FMI Elects New Board Members

FMI – The Food Industry Association has revealed the lineup of its 2023 board of directors elected at the trade organization’s annual Midwinter Executive Conference, in Orlando, Fla. According to FMI, “The new slate will guide the implementation of its 2023 approved strategic plan during a time of rapidly evolving industry challenges and opportunities, and reflects the breadth of the product supplier and retailer/wholesaler communities.” The outgoing board officers, who were first elected in 2020, agreed last year to continue serving to provide continuity to the association amid continuing supply chain and inflation issues.

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“The entire food industry – from product suppliers to retailers and wholesalers – takes great pride in carrying out our mission to feed families and enrich lives,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO at Arlington, Va.-based FMI. “Recent years have brought tremendous challenges to keep our businesses operational, maintain the health of our associates and provide our customers with the products they need to thrive.” 

Added Sarasin: “FMI is incredibly grateful to our outgoing directors under the leadership of our immediate past chairman Randy Edeker for guiding our industry through these difficult times, seizing opportunities to better position our industry for success and meeting this historic moment with a profound spirit of commitment to our industry peers and our customers. We look forward to continuing to build on these successes with incoming chairman Brian George at the helm and our slate of new directors in the year ahead.”  

“Coming off the disruption of the last three years, the food industry is at a pivotal point where both challenge and opportunity meet,” noted incoming FMI Chairman Brian George, president, chairman and CEO of Alex Lee Inc. “We strive to deepen our industry knowledge through education, strengthen our industry partnerships through collaboration and encourage policies that cultivate a flourishing business environment through advocacy efforts in Washington. I’m incredibly honored by the trust my industry peers and colleagues have placed in me as FMI’s incoming chairman at this critical juncture as we collectively work to fulfill our mission to feed the American people.” 

New Officers (Two-Year Term)

• Chairman: Brian George, Alex Lee Inc., Hickory, N.C.
• President and CEO: Leslie G. Sarasin, FMI, Arlington, Va.
• Immediate Past Chairman: Randy Edeker, Hy-Vee Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa
• Vice Chairman, Communications: Tony Sarsam, SpartanNash Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Vice Chairman, Finance: Oscar Gonzalez, Northgate Gonzalez Market, Anaheim, Calif.
• Vice Chairman, Food Safety: Joe Colalillo, ShopRite of Hunterdon County, Flemington, N.J.
• Vice Chairman, Independent Operators: John Najjar, Seaside Market Inc., Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.
• Vice Chairman, Industry Relations: Susan Morris, Albertsons Cos., Boise, Idaho
• Vice Chairman, Member Services: Lisa Roath, Target Corp., Minneapolis
• Vice Chairman, Product Supplier: Twyla Bailey, Mondelez International, The Woodlands, Texas
• Vice Chairman, Public Affairs: Reynolds Cramer, Fareway Stores Inc., Boone, Iowa
• Vice Chairman, Wholesaler: Sandy Douglas, UNFI, Providence, R.I.

 Directors (Three-Year Term)

• David Ball, Ball’s Price Chopper/Hen House Markets, Kansas City, Kan.
• John Bagan, Gelson’s Markets, Encino, Calif.
• Brandon Barnholt, KeHE Distributors, Naperville, IL
• Craig Boyan, H-E-B, San Antonio, Texas
• Michael Bozzuto, Bozzuto’s Inc., Cheshire, Conn.
• Chris Coborn, Coborn’s, Inc., St. Cloud, Minn.
• Charles D'Amour, Big Y Foods Inc., Springfield, Mass.
• Tim Devanney, Highland Park Market Inc., Manchester, Conn.
• Chris Foley, Campbell Soup Co., Camden, N.J.
• Tony Gavin, Bimbo Bakeries USA, Horsham, Pa.
• Jerry Golub, Northeast Grocery, Schenectady, N.Y.
• Shane Grant, Danone North America, White Plains, N.Y.
• Kevin Holt, Ahold Delhaize USA, Quincy, Mass.
• Dean Janeway, Key Food Stores Co-operative Inc., Matawan, N.J.
• Todd Jones, Publix Super Markets Inc., Lakeland, Fla.
• Matthew Jonna, Plum Market, Farmington Hills, Mich.
• Laura Shapira Karet, Giant Eagle Inc., Pittsburgh
• Noah Katz, PSK Supermarkets, Mount Vernon, N.Y.
• Norman Mayne, Dorothy Lane Market Inc., Dayton, Ohio
• Sean McMenamin, McMenamin Family ShopRite, Philadelphia
• David Mitchell, Mitchell Grocery Corp., Albertville, Ala.
• Michael Needler Jr., Fresh Encounter Inc., Findlay, Ohio
• Cory Onell, The Kraft Heinz Co., Chicago
• Bob Palmer, C&S Wholesale Grocers Inc., Keene, N.H.
• Arthur Potash, Potash Markets, Chicago
• Michael Potthoff, Anheuser-Busch Cos. LLC, Belleair Beach, Fla.
• Jason Potter, The Fresh Market, Greensboro, N.C.
• Steve Presley, Nestlé USA Inc., Arlington, Va.
• Patrick Raybould, B&R Stores Inc., Lincoln, Neb.
• David Rice, Associated Food Stores Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah
• Melody Richard, Walmart US, Bentonville, Ark.
• Brian Sappington, The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta
• Joe Sheridan, Wakefern Food Corp., Keasbey, N.J.
• Jack Sinclair, Sprouts Farmers Market Inc., Phoenix
• Carlos Smith, Chedraui USA, Paramount, Calif.
• David Smith, Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc., Kansas City, Kan.
• Steven Smith, K-VA-T Food Stores Inc., Abingdon, Va.
• Mark Smucker, The J.M. Smucker Co., Orville, Ohio
• Mike Stone, Mollie Stone’s Markets, Mill Valley, Calif.
• Terry Thomas, Unilever, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
• Russ Torres, Kimberly-Clark Corp., Neenah, Wis.
• Tobias Wasmuht, SPAR International, Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Lauri Youngquist, Knowlan’s Super Markets Inc., Vadnais Heights, Minn.

Chairman’s Appointees (Two-Year Term)

• Tim Figge, Hussmann Corp., Bridgeton, Mo.
• Don Fitzgerald, Dom’s Kitchen and Market, Chicago
• Ari Labell, The Hain Celestial Group Inc., Lake Success, N.Y.
• Patrick Meehan, Irresistible Foods Group Inc., Gardena, Calif.
• Oli Morton, Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich.
• Jon Nudi, General Mills Inc., Golden Valley, Minn.
• David Parry, accelerate360 LLC, Smyrna, Ga.
• John Ross, IGA Inc., Chicago
• Randy Skoda, Topco Associates LLC, Elk Grove Village, Ill.