ASSOCIATIONS/ORGANIZATIONS:
Produce for Kids, Orlando, Fla.
Lesley Daniels was named director of sales and account development, responsible for overall produce partner and retail relations for in-store and digital promotions. Daniels will also manage the development and execution of in-store elements for campaigns. Daniels brings 13 years of experience with areas of expertise in shopper data, project management, client services and brand and category management. Most recently, she served as Own Brands strategic sourcing manager at Giant Eagle, Inc., and has held roles in sourcing, supply chain and project management at Berlin Packaging and The Kraft Heinz Co. In 2016, Daniels won the Chairman Entrepreneurial Leadership & Innovation award from Giant Eagle, Inc. for innovation and profitability of Private Brands.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Washington, D.C.
Carmen Rottenberg was selected as acting deputy Under Secretary for food safety, where she will oversee development, implementation and enforcement of all of Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) regulations, policies and programs. This appointment follows nearly six years in leadership roles in the FSIS office of the administrator, including serving as chief of staff, chief operating officer, and most recently, deputy administrator, where she executed a budget of over $1 billion, prioritized resources, resolved disputes, advanced the agency’s vision and goals and led innovative solutions to challenges in FSIS. She also spearheaded strategic planning at FSIS, and implemented numerous initiatives to strategically move the agency forward. Rottenberg implemented two major reorganizations, leading to a more streamlined, efficient agency better positioned to carry out its food safety mission. Rottenberg also led the i-Impact initiative, which increased the awareness of and engagement in FSIS’s public health mission by the more than 9,000 employees throughout the agency. Rottenberg joined FSIS as an equal employment opportunity specialist in 2007, and went on to become the deputy director of the civil rights staff. She began her federal government career in the Federal Trade Commission’s office of general counsel, and previously worked as law clerk at a small law firm. And, Paul Kiecker was named acting administrator for FSIS. Since joining FSIS in 1988 as a food inspector, Kiecker has served in a number of roles at the agency, most recently as deputy assistant administrator for the office of field operations. He came to Washington, D.C., to serve as executive associate for regulatory operations, after serving as the district manager in Springdale, Ark., and Madison, Wis., as well as deputy district manager in Madison, Wis. Kiecker’s experience with FSIS also includes work with the office of investigation, enforcement and audit, where he has served as a compliance investigator and supervisory compliance officer. In his various positions with FSIS, Kiecker also played a critical role in leading external coordination with other federal agencies, state and local governments, non-profit and private sector organizations, international organizations and law enforcement agencies. He has also maintained oversight responsibility for strategic planning, policy formulation and implementation, budget development and execution, human resource management and day-to-day inspection operations.

The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners, Long Beach, Calif.
Kerry Gerot was elected to lead the port’s communications and community relations division, effective Aug. 19, responsible for overseeing media relations, crisis communications, community engagement and educational outreach. Gerot is currently the public affairs officer for the Long Beach City manager’s office, a position she has held for almost three years. Prior to that role, Gerot served in a similar capacity at the Long Beach Airport, and held a variety of other positions as a media and marketing professional in the entertainment, music and publishing fields.

PROCESSORS/RETAILERS/DISTRIBUTORS:
Uesugi Farms, Gilroy, Calif.
Nathan Wyrick joined as harvest manager. An agriculture veteran, Wyrick maintains an extensive background in all aspects of farming operations, most recently managing the field harvesting activities of a bulk growing operation for a major grower. His ongoing responsibilities will include a wide range of mission-critical tasks such as managing harvesting crews, overseeing scheduling and logistics, tracking costs and ensuring effective communication among all departments.

E S Foods, Woodbury, N.Y.
Jeff Rowe was promoted to president and COO, responsible for company administration, executive management and strategic planning. Rowe has been with E S Foods since its start in 1998, most recently as executive vice president. Also, Thomas Ferris was named senior vice president of sales, where he will oversee sales for the entire organization. Ferris maintains 20-plus year’ experience in the wholesale and retail manufacturing, distribution and broker markets with abilities to direct sales regions and territories. For the past four years, Ferris has served as vice president of school foodservice for AdvancePierre Foods. From 2001-2013, he held various sales management positions at The Schwan Food Co., including director of national accounts.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group (DPS), Plano, Texas
Jaxie Alt joined as executive vice president – human resources. Alt previously served as senior vice president of marketing, leading brand marketing and activation for Dr Pepper, as well as 7UP, A&W and Sunkist, and was responsible for travel and events services, sponsorships, content and capabilities. She joined DPS in 2001, and has held a variety of leadership roles in brand management, innovation and media services. Also, Andrew Springate was appointed senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Springate has been with DPS since 2000, progressing through brand management to senior vice president of marketing and innovation before moving into the commercial organization in 2014 as senior vice president of sales and general manager of Coca-Cola Affiliated Sales Organization (CASO). And, Jason Butter was named senior vice president and general manager of CASO. Butter has held a variety of positions within the DPS sales organization since joining the company in 1998. He had been vice president of sales development since 2013 after serving in business planning, field marketing, national accounts and bottler sales.

Tyson Foods, Inc., Springdale, Ark.
The company is streamlining its organization in support of a growth strategy, designed around its beef, pork, chicken and prepared foods businesses. The executives selected to oversee the businesses include Sally Grimes as group president, prepared foods; Doug Ramsey as group president, poultry; and Noel White as group president, fresh meats (beef and pork) and international. George Chappelle, chief integration officer, will continue to lead the integration of AdvancePierre Foods, then transition to the role of chief operations officer, prepared foods. With these changes, Andy Callahan, president, North American foodservice and international, and Monica McGurk, chief growth officer, will be leaving the company. 

JBS, Greeley, Colo.
Alfred Almanza was named global head of food safety and quality assurance, tasked with leading the company’s global food safety efforts, including quality control and risk management services, while maintaining and expanding access to global export markets. Almanza began his career 40 years ago as a food safety inspector for USDA, eventually rising to serve as deputy Under Secretary for food safety under Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack from September 2014 to December 2016. For the past 10 years, he’s served as the administrator of FSIS, leading USDA’s science-based food safety modernization efforts, regulatory strategies and public health efforts to prevent foodborne illnesses. During his time at FSIS, he held several leadership positions, including labor management specialist, district manager of the agency’s Dallas, Texas, office and administrator of FSIS, where he led a team of more than 7,000 FSIS field employees.

Walmart, Bensenville, Ark.
Shawn Baldwin, senior vice president, general merchandise manager–produce/global produce sourcing, will transition to work on an important initiative focused on Hispanic customers. Martin Mundo, senior vice president, operations–Southeast division, was named senior vice president, general merchandise manager–produce/global produce sourcing, taking over for Baldwin. Mundo started with Walmart in 1994, and has served in many roles, including Walmart Argentina’s head of operations and chief merchandising and marketing officer. Prior to joining Walmart U.S. operations in 2012, Martin played an integral role establishing the company’s global food sourcing office in Costa Rica. Kerry Robinson will continue leading bakery as senior vice president, general merchandise manager–bakery services. Robinson has been managing deli and bakery, and will deliver greater focus on bakery. Tyler Lehr, vice president, Win in Fresh, was promoted to senior vice president, general merchandise manager–deli services. Lehr has been with Walmart for 30 years, managing several categories in general merchandise and food. In 2011, he was promoted to vice president, divisional merchandise manager–frozen food, and has since served as vice president, divisional merchandise manager–dairy. Marc Lieberman, vice president, neighborhood markets, was named vice president, Win in Fresh, succeeding Tyler. Lieberman joining Walmart as an hourly associate in 1993, and has served in many areas of the business, including marketing, real estate and merchandise execution. He was promoted to his most recent role in 2012, where he was responsible for the growth of the neighborhood market format.

The Allen Lund Co., La Cañada Flintridge, Calif.
Kelly Miller was promoted to assistant manager in the Los Angeles office. Miller has been the dry freight division's operations manager for the past few years. Before that, she was transportation broker. She’s been with the company since 2001.

SUPPLIERS:
Diversey, Charlotte, N.C.
Dr. Ilham Kadri was appointed president and CEO, responsible for establishing Diversey as a stand-alone business after it was sold to Bain Capital Private Equity, effective Sept. 1. Kadri joined Sealed Air in early 2013 as the president of the Diversey Care business, where she achieved a track record of consistent global growth through a deep customer-centric commitment and cutting-edge innovation. Throughout her career, Kadri has held a variety of global roles in business leadership, sales, marketing and research and development in public and private companies, including Shell-LyondellBasell, Cytec, Huntsman and Rohm Haas-Dow. She is also the founder and chairwoman of The ISSA Hygieia Network and currently serves as an advisory board member of Catalyst.

Nor-Lake, Hudson, Wis.
Scott Carter was promoted to regional sales manager of the newly formed South Central territory, effective Aug. 1. Carter's duties include managing four reps firms, and driving the Nor-Lake brand in the marketplace. Carter joined Nor-Lake in 2008, most recently as food service specialist. Prior to Nor-Lake, Carter was a sales representative for Viking Coca-Cola.

Accelogix, Raleigh, N.C.
Ryan Kirklewski was promoted to chief operating officer, overseeing operations for all services and products, including system implementation, operational consulting, managed private cloud hosting and enterprise software development. Previously, Kirklewski was vice president of consulting services, where he led the services team through significant growth while sustaining quality and personal service. Meanwhile, Paul Patin was named chief customer officer, responsible for delivering supply chain digitalization solutions that meet client’s constantly evolving needs. Previously, Patin was vice president of technology.

IN MEMORIUM: JEFF BROTMAN, COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP.

Jeff Brotman, co-founder and chairman of the board of Costco Wholesale Corp., Issaquah, Wash., passed away Aug. 1.