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TRANSITION
TRANSITION
AMERICAN MUSHROOM INSTITUTE Rachel Roberts, who has 20
years of experience in policy
consulting, government and
TRANSITION
LITEHOUSE, INC.
Kelly Prior, chief financial
officer and interim presi-
dent, has been appointed as
president at Litehouse, Inc.,
Sandpoint, ID. During his tenure
at Litehouse, Prior, 46, has led
a number of major initiatives
within Litehouse, which is a
leader in refrigerated salad
dressings, dips, cheese and other
innovative consumer packaged goods. He oversaw strategic facility and equipment investments and was instrumental in leading Litehouse’s transition from a family-owned business to a fully employ- ee-owned company. “During this dynamic period
of transformation we are seeing in the Consumer Packaged Goods space, there is no better individual to lead the go-forward strategy for Litehouse,” said Allen Wright, vice chairman of the board of direc- tors. “Kelly is a proven leader with business vision and a unique ability to bring people together.”
nonprofit management, has
been hired as executive director
of the American Mushroom
Institute, Avondale, PA. Roberts
will oversee programs and
strategic planning for AMI,
including member engagement
and community outreach. Before
joining AMI, Roberts led The Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County through a change-man- agement and sustainability process as Interim executive director and was strategy development manager at Public Health Management Corporation.
JOH
Kathy Sullivan has been promot-
ed to senior vice president, spe-
cialty and alternate channel, for
JOH, one of the nation’s stron-
gest independent food brokers
based in Billerica, MA. Sullivan
has 35 years of experience in the
food industry, including stints
at at Star Market, Millbrook and
her own brokerage firm, Paragon
Sales and Marketing. She has been vice president of specialty and alternate channel for the past 13 years for JOH. Sullivan has been a longtime member and committed leader in the Network of Executive Women’s New England Chapter.
ANNOUNCEMENT
AWARD-WINNING CHEF MULLEN
TO SPEAK AT VIVA FRESH LUNCHEON Seamus Mullen, an award-win-
ning New York chef, cookbook
author and health and wellness
expert will share his own
personal healing journey during
Viva Fresh Expo’s Keynote
Luncheon on April 26 at the JW
Marriott Hill Country Resort in
San Antonio. Mullen, who first
rose to national prominence in
2006 with Spanish restaurant
Boqueria in New York, has been a featured guest judge on Food Network shows Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay. He overcame long odds and a battle with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease, which forced him to rethink his relationship with food, and led to his first cookbook Hero Food, published in 2012. “Through diet, exercise and lifestyle changes, I was able to successfully turn my health around and overcome what is commonly considered to be an incurable disease,” says Mullen. “Fruits and vegeta- bles played a key role in my journey.”
ANNOUNCEMENT
ORGANIC FAST FOOD RESTAURATEUR
TO SPEAK AT N.E. CONFERENCE Shannon Allen, the creator of Grown, a first-of-its-kind
Kelly Prior
Kathy Sullivan
Rachel Roberts
ANNOUNCEMENT
VILLAGE FARMS SPREADS THE WORD
ON HEALTHY EATING WITH CAR SHOW
Village Farms, Heathrow, FL, recently sponsored and participated in “Cars for the Cure,” a car show benefiting the American Lung Association. This event showcased an array of the most distinctive and unforgettable cars from around the world during a daylong, family-friendly festival. A team
of volunteers from Village Farms spent the day giving away almost 2,000 pounds of their authentic Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomatoes to participants, attendees, and volunteers. “Participating in an event like this for such a good cause was especially rewarding,” says Helen Aquino, director of brand marketing and communications.
TRANSITION
Katie Toulouse
PRODUCE FOR BETTER
HEALTH FOUNDATION
The Produce for Better Health Foundation whose mission is to increase consumers’ consump- tion of fruits and vegetables for better health, has hired Katie Toulouse as its new director of communications. Katie joins PBH with nearly 20 years of
Seamus Mullen
experience in public relations, media and influencer relations, as well as consumer food marketing
and nutrition education. She most recently served the members of the Canned Food Alliance (CFA), a non-profit organization solely focused on promoting increased consumption of canned fruits, vegetables and beans. Already a PBH ambassador, Toulouse represented CFA on the PBH Board of Trustees and was named a Fruits & Veggies — More Matters
Role Model for the past six years. “I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to work with such passionate people, and for a cause that is near and dear to my heart,” says Toulouse.
TRANSITION
Mary Coppola
UNITED FRESH PRODUCE
ASSOCIATION
Mary Coppola has been promoted to vice president of marketing and communications for the United Fresh Produce Association, Washington, DC. Coppola joined the association in 2014 and has been instru- mental in delivering “targeted
ANNOUNCEMENT
NATURIPE FARMS’ REBRAND HOPES TO
CULTIVATVE YOUNGER GENERATIONS
Naturipe Farms, Salinas, CA, has launched a rebrand focused on the biggest shopper demographic –
Millennials and Generation Z. Natu- ripe already has started to roll out
its new logo, packaging, and in-store merchandising in grocery stores
across the United States and Canada. The rebranding is part of a multiphase
rollout that will continue through the year, according to CarrieAnn Arias, vice president
of marketing. “With Millennial and Gen Z customers poised to be the largest consumer group in history, it is important for us to ensure Naturipe Farms’ brand refresh speaks to this demographic,” says Arias. “They are health-conscious, berry consumers so we want to show them more about not just where their berries come from but the company itself.”
Shannon Allen
100-percent USDA organic certi- fied fast food restaurant, will be the headliner at the New England Organic Produce Conference, to be held May 1 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. The event is being held by the New England
messaging to our members and broader fresh produce industry,” according to United Fresh pres- ident and chief executive Tom Stenzel. “Equally important, Mary also took on the role of staff liaison to the association’s Produce Marketing
& Merchandising Council. Working with these volunteer leaders, Mary has helped create a strong professional community of produce marketers that is helping our industry bring great new products to consumers around the world,” he said. Prior
to her role at United Fresh, Coppola was director of marketing and creative services at Healthcare Distribution Alliance.
Produce Council (NEPC) and the Organic Produce Network (OPN) and will feature a
report from Nielsen, an Organics 101 session and a retailer roundtable. “Having Nielsen, Tonya Antle (principal of Tanimura & Antle), Matt Seeley (OPN co-founder) and Shannon Allen presenting their abso- lute best as experts in the area of organics in one venue will make this a powerful event,” stated Tom Murray, vice president of produce for Roche Bros., Wellesley, MA. Allen, who is married to former Boston Celtics and Miami Heat star Ray Allen, launched the idea for the restaurant after being unable to find quality food while driving down Route 9 in the Boston area with her son Walker, who has Type 1 diabetes. Her restaurant aims to fill a void in the market with “real food, cooked slow, for fast people” that focuses on delicious, organic, nutrient-dense fare.
Produce & Floral Watch are regular features of Produce Business. Please send information on new products, personnel changes, industry, corporate and personal milestones and available literature, along with a high resolution image to: Managing Editor, Produce Business, P.O. Box 810425, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0425 or email us at info@producebusiness.com
8 / MARCH 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS