Orlando, Fla. – On Jan. 1, 2012, the National Mango Board (NMB) began a transition in staffing roles with the promotion of three existing staff members and the addition of two new team members.
Amy Mercado and Marilda Peele were promoted within the staff to Director of Operations and Director of Industry Relations respectively. Mercado has been with the NMB since its inception in 2005 and began as the Administration Coordinator. As Director of Operations, she will oversee operational procedures and manage NMB finances including accounting, budgeting and risk management. Peele, previously Industry Relations Specialist, has been with NMB since 2007 and, in her new position, she will direct and manage U.S and foreign outreach programs, industry communications and board nominations.
As announced last year, Megan McKenna takes the role of Director of Marketing and will oversee the board’s consumer, foodservice and retail marketing initiatives as well as some trade media outreach and online engagement.
To support the staff transition and growing success of the NMB, Melanie Teel and Kristine Concepcion joined the team. Teel is the new Marketing Manager, replacing McKenna’s previous role, and is responsible for coordinating marketing and public relations programs in addition to coordinating tradeshow outreach and website communications. Concepcion fills a brand new position as Communications Specialist and is responsible for some industry communications and trade media.
NMB Executive Director William Watson is excited about the positive changes to the team, saying “Melanie and Kristine’s collective skills and understanding of marketing are critical in helping us effectively communicate the mango message.”
Prior to joining the NMB, Teel honed her expertise in the marketing field and knack for communications as the Manager of Marketing and Public Relations for an Orlando-based law firm. Teel managed tradeshow logistics, press releases, client events and retail clients. Before joining the law firm, Teel worked as an Event Sales Coordinator for Busch Entertainment Corporation’s Sea World Orlando and Discovery Cove. During her time in this role, Teel developed creative ticketing options for the Orlando convention market, as well as her passion for event planning.
Concepcion graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications with a strong focus in marketing. Before joining the NMB, she worked in the nutrition field for five and a half years as a consultant, and worked as an Events and Marketing intern at the City of Orlando’s Communications and Neighborhood Relations Department. While interning with the City of Orlando, Concepcion was responsible for writing the ‘City News’ weekly e-newsletter, press releases, and the planning and execution of city events.
About National Mango Board
The National Mango Board is a national promotion and research organization, which is supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. One cup of mango is only 100 calories, an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of fiber and an amazing source of tropical flavor. Mango availability per capita has quadrupled since 1990 to an estimated 2.24 pounds per year in 2010. Mango import volume for 2010 was 770 million pounds. Learn more at www.mango.org.
Source: National Mango Board
