United Fresh Produce Association is pleased to announce the slate of directors elected by the membership to serve on the association's new Market Segment Boards.  

Earlier this year, the United Fresh Board of Directors voted to implement an enhanced organizational structure for its volunteer leadership. In addition to the current United Fresh Board of Directors, the new structure consists of four horizontal boards representing different market segments of the produce supply chain:  

• Grower-Shipper Board
• Fresh-Cut Processor Board
• Wholesaler-Distributor Board
• Retail-Foodservice Board

Each board includes 20 representatives, predominately representing companies in their respective business sectors. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of each Board will fill an automatic seat on the association's consolidated Board of Directors, ensuring direct representation of each market segments needs in all Board considerations. 

The primary roles of the new boards will be to review issues of importance within their specific business sector, identify areas of need to ensure United Fresh is meeting their business needs, and assess opportunities for programs and tools that deliver value to their market segment. 

The following industry leaders have been elected to serve two-year terms as the directors the Market Segment Boards, beginning September 2008:

Grower-Shipper Board

• Chairman Al Vangelos, President/CEO, Sun World International, LLC, Bakersfield, CA
• Vice Chairman Fred Williamson, President, Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, San Diego, CA
• Rick Alcocer, Sr Vice President - Fresh Sales, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, CA
• Mitch Ardantz, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Bonipak Produce Company, Santa Maria, CA
• Parker Booth, President, Ace Tomato Company, Inc., Manteca, CA
• Fried DeSchouwer, President, Greenhouse Produce Company, LLC, Vero Beach, FL
• Jose Garcia, COO, Rene Produce, Nogales, AZ
• Don Held, Principal/Director, The Produce Exchange, Livermore, CA
• Phil Herbig, Vice President, WES Pak Sales, Inc., Dinuba, CA
• David Hille, President, Cabbage, Inc., Westlake, OH
• Cindy Jewell, Director of Marketing, California Giant Berry Farms, Inc., Watsonville, CA
• Shah Kazemi, CEO, Monterey Mushrooms, Inc., Watsonville, CA
• Fred Leitz, Partner/CEO, Leitz Farms LLC, Sodus, MI
• Frank Maconachy, President / CEO, Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, CA
• Keith Mathews, Executive Director, Yakima Valley Growers-Shippers Association, Yakima, WA
• Roger Pepperl, Director of Marketing, Stemilt Growers, Inc., Wenatchee, WA
• Dan Richey, Manager Member, Riverfront Packing Co. LLC, Vero Beach, FL
• Kevin Searle, General Manager, GPOD of Idaho, Shelley, ID
• Will Steele, President & CEO, Frontera Produce, Edinburg, TX
• Dana Thomas, President, Index Fresh of California, Bloomington, CA

Fresh-Cut Processor Board

• Chairman Steffanie Smith, CEO, River Point Farms, LLC, Hermiston, OR
• Vice Chairman Ron Midyett, Chief Executive Officer, Apio, Inc., Guadalupe, CA
• Gus Arrigo, President, Martha's Garden, Inc., Toronto, ON Canada
• Hugh Baird, General Manager, Convenience Foods Pty., Ltd., Broadmeadows, Victoria, Australia
• Jan Berk, Vice President, San Miguel Produce, Oxnard, CA
• Paddy Callaghan, Founder Director, Nature's Best Limited, Drogheda, County Louth Ireland
• Wilco Fauth, General Manager, Food Technology Noord-Oost Nederland B.V. (FTNON), Almelo, Netherlands
• Tony Freytag, Marketing Director, Crunch Pak, Cashmere, WA
• Philip Gilardi, President, Freshway Foods, Sidney, OH
• Philip Gruszka, Vice President of Marketing, Grimmway Enterprises, Bakersfield, CA
• Steven Karr, CEO, Pride Pak Canada, Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
• Klaus Klische, Owner, Fresh Factory GmbH + Co. KG, Hamburg, Germany
• Lorri Koster, Co-Chair/Vice President, Marketing, Mann Packing Co., Inc., Salinas, CA
• Ali Leon, Director Fruit, Vegetables & Complete Meals, Ready Pac Foods, Inc., Irwindale, CA
• David Masser, Sales, Vice President, Keystone Potato Products, Hegins, PA
• Marylou Owen, COO, Secretary/Treasurer and Owner, G.O. Fresh, Minneapolis, MN
• Ed Romero, General Manager - Retail Salads and Snacking, Chiquita Brands International, Inc., Cincinnati, OH
• Kathleen Shelton, Sr. Market Manager, Specialty Crops, BASF Corporation, Research Triangle Park, NC
• David Stanton, Global Brand Manager & Head of North America Retail/Growers and Processors, NatureWorks LLC, Minnetonka, MN
• Greg Wohlleb, Vice President Food Packaging Sales, Bunzl Distribution, Inc., Louisville, KY

Wholesaler-Distributor Board

• Chairman Matthew D'Arrigo, Vice President, D'Arrigo Brothers Company of New York, Inc., Bronx, NY
• Vice Chairman Brendan Comito, Chief Operations Officer, Capital City Fruit Company, Inc., Norwalk, IA
• Jennifer Armen-Bolen, Downstream Specialist, Nunhems USA, Sammanish, WA
• Todd Bernitt, General Manager, C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Woodridge, IL
• Dave Breen, VP CFO, United Fruit & Produce Co., Inc., Saint Louis, MO
• Ronald Carkoski, President & CEO, Four Seasons Produce, Inc., Ephrata, PA
• Bill Class, Co-President, The Class Produce Group, Jessup, MD
• Joe Corsaro, Vice President, Operations, Indianapolis Fruit Company, Inc., Indianapolis, IN
• Harris Cutler, President, Race West Company, Clarks Summit, PA
• Scott Danner, Chief Operating Officer, Liberty Fruit Co., Inc., Kansas City, KS
• Patrick Davis, President, NAPAR, North American Perishable Agricultural Receivers, Arlington, VA
• Vince Ferachi, Principal, Capitol City Produce, Baton Rouge, LA
• Emily Fragoso, Marketing Manager, Coast Produce Company, Los Angeles, CA
• Greg Fritz, President, Produce Packaging, Inc., Cleveland, OH
• Eric Janke, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, DiMare Fresh, Arlington, TX
• Jim Leimkuhler, President, Progressive Produce, Los Angeles, CA
• Dan'l Mackey-Almy, President, DMA Solutions, Inc., Irving, TX
• Bruce Rubin, Senior Vice President, The Tom Lange Company, Inc., Saint Louis, MO
• John Vena, John Vena, Inc., Philadelphia, PA
• Jackson Woodward, CEO and President, Horton Fruit Company, Louisville, KY

Retail-Foodservice Board

• Chairman Reggie Griffin, Corporate Vice President, Produce and Floral Merchandising and Procurement, The Kroger Company, Cincinnati, OH
• Vice Chairman Mitch Smith, Director US Quality Systems Agricultural Products, McDonald's Corporation, Nampa, ID
• Dan Bates, Lead Merchandising Manager, W. Newell & Co., Urbana, IL 
• Ronnie DeLaCruz, DeLaCruz Consulting & Training, Salinas, CA
• Troy Edwards, President, FreshPoint Tomato Nashville, Nashville, TN
• Tina Fitzgerald, Purchasing Consultant, Independent Purchasing Cooperative, Miami, FL
• Raul Gallegos, Senior Director, Produce/Floral, Bristol Farms, Carson, CA
• Mark Hilton, Vice President of Produce/Floral, Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Matthews, NC
• Lindsay Hutchinson, Produce Supply Chain Acct Manager, Seminis, Oxnard, CA
• Craig Ignatz, Vice President of Produce and Floral, Giant Eagle Markets, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA
• Stacey Larson, President, Consumer Effects, Sacramento, CA
• Steve Lutz, Executive Vice President, Perishables Group, East Wenatchee, WA
• John McDonald, Corporate Executive Chef, BYU Dining Services, Provo, UT
• R. Brent Murray, Vice President for Purchasing and Distribution, Taco John's International Inc., Cheyenne, WY
• Sean Picquelle, Produce Manager, Taco Bell, Irvine, CA
• Susan Reimer-Sifford, Director, Produce Purchasing & Distribution, Darden Restaurants, Orlando, FL
• Kevin Ryan, Executive Director, International Corporate Chefs Association, Winter Park, FL
• Randy Scott, Category Manager Produce, Food Lion, LLC, Salisbury, NC
• Mike Tipton, Director of Produce/Floral Operations, Food City, Abingdon, VA
• Mark Walden, Vice President-Retail Perishable Operations, Brookshire Grocery Company, Tyler, TX

"When we first announced the formation of these four new market segment boards, I was overwhelmed by the tremendous outpouring of interest from our members," said United Fresh Chairman, Tom Lovelace, McEntire Produce. "I'd like to thank all of the members who volunteered to serve on these new boards, and am only sorry the Nominating Committee could not appoint everyone who volunteered. We are fortunate to have such a strong membership base that is dedicated to finding real solutions for all sectors of the supply chain - that will ensure the success of our industry."

"The breadth and diversity of leaders selected by the Nominating Committee and elected by the membership will ensure that each sector of our industry has a strong, distinct voice that is accurately representing the needs of our members," said United Fresh President Tom Stenzel.  "With these new boards in place, I am confident that these leaders will work hard to find solutions to the unique challenges facing the different sectors of the supply chain, and join in common purpose as we come together to serve our entire industry."