IFPA Announces Board of Directors Slate for 2024

August 29, 2023

Newark, DE and Washington DC – The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has announced the slate of new officers and directors for the 2024 IFPA Board of Directors. The volunteer leaders will be confirmed by a ballot shared with membership. This group will begin its board service at the 2023 Global Fresh Produce & Floral Show, October 19-21, in Anaheim, California.

The IFPA Board of Directors is guided by the Executive Committee, which will be led in 2024 by current Chair-Elect John Anderson, Chair, CEO and Managing Partner of Oppy. Current Board Chair Laura Himes, Vice President of Sourcing – Fresh for Walmart will assume the role of Past Board Chair. Both Anderson and Himes will take the stage in Anaheim at the Global Produce & Floral Show in October to share their reflections on IFPA accomplishments in 2023 and what members can expect from the organization in 2024.

Joining the Executive Committee are 2024 Chair-Elect Tammy DeBoer, President of Harris Teeter; Secretary-Treasurer Clint Lewis, CEO of AgroFresh Solutions, Inc.; and two at-large Executive Committee members from the current Board roster: current Fresh-Cut Processor Council Chair Judy Clark, CEO of Fresh Texas, and retiring Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Vizzone, Managing Director and Head of Agri-Food and Impact Investment for Franklin Templeton Global Private Equity.

IFPA Foundation for Fresh Produce Chair Alex DiNovo, President and COO of DNO Produce, also joins the Executive Committee, succeeding current Foundation Chair Martha Hilton, Vice President of Produce and Floral Merchandising for Wegman’s. Hilton will serve as a director on the IFPA Board.

“I’ve served on many industry volunteer leadership groups over the years, and this is, by far, one of the most diverse and wide-ranging Boards I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” said 2023 Chair-Elect Chair John Anderson. “In order to grow IFPA members’ prosperity and move toward creating a vibrant future for all, it requires diversity of thought and representation. The incoming board will be a near 50-50 balance between male and female leadership and has a worldwide footprint in terms of companies that are U.S.-based, U.S.-based with global operations, and those who are based entirely outside the U.S.”

“I cannot wait to tackle the big issues facing our member community with this group. I greatly appreciate the contributions of the Leadership Development Committee, led by current Past Chair Bruce Taylor, for their diligence in collaborating with the Board to develop the ballot and slate,” Anderson added.

The new Board slate for 2024 is:

Brazil Council Chair Alex Lee, Commercial Director, Rio Bonito Orgânicos, São Paulo, Brazil
Grower-Shipper Council Chair Mark Campion, President, Taylor Farms Retail, Salinas, California, USA
Foodservice Council Chair Chip Walker, President and CEO, SSi LLC/PRO*ACT, Monterey, California, USA
Mexico Council Chair Adelina Metodieva, CEO, Zeliotech Mineral Fertilizers, Cuernevaca, Mexico
Supply Chain Council Chair Steve Alaerts, Director, Foodcareplus NV, Antwerp, Belgium
Sustainability Council Chair Rachel Depree, Executive Director for Sustainability, Zespri, Mount Maunganui, New Zealand

At Large Representatives

Hein Deprez, Co-CEO, Greenyard, Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium
Elliott Grant, CEO, Mineral (an Alphabet Company), Mountain View, California USA
Lam Lin, Group Strategy Lead, Joy Wing Mau Group, Shenzen, China
Anna Lopez, Vice President of Produce, H-E-B Grocery, San Antonio, Texas, USA
Ruth McLennan, Chief Merchant Cold Storage, The DFI Group, Singapore
Bas Pellenaars, Commercial Director LATAM, Dümmen Orange, Miami, Florida, USA
Oleen Smethurst, Vice President of Produce, Loblaw, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Rodolfo Spielmann, President and CEO, NatureSweet, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Board directors completing their service in Anaheim are:

Melissa Ackerman, CEO, Planet Harvest
Amelie Aust, Owner, Board Vice-Chair, Fall Creek Farm & Nursery
Ernesto Cardona, CEO, Austral Trading
Nikki Cossio, Founder & CEO, Measure to Improve LLC
Jose Antonio Gomez, CEO, Camposol
Jamey Higham, President and CEO, Idaho Potato Commission
Jeff Huckaby, CEO, Grimmway Enterprises, Inc.
Zak Lafitte, President, Wonderful Citrus
Gilson Lucato Jr., Commercial Director, Citricola Lucato
Dan Mathieson, CEO, Zespri International
Julie Olivarria, Vice President, Produce, Sysco Corporation
James Rogers, CEO, Apeel Sciences
Debora Steier, Vice President of Floral, Albertsons Companies
Bruce Taylor, CEO, Taylor Farms
Debby Walker, Vice President, Purchasing & Analytics, Darden
Dorn Wenninger, Senior Vice President of Produce, UNFI
Drew Zabrocki, General Manager, Value Chain Insights & Interoperability, Semios

IFPA Announces Board of Directors Slate for 2024

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