Marketing Association’s (PMA) board of directors during the recent PMA 2010 Fresh Summit International Convention and Exposition in Orlando, Fla.

“I’m honored to serve the industry in this position, and I look forward to working with my outstanding colleagues on important issues,” O’Brien said. “As an industry, I think we are well positioned with the answer to proper nutrition, and we can do more to make sure fresh produce is more accessible to more people. There’s also a huge opportunity to bring the entire supply chain together more seamlessly. These will be my goals.”

Other newly appointed PMA officers are chairman-elect Rich Dachman, VP of produce, Sysco Corp., Houston; secretary/treasurer Tim Riley, EVP, the Giumarra Cos., Los Angeles; immediate past chairman William Schuler, president and CEO, Castellini Group of Cos., Highland Heights, Ky; vice chairman Jan DeLyser, VP/marketing, California Avocado Commission, Irvine, Calif; vice chairman Andrew Sharp, group technical director, Fresca Group Ltd., Paddock Wood, Kent, U.K. Together with president and CEO Bryan Silbermann, the officers comprise a seven-person executive committee.

The directors of the association are as follows:

John Anderson, PMA FIT chairman, president and CEO, the Oppenheimer Group, Coquitlam, British Columbia
Michael Agostini, senior director of produce and floral, Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, Ark.
Mitch Ardantz, managing partner, Bonipak Produce, Santa Maria, Calif.
Marty Craner, owner and president, B&C Fresh, Orange, Calif.
Dwight Ferguson, president and CEO, Naturipe Farms, Naples, Fla.
Tina Fitzgerald, director of produce and corporate responsibility, IPC-Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Miami
Russ Hanlin, president, Sunkist Growers, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
Patrick Hynes, senior director of purchasing, Darden Restaurants, Orlando, Fla.
Derrick Jenkins, VP of produce and floral, Wakefern Food Corp., Keasbey, N.J.
Alec Leach, president, Taylor Farms Inc., Salinas, Calif.
David Lessard, director of produce, Ahold USA Retail, Assonet, Mass.
Martin Ley, VP, Del Campo Supreme, Nogales, Ariz.
Larry McIntosh, president and CEO, Peak of the Market, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Matt Middleton, VP of sales, Marie’s/Ventura Foods, Dallas
Victor Moller, president, Hortifrut SA, San José, Costa Rica
John Oxford, president and CEO, L&M Cos., Raleigh, N.C.
Frank Padilla, assistant VP, GMM fresh foods, Costco Wholesale, Seattle
Joe Pezzini, COO, Ocean Mist Farms, Castroville, Calif.
Michael Simonetta, CEO, Perfection Fresh Australia, Sydney Markets, New South Wales
Michael Solomon, president and CEO, Ready Pac Produce, Yorba Linda, Calif.
Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, CEO, Seald Sweet International, Vero Beach, Calif.
Michael Stuart, president, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, Maitland, Fla.
Maurice Totty, director of procurement, Foodbuy LLC/the Compass Group, Charlotte, N.C.
Will Wedge, director of produce and floral merchandising, Hannaford Bros. Co., Scarborough, Maine
David Werner, corporate director of marketing, Ben E. Keith Foods, Little Rock, Ark.
Jin Ju Wilder, president, Coast Produce Co., Los Angeles

Retiring from the PMA board are former PMA chairman David Corsi, VP of Produce and Floral Operations, Wegmans Food Markets Inc., Rochester, N.Y.; former retail division chairman Anthony Barbieri, director of produce, Acme Markets Inc., Philadelphia; former foodservice chairman David Gill, partner of Gills Onions, King City, Calif.; Jim Corby, VP of produce merchandising, Food Lion LLC, Salisbury, N.C.; Dan Johnson, director of produce & floral sales and marketing, the Kroger Co., Cincinnati; Edward Kershaw, CEO, Domex Superfresh Growers, Yakima, Wash.; Greg Reinauer, SVP, AmeriFresh, Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Miles Reiter, CEO, Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Watsonville, Calif.

In related news, new board members of the PMA’s Foundation for Industry Talent (PMA FIT) were also sworn in at the close of PMA’s 2010 Fresh Summit. New board chairman John Anderson, chairman, president and CEO of the Oppenheimer Group, Coquitlam, British Columbia, was joined on the 2010-2011 PMA FIT board by three other officers and 16 directors to lead next year’s foundation activities.

“This year, we implemented a new volunteer application process, which was overseen by the new leadership vommittee,” said Margi Prueitt, executive director of PMA FIT. “It is gratifying to see so many leaders in our industry interested in supporting the Foundation for Industry Talent’s mission to attract, develop and retain talent to produce.”