Established in 2008, each Market Segment Board has up to 22 members, predominately representing companies and suppliers from their respective business sectors. The boards are empowered to identify, discuss and advance issues of importance within their market sector to ensure United Fresh is meeting specific business needs, addressing critical issues and implementing programs that deliver member value to each market segment. The four Market Segment Boards include the Grower-Shipper Board, the Wholesaler-Distributor Board, The Fresh-Cut Processor Board and the Retail-Foodservice Board.

         "Over the past three years, we have found that the market segment-specific approach has really helped our overall voice as an industry, giving each type of company a forum at which to discuss the issues that affect business on a day-to-day level," said Tom Stenzel, United Fresh president and CEO. "That feedback allows us to ensure that our direction as an association is one that speaks to every member, regardless of market segment."

Nominees for the 2011-2012 United Fresh Market Segment Boards are:

Grower-Shipper Board: Bill Brim, Lewis Taylor Farms, Tifton, GA, Aaron Fox, Fox Packaging, McAllen, TX, Jose Garcia, Rene Produce, LLC, Nogales, AZ, Doug Kling, Village Farms, Eatontown, NJ, Martha Montoya, Los Kitos Produce, LLC, Orange, CA, Andrew Pandol, Pandol Brothers, Inc., Delano, CA, Doug Ranno, Colorful Harvest, LLC, Salinas, CA.

Wholesaler-Distributor Board: Chris Ciruli, Ciruli Brothers, Tubac, AZ, John Corso, Coastal Sunbelt Produce, Savage, MD, Harris Cutler, Race West Company, Clarks Summit, PA, Paul Ferachi, Capitol City Produce, Baton Rouge, LA, John Gates, Lancaster Foods, Jessup, MD, Sam Maglio, The Fresh Group Ltd., Glendale, WA, Todd Penza, Pinto Brothers, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, JT Travers, Charlie’s Produce, Seattle, WA, Jackie Caplan Wiggins, Frieda’s, Inc., Los Alamitos, CA, Rebecca Wilson, The Tom Lange Company, Inc., Springfield, IL.

Fresh-Cut Processor Board: Keith Bendix, Harpak - Ulma Packaging, LLC, Taunton, MA, Phil Brooks, H. Brooks & Company, New Brighton, MN, Jim Catchot, Renaissance Food Group, Rancho Cordova, CA, Lou Cooperhouse, F & S Produce Company, Rosehayne, NJ, Andy Cumming, Metz Fresh LLC, King City, CA, Ross Foca, East Coast Fresh Cuts, Savage, MD, Phil Gruszka, Grimmway Enterprises, Bakersfield, CA, David Masser, Keystone Potato Products, Hagins, PA, Gina Nucci, Mann Packing Company, Salinas, CA, Marylou Owen, G.O. Fresh, Minneapolis, MN, Jennifer Pelayo, Advantage Sales & Marketing, Pleasanton, CA, Robert Stallman, Chiquita Brands International, Inc., Salinas, CA.

Retail-Foodservice Board: Greg Corrigan, Raley's Family of Fine Stores, Sacramento, CA, Troy Edwards, FreshPoint Tomato, Nashville, TN, Keith Johnson, Kroger-Wesco, Fresno, CA, Steve Lutz, Perishables Group, East Wenatchee, WA, Amy Myrdal Miller MS, RD, The Culinary Institute of America, St. Helena, CA, Susan Reimer-Sifford, Darden, Orlando, FL, Joey Summerhays, 7-Eleven, Dallas, TX, Mark Walden, Brookshire Grocery Company, Tyler, TX, Tommy Wilkins, United Supermarkets, Lubbock, TX.

The following current members will continue service on the Grower-Shipper Board: Tom Deardorff, Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, CA, Jim Gerecke, Desert Glory, LTD, San Antonio, TX, Phil Herbig, WES Pak Sales, Inc., Dinuba, CA, Cindy Jewell, California Giant Berry Farms, Inc., Watsonville, CA, David Mixon, Seald-Sweet, LLC/Uni-Veg Group, Vero Beach, FL, Gordon Robertson, Sun World International, LLC, Bakersfield, CA, Andrew Schwartz, Rosemont Farms Corporation, Boca Raton, FL, Kevin Searle, GPOD of Idaho, Shelley, ID, Kaari Stannard, New York Apple Sales, Inc., Castleton On Hudson, NY.

The following current members will continue service on the Wholesaler-Distributor Board: Scott Dennis, Albert’s Organics, Bridgeport, NJ, Matt Fritz, The Sanson Company, Cleveland, OH, Robert Kirch, Caito Foods Service, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, Joe Klare, Castellini Company, LLC, Wilder, KY, Joe Murphy, Fresh Horizons Procurement, Denver, NC, Michael Muzyk, Baldor Specialty Foods, Bronx, NY, Mark Shaw, Markon, Inc., Salinas, CA, Lisa Strube, Strube Celery & Vegetable Company, Chicago, IL.

The following current members will continue service on the Fresh-Cut Processor Board: Minos Athanassiadis, Fresh Link Group, Agoura, CA, Garth Borman, Taylor Farms, Inc., Tracy, CA, Ray Griffin, FoodSource, Monterey, CA, Ali Leon, Ready Pac Foods, Inc., Irwindale, CA, Carter McEntire, McEntire Produce, Columbia, SC, Steve Robinson, Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc., Monterey, CA, John Schaefer, Gold Coast Packing Company, Inc. Santa Maria, CA, Jim Zarndt, Monsanto, Oxnard, CA.

The following current members will continue service on the Retail-Foodservice Board: Tim Culhane, Brennan’s Farm Market, Inc., Brookfield, WI, Ken Fittz, Burger King Corporation, Miami, FL, Andrew Kesler, Jack in the Box, Inc., San Diego, CA, Sean Picquelle, Taco Bell, Irvine, CA, Scott Sargent, Chick-fil-A, Inc., Atlanta, GA, Dick Spezzano, Spezzano Consulting, Monrovia, CA, Ed Thompson, Avendra, LLC, Rockville, MD, Max Yeater, Pro*Act, LLC, Monterey, CA.

Additionally, as announced last week, Jan Berk of San Miguel Produce, Inc., Oxnard, CA, will assume the role of chairman of the Fresh-Cut Processor Board and Tony Freytag of Crunch Pak Sliced Apples, Cashmere, WA, will take over as the board’s vice-chairman.