More than thirty leaders throughout all segments of the fresh produce industry have been nominated to serve on United Fresh Market Segment Boards. Chairman of the Board Development Committee Tom Lovelace, McEntire Produce, announced today the new slate of candidates who will take office at the United Fresh 2010 convention in Las Vegas. The new board members will be formally introduced at each board’s Super Session on April 22, when they will start their new, two-year terms.

            Each Market Segment Board has approximately 20 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: Fresh-Cut Processor Board, Grower-Shipper Board, Retail and Foodservice Board, and the Wholesaler-Distributor Board.

          "The volunteer leadership that United Fresh gleans from the Market Segment Boards enables us to speak directly to each United Fresh member," said Tom Stenzel, United Fresh president and CEO. "These boards tap into the talents and expertise of each leader to ensure that the needs of the broader market sector are being met."

Nominees for the 2010-2011 United Fresh Market Segment Boards are:

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, David Hille, Cabbage, Inc., Westlake, OH, 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

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.

Wholesaler-Distributor Board: Scott Dennis, Albert’s Organics, Bridgeport, NJ, Matt Fritz, The Sanson Co., Cleveland, OH, Jim Hannigan, J&J Distributing Co., Saint Paul, MN, Bob Kirch, Caito Foods Service, Inc., Indianapolis, IN, Joe Klare, Castellini Company, LLC, Newport, KY, Joe Murphy, Fresh Horizons Procurement, Denver, NC, Michael Muzyk, Baldor Specialty Foods, Inc., Bronx, NY, Mark Shaw, Markon, Inc., Salinas, CA, Lisa Strube, Strube Celery & Vegetable Company, Chicago, IL

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, Ed Thompson, Avendra, LLC, Rockville, MD, Max Yeater, Pro*Act, LLC, Monterey, CA

The following current members will continue service on the Grower-Shipper Board: Rick Alcocer, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc.; Mitch Ardantz, Bonipak Produce Company; Parker Booth, Organic Alliance, Salinas, CA; Fried De Schouwer, Greenhouse Produce Company, LLC; Jose Garcia, Rene Produce; Don Held, The Produce Exchange; Frank Maconachy, Ramsay Highlander; Keith Mathews, First Fruits Marketing of Washington; and Dana Thomas, Index Fresh of California.

The following current members will continue service on the Fresh-Cut Processor Board: Wilco Fauth, Food Technology Noord-Oost Nederland; Tony Freytag, Crunch Pak Sliced Apples; Phil Gruszka, Grimmway Enterprises; Joe Huston, Fresh Express; Steven Karr, Pride Pak Canada, Ltd.; David Masser, Keystone Potato Products; Marylou Owen, G.O. Fresh; Sam Robson, One Harvest; David Russell, Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A.; and David Stanton, NatureWorks LLC.

The following current members will continue service on the Wholesaler-Distributor Board: Todd Bernitt, C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.; Dave Breen, United Fruit & Produce Co., Inc.; Joe Corsaro, Indianapolis Fruit Company, Inc.; Harris Cutler, Race West Company; Scott Danner, Liberty Fruit Co., Inc.; Patrick Davis, North American Perishable Agricultural Receivers; Vince Ferachi, Capitol City Produce; Jim Leimkuhler, Progressive Produce Corporation; and Bruce Rubin, The Tom Lange Company, Inc.

The following current members will continue service on the Retail-Foodservice Board: Dan Bates, W. Newell & Co.; Ronnie DeLaCruz, DeLaCruz Consulting & Training; Troy Edwards, FreshPoint Tomato; Raul Gallegos, Bristol Farms; Craig Ignatz, Giant Eagle Markets, Inc.; Stacey Larson, One Media Group; Steve Lutz, Perishables Group Susan Reimer-Sifford, Darden; Kevin Ryan, Intl. Corporate Chefs Association; and Mark Walden, Brookshire Grocery Company.

Additionally, as announced last week, the following members will assume new leadership roles on the market segment boards, including Fred Williamson of Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce, Chairman of the Grower-Shipper Board and Vice Chairman Will Steele, Frontera Produce LTD.  Brendan Comito of Capital City Fruit Company, Inc., ascends to Chairman of the Wholesaler-Distributor Board, along with Vice Chairman Ron Carkoski, Four Seasons Produce, and McDonald’s Corporation’s Mitch Smith will become the Chairman of the Retail-Foodservice Board, joined by Vice Chairman Randy Scott, Food Lion LLC.