ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
American Meat Science Association (AMSA), Champaign, Ill.
Dr. Rhonda Miller, professor at Texas AM University, began her 3-year term on the board of directors as the 2016-2017 president elect. Miller has been an active member of AMSA since 1979, serving as a director from 1998-2000 and on numerous AMSA committees. From 1983-1988, Miller was director of research and development for Monfort, Inc., where she developed a research program for the portion and processed foods divisions. In 1988, she joined the animal science faculty at Texas A&M University as an assistant professor, and was later promoted to associate professor in 1993 and professor in 1999.Miller developed a research program to investigate pre- and post-harvest factors impacting red meat quality, shelf life and safety. 

PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
Lēf Farms Corp., Loudon, N.H.
Donald “DJ” Grandmaison was named sales and marketing manager, responsible for building relationships and selling products to regional supermarkets and foodservice providers, while heading up all marketing communications activities. Grandmaison brings more than 15 years of experience in the agriculture and horticulture industries. Previously, he was product and program specialist for Pleasant View Gardens, and got his start in 2001 at the Pembroke Academy Horticultural Program, where he learned the basics of growing a variety of ornamental and edible crops in environmentally controlled greenhouses. He also joined Dimond Hill Farm as greenhouse crop manager, then crop planner, then to overall farm manager, where he managed all of the farm’s crop scheduling, retail sales, staff and vendor relations.

Target Corp., Minneapolis
Preston Mosier was hired as senior vice president, fulfillment operations, effective Aug. 14, tasked with overseeing the retailer’s direct-to-consumer fulfillment centers, as well as the process improvement, customer experience and product management functions related to direct fulfillment. Mosier brings expertise in managing direct-to-consumer delivery, including optimizing last-mile operations and using data and automation to move product more efficiently. He spent 10 years in various leadership positions at Amazon building direct-delivery capabilities within a growing, large-scale operation. Most recently, he spent four years with Liquidity Services as vice president of operations, leading efforts to improve profitability and capacity within supply chain networks for some of the world’s largest technology and retail companies.

Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd., Israel
Moti Ben-Moshe was elected new director of the company, effective immediately. Since 2009, Ben-Moshe has served as a business manager at ExtraHolding GmbH. Previous to that, he was a business manager and director at Novo Energy Ltd. as well as Extra Energy Supply Ltd. and C.A.A Extra Holdings Ltd. Ben-Moshe has also served as a member of the board of directors of Glotec Capital Management S.a.r.l since 2008, Melvic Group S.A since 2004 and Intelicom S.A. since 2004. From 2014-2015, he served as a director in I.D.B Development Corporation Ltd. and Discount Investment Corp. Ltd. In parallel, Yaniv Rog was appointed as an alternate to Ben-Moshe, and is expected to be appointed as a member of the board of directors subject to final approval of the proposed debt arrangement. Since 2015, Rog has headed Yaniv Rog Law Offices. From 2012-2014, he was a partner and head of the tax practice at S. Friedman & Co., and from 2005-2012, was a partner and head of the international department at Shekel & Co. In 2015, Rog served as a member of the board of directors of I.D.B Development Corp. Ltd.

FOODSERVICE:
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., Greenwood Village, Colo.
Denny Marie Post was appointed chief executive officer, effective Aug. 8. Post, who currently serves as president, will succeed Steve Carley, who is retiring from the role he has held since September 2010. During his tenure, Carley led the growth of Red Robin to more than 540 restaurants in North America, strengthened the company’s financial performance and transformed the brand to increase guest engagement and loyalty. Post joined the company as senior vice president and CMO in August 2011, was promoted to executive vice president and chief concept officer in March 2015, and promoted to president in February 2016. Before joining Red Robin, she held many positions in the consumer industry, including senior vice president and chief marketing officer of T-Mobile USA; senior vice president, global beverage, food and quality at Starbucks Corp.; and as senior vice president and chief concept officer of Burger King Corp. Meanwhile, Kalen Holmes and Steven Lumpkin were elected to the board of directors. Holmes most recently served as executive vice president of partner resources (human resources) at Starbucks Corp. from November 2009 until her retirement in February 2013. Prior to joining Starbucks, Holmes held a variety of leadership roles with HR responsibility for Microsoft Corp. from September 2003 through November 2009. Lumpkin was most recently executive vice president, CFO and a director of Applebee’s International, Inc., where he served in various executive positions from 1995 until his retirement in 2007. Prior to joining Applebee’s, he was executive vice president and director at Kimberly Quality Care Inc.

Logan’s Roadhouse, Inc., Nashville, Tenn.
Sam Borgese, chief executive officer, announced plans to leave the company after the casual dining steakhouse filed petitions seeking reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. 

SUPPLIERS:
The Scoular Co., Omaha, Neb.
Paul Maass was named chief executive officer, effective Aug. 22, responsible for worldwide strategic leadership. Maass most recently served as president of ConAgra Foods' commercial foods and private brands segments as well as chairman of the Ardent Mills joint venture. In that role, he led businesses with total annual revenue of $13 billion and more than 15,000 employees and 90 manufacturing facilities in seven countries. He began his 27-year career with ConAgra as a commodity merchandiser. Throughout his career, he’s also served in various leadership positions, including director, ConAgra Trade Group (now Gavilon, LLC); president, ConAgra Mills; president, Lamb Weston; and president, commercial foods division. 

Restaurant Revolution Technologies, Inc. (RRT), Encinitas, Calif.
Stacey Raus joined as vice president of operations, responsible for the company’s virtual call center. Raus maintains an extensive background in the call center and client operations industry. Prior to joining RRT, he managed vendors for Transamerica for two years, where he oversaw client relationships in annuity operations for two key vendors performing back office financial processing that resulted in $3 million in annual savings. In addition, he had onshore responsibility for two call centers focused on inbound customer support where costs were reduced 50% with performance improvements and renegotiated terms. Prior to joining Transamerica, Raus served as vice president of client operations for Infinity Contact, where he guided sales BPO operations from $9 million in revenue to $22 million in revenue within two years and increased billable FTE from 150 to 450 during that same period. Raus also served in a variety of customer service management positions with APAC Customer Services, where he was initially hired to startup the work-from-home call center division. After developing the processes and procedures and leading an initiative from 10 to 100 agents within nine months, he began assisting operations in the Philippines for three months to turnaround a struggling healthcare account. Once he returned onshore, he was promoted to site director (and ultimately general manager) of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, call center, where revenues increased from $8 million to $20 million.

The Allen Lund Co., La Cañada, Calif.
Bryan Howe was promoted to business development specialist. Howe started with Allen Lund as a transportation broker in training in June 2015, working in the Charleston, N.C., office.

IN MEMORIUM: HELEN DELICH BENTLEY, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PORT AUTHORITIES

Helen Delich Bentley, a journalist, government official, congresswoman and staunch supporter of seaports and the Port of Baltimore, passed away Aug. 6.

“This past weekend, the port and maritime industry lost one of its most ardent supporters with the passing of Helen Delich Bentley on Aug. 6,” says Jean Godwin, executive vice president and general counsel of American Association of Port Authorities, Alexandria, Va. “Though best remembered by many for her work as a journalist, Federal Maritime Commission chairman and U.S. representative in Congress, we at AAPA acknowledge her strong advocacy for ports, particularly the Port of Baltimore.”

In the first renaming of a U.S. port in honor of a living individual, Maryland Gov. Robert Erlich, Jr. named the port after Bentley at a formal event recognizing the port’s 300th anniversary.