Chairman Stephen Barnard, president, Mission Produce, Inc, Oxnard, CA, will be joined by two officers and 13 directors.
"We realize that people are our most valuable and unique assets in the produce industry," said Barnard. "Attracting and retaining the best and brightest to work in the produce industry is an investment in our future and one that the Foundation takes seriously. This board is committed to highlighting career opportunities for students and creating awareness of the breadth of fulfilling careers available. In addition, we will work to ensure that employees of this industry have the education they need to excel and succeed in a produce industry career."
The officers include Vice Chairman William M. Schuler, president and ceo, Castellini Co., Wilder, Kentucky and Secretary/Treasurer Jay Pack, ceo, The Pack Group, Dallas, and Immediate Past Chair, Janet Erickson, executive vice president, purchasing and quality assurance, Del Taco, Inc., Lake Forest, CA.
Founded by the PMA in 2005, the Education Foundation Board's other representatives are:
John Anderson, chairman, president and chief executive officer, The Oppenheimer Group, Coquitlam, BC, Canada
Roberta Cook, cooperative extension specialist, University of California, Davis, CA
Margaret D'Arrigo-Martin, executive vice president of sales and marketing, D'Arrigo Brothers of California, Salinas, CA
Duane Eaton, senior vice president of association services, PMA, Newark, DE
Bud Floyd, vice president, C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN
Don Harris, vice president of produce and floral, Wild Oats Markets, Inc., Boulder, CO
Gene Harris, senior purchasing manager, Denny's Corporation, Spartanburg, SC
Peter Goulet, president, Pinnacle Sales & Marketing, Inc., Saco, Maine
Robert Gray, chief executive officer, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, CA
Edward W. McLaughlin, educator, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Lisa McNeece, vice president, foodservice and industrial sales, Grimmway Farms, Bakersfield, CA
Bryan Silbermann, president, PMA, Newark, DE
Bruce Taylor, ceo, Taylor Farms California, Inc., Salinas, CA
"I am personally impressed by the powerhouse Board we've been able to put in place for the Foundation. The interest, excitement and commitment to our goals are just what we need to move our ideas to the next level," said Cindy Seel, PMAEF executive director. "With leaders like these, we'll be able to maximize our education efforts to ensure that the produce industry is recognized as an employer of choice not only by students, but also by employees already working in the industry."
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