Hockessin, Del. – The annual conference for Produce for Better Health Foundation, The Consumer Connection, is underway in Scottsdale, Arizona! The conference affords attendees the opportunity to Build strategic alliances, Grow their brand, Learn from vibrant speakers, Partner with colleagues, and Connect with Peers.
Over 200 fruit and vegetable marketers and executives, retail buyers and vice presidents, supermarket dietitians, commodity boards, supply companies, foodservice representatives, and professors and students from universities descended on the Omni Hotel & Spa at Montelucia for day one activities and meetings.
The conference opened Monday, April 4 with business exchange 1:1 appointments affording conference sponsors the opportunity to meet with any conference attendee, including all invited retailers and supermarket dietitians. PBH’s Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, PBH’s various committees and PBH ambassadors held regularly scheduled meetings. The day concluded with the conference’s opening reception and evening lounge.
During the meeting of the PBH Board of Trustees, the members approved the following as PBH Board of Trustees 2016-2017 officers:
- Immediate Past Chair: Howard Nager, Domex Superfresh Growers
- Chairman of the Board: Scott Owens, The Wonderful Company
- Vice Chairman of the Board: Dennis Christou, Del Monte Fresh Produce
- Secretary/Treasurer: Rich Paumen, Sun-Maid Growers of California
The board also approved the other members of the 2016-2017 Executive Committee:
- Marketing/Communications Committee Chair: Joan Wickham, Sunkist Growers
- Donor Committee Chair: Matt Middleton, Ventura Foods
- At-large Member: Dan Johnson, The Kroger Company
- At-large Member: Bil Goldfield, Dole Food Company
- At-large Member: Xander Shapiro, Del Monte Foods
- At-large Member: Andrew Burchett, Monsanto Vegetable Seeds
- At-large Member: Rich Dachman, Sysco/FreshPoint
- At-large Member: Brett Libke, The Oppenheimer Group
- At-large Member: Trish Zecca, Campbell Soup Company
Day 2 will feature a variety of general and educational sessions inclusive of the State of the Foundation presented by Elizabeth Pivonka, President and CEO of PBH, and the presentations from the finalists of PBH’s 2nd annual Formula 5 Marketing Competition.
PBH is pleased to recognize the following companies as sponsors of the 2016 annual conference, The Consumer Connection:
Platinum – Campbell Soup Company, Stemilt Growers, Sunkist Growers, Sun-Maid Growers of California and Wonderful Citrus
Gold – Del Monte Fresh Produce and Monsanto Vegetable Seeds
Silver – California Cling Peach Board, Earthbound Farms, Giorgio Fresh Mushrooms, Green Giant Fresh/Robinson Fresh, Marie’s, and Nickelodeon™
Bronze – Chelan Fresh, Dole Packaged Foods, Eat Smart from Apio, S&W® Perfruta™ by Nice Fruit®, and StarKist
Benefactor – Black Gold Farms, CoBank, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, Melissa’s Produce, Naturipe Farms, Produce Marketing Association, Rainier Fruit Company, Ruiz Sales and Seneca Foods Corporation
Conference Enhancements – Del Monte Fresh Produce, Monterey Mushrooms, Nestle USA, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Pear Bureau Northwest, Red Sun Farms, Sysco Corporation, and Zespri® Kiwifruit
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Contact:
Kristen Stevens, COO, Produce for Better Health Foundation – kstevens@pbhfoundation.org or 302.235.2329, x312
About Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) fruit and vegetable education foundation. Since 1991, PBH has worked to motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve public health. PBH achieves success through industry and government collaboration, first with the 5 A Day program and now with the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters public health initiative. Fruits & Veggies-More Matters is the nation's largest public-private, fruit and vegetable nutrition education initiative. To learn more, visit www.PBHFoundation.org and www.FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org. Follow Fruits & Veggies-More Matters on Facebook or Twitter.
PBH is also chairs the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance (NFVA), consisting of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry working to collaboratively and synergistically achieve increased nationwide access and demand for all forms of fruits and vegetables for improved public health. To learn more, visit www.NFVA.org.
Source: Produce for Better Health Foundation
