International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) Announces 2016 Executive Committee and Board of Directors

CHICAGO, Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), which provides leaders in the $600 billion foodservice industry with connections, insights and best practices, announced new appointees to its 2016 Executive Committee. IFMA also announced its full Board of Directors for 2016, including four new members.   

"IFMA is driven by the collective engagement of our members, which continues to grow and become more active each year," said IFMA President & CEO Larry Oberkfell. "With our 2016 Board of Directors, we are fortunate to have such an experienced team of talented professionals leading IFMA toward its vision to enhance the consumer's enjoyment of the foodservice choice."

After serving as a Board and Executive Committee member for several years, Joe Bybel, senior vice president marketing and research & development, Ventura Foods, has been elected as IFMA's 2016 Chairman of the Board. Mr. Bybel emphasized that continued engagement between foodservice leaders and IFMA's Centers of Excellence will be a priority for the association and the industry this year and beyond. 

"IFMA brings a wealth of powerful insights, best practices and connectivity events all year long to our members and everyone we serve," Mr. Bybel said. "It has been rewarding to see these programs evolve over the years to their current state of excellence. I greatly look forward to helping bring these solutions to market where they can help IFMA fulfill its mission."

2016 Executive Committee
In addition to Mr. Bybel and Mr. Oberkfell, several seasoned IFMA Board members will be serving on the association's Executive Committee this year. They include:

• Kevin Delahunt, IFMA first vice chairman and vice president, Food Service Division, Sargento Foods, Inc.
• Ben Shanley, IFMA vice chairman and senior vice president, National Foodservice Operations, Coca-Cola North America
• Don Davis, IFMA vice chairman and senior vice president, Foodservice, Tyson Foods, Inc.
• Malcolm Simmonds, IFMA Treasurer and vice president, Foodservice Sales & Marketing, J.R. Simplot Company
• Bill McClellan, IFMA Membership Chair and vice president, Foodservice, Dawn Food Products, Inc.
• John Flood, IFMA Education Foundation Chair and general manager, Further Processing, Wayne Farms
• Richard Ferranti, 2015 IFMA Chairman and executive vice president & chief operating officer, Rich Products Corporation
• Kent Walrack, 2013 IFMA Chairman and president and COO, Lyons Magnus

2016 New Board Members 
Four new members have also been elected to IFMA's Board of Directors, including:

• Peter Cokinos, executive vice president, Grecian Delight Foods
• Bob Corscadden, vice president, Marketing & Innovation, The Kellogg Company
• Ted Kruse, CEO, Stratas Foods
• Mike Villano, vice president, Foodservice, Basic American Foods

2016 Returning Board Members  
IFMA is pleased to announce the following board members will continue to serve the association and the industry in 2016:

• Heather Anfang, vice president, U.S. Dairy Foods Marketing, Land O' Lakes, Inc.
• Trevor Bynum, president, Schwan's Food Service, Inc.
• Corrie Byron, vice president & general manager – brands, Kerry
• Mike Cannon, vice president sales & marketing and R&D, Surlean Foods
• Paul Gere, vice president sales and marketing planning, McCain Foods USA, Inc.
• Josh Halpern, vice president, national retail sales, On-Premise & Military, Anheuser-Busch
• Rod Hepponstall, vice president and general manager, Foodservice, ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston
• Eric Hetrick, general manager, Global P&G Professional, The Proctor & Gamble Company
• Lisa Kermizis-Abraham, vice president national accounts NA, International Marketing Systems, Ltd. (RC Bigelow Tea Company)
• Rick Kirkpatrick, vice president sales and marketing, Sweet Street Deserts
• Simon Marshall, president, North America, Unilever Food Solutions
• Perry Miele, president, Nestle Professional North America - Food
• David Rizley, vice president of sales-strategic accounts, SCA Tissue North America, LLC
• Sandy Romoser, senior vice president, chief customer officer, PepsiCo
• Kathleen Schartner, director, business development, Farmer Brothers
• Bob Sherwood, senior vice president and general manager, Global QSR, Ecolab/Kay Chemicals
• Gretchen Sussman, vice president, Foodservice North America, CSM Bakery Solutions

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)
IFMA is the leading trade association comprised of the world's most prestigious food, equipment and supply manufacturers in the $600 billion foodservice industry, as well as related marketing service organizations, trade publications, distributors and brokers. IFMA's Vision is to provide our member community and industry partners the opportunity to enhance the consumer's enjoyment of the foodservice choice. For more information, visit ifmaworld.com. Follow IFMA on Twitter: @IFMAWORLD and Facebook or join our group on LinkedIn.  

SOURCE International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)