Aug 26, 2022

IFPA announces new board of directors for 2023

The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is welcoming new members to its board of directors.

The board of directors slate for 2023 will officially begin their term at the end of October after a vote by group members.

IFPA’s executive committee will be led in 2023 by current chair-elect Laura Himes, senior merchandising director at Walmart. Himes will inherit the role from the current chair, Bruce Taylor, CEO of Taylor Farms. The next chair-elect will be John Anderson, CEO and managing partner of Oppy.

The new slate is selected to serve in the roles of those directors retiring from board service.

With more than 1,000 volunteer leaders serving across multiple committees, councils, and other working groups, the IFPA board of directors serves a key role in driving association work around the seven priorities.

The new board slate for 2023 is:

• Australia New Zealand Advisory Board – Richard Byllaardt, chairman of Citrus Australia
• Food Safety Council – Jennifer Pulcipher, director of food safety and compliance for North Bay Produce
• Fresh-Cut Processor Council – Judy Clark, CEO of Fresh Texas
• Marketing Council – Karen Nardozza, president and CEO of Moxxy Marketing
• South Africa – Jaco Oosthuizen, CEO of RSA Group
• U.S. Government Relations Council – Bret Erickson, executive vice-president of Little Bear Produce
• Wholesaler-Distributor Council – Stefanie Katzman, executive vice-president of S. Katzman Produce

At-large representatives are:

• Paulina Criticos, CEO of EMEA, Westfalia Fruit (Pty) Ltd.
• Tammy DeBoer, president of Harris Teeter
• Clinton A. Lewis Jr., CEO of AgroFresh Solutions Inc.
• Elyse Lipman, chief strategy officer of Lipman Family Farms
• John Simko, president and CEO of Sunshine Bouquet Co.

Retiring board members are:

• Tom Brugato, president, Pacific Coast Fruit Co. – Wholesaler-Distributor chair
• Adrielle Dankier, commercial director at Nature’s Pride
• Trevor Dukes, CEO of The Fruit Farm Group – South Africa chair
• Danny Dumas, senior vice-president of Calavo Growers (immediate past co-chair)
• Cheryl Enlow, vice president of quality assurance and food safety at Renaissance Food Group (food safety chair)
• Dwight Ferguson, president/CEO, California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (immediate past co-chair)
• Karen Fernald, senior vice president of category, merchandising and pricing for Food Lion
• Ben Hoodless, director and business development specialist, ElementAG (IFPA Australia-New Zealand chair)
• Brian Kocher, president and CEO of Calavo Growers (U.S. government relations chair)
• Jacob Krempel, vice president of operations, for HelloFresh
• Raina Nelson, president-U.S., Westfalia Fruit Marketing USA LLC (fresh-cut chair)
• Carlos Oramas, CEO of Gems Group Inc.
• Michael Simonetta, CEO of Perfection Fresh