Congratulations to Saint Joseph’s University Haub School of Business (which houses the Academy of Food Marketing) where several graduate programs have been included in the 2011 Eduniversal Ranking of the Best Masters and MBA Programs Worldwide.
The university’s master of science in human resource management degree was included among the top 200 programs; the master of science in business intelligence and the master of science in food marketing were included among the top 50 programs worldwide.
This is the first year for the Eduniversal Ranking, which was initiated with the support of the Eduniversal International Scientific Committee. Rankings are based on the following three main criteria: reputation of the program, salary of the first employment of graduates and satisfaction of students.
For more information about Haub School of Business graduate programs, visit www.sju.edu/academics/hsb/graduate.html.
Butterball, LLC, the nation’s largest turkey producer, recently announced its support of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) as the Gift-in-Kind (GIK) turkey provider through July 31, 2012. As a GIK supporter of the college, Butterball will donate turkeys for a one-year period to be utilized in the CIA’s top educational curriculum at its three United States campuses located in Hyde Park, NY; Saint Helena, CA; and San Antonio, TX.
Through the GIK program, students will receive the opportunity to cook with Butterball’s premium turkey products while learning about proper food safety practices and turkey preparation techniques in the CIA’s industry-leading curriculum.
For more than six decades, the CIA has been setting the standard in professional culinary education. The independent, not-for-profit college offers bachelor and associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts and certificate programs in culinary arts, Latin cuisines, and wine and beverage studies. Currently enrolling more than 2,800 students from virtually every U.S. state and 30 countries in its degree programs, the CIA offers students a broad base of knowledge and skills to prepare them to be effective professionals and leaders in the food world. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.
At the most recent meeting of the Food Institutes board of trustees, Dean Erstad, senior vice president-sales for Seneca Foods Corp., was unanimously elected chairman of the 83-year old trade association as his predecessor, Donna George, president and chief operating officer of Dr. Schar USA Inc. concludes her service and becomes past chair of the Institute.
Michael Sansolo of Sansolo Solutions was elected vice chairman, followed by Doug Fritsch, senior vice president retail and business development of IGA USA who was elected treasurer of the association.
Other members of the board include: Bill Bishop, Willard Bishop; Susan T. Borra, Food Marketing Institute; Paula K. Correy, Western Region, Hy-Vee, Inc. Frank DiPasquale, School Nutrition Association; Jamie Gronowski, Acosta; Peter Lavoy, formerly with Foodtown; C. Winston (Win) Taylor, Saint Joseph’s University; and Brian Todd, The Food Institute.
The Food Institute is a non-profit, membership-based information and reporting association, founded in 1928. Membership includes more than 2,000 companies spanning the entire food distribution system.
Eva Kohn of Valassis, Inc. and Subriana Peirce of Supervalu are co-chairing the Network of Executive Women CPG Retail Diversity Forum 2012, which will be held March 6-8, 2012, in Dallas. The NEW Diversity Forum, formerly the Multicultural Workforce Conference, is the CPG/retail industry’s leading diversity and inclusion event.
“Eva Kohn and Subriana Pierce are recognized by their industry peers as thought leaders on the subject of workplace diversity and its bottom-line benefits,” said NEW President and CEO Joan Toth. “They both bring significant real-life experience to the table, which has enhanced the NEW Diversity Forum’s program, making the event relevant and valuable for women and men across CPG/retail functions.”
As senior vice president, strategic sales for Valassis Inc., Kohn is responsible for more than $1 billion in revenue and oversees the firm’s largest retail clients. Pierce serves as senior vice president, sales and merchandising, for Albertsons Southern California Division, leading a team of more than 50 people responsible for developing sales and merchandising strategies and influencing the activities of more than 22,000 associates in 258 stores throughout Southern California and Las Vegas.
Kohn began her career at Valassis as a territorial sales representative for the Baltimore market in May 1984 and has held a number of positions of increasing responsibility. Now a member of Valassis’ senior leadership, Kohn is known for her strong client relationships; strategic solutions; leadership, most notably as a mentor; and commitment to the company’s diversity initiatives.
Prior to joining Supervalu, Pierce spent more than 10 years in sales and marketing with Frito-Lay, including serving as director of marketing for the snack maker. In 2005, she received a U.S. Patent for one of her shelving designs. Early in her career at PepsiCo, Pierce served as the executive sponsor for the African American resource group. Later, she became a founding member and chairperson of the PepsiCo Women of Color organization.
Sharon Orlopp, global chief diversity officer and senior vice president, corporate people, for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., will share her business insights as the closing keynote speaker at the CPG Retail Diversity Forum. As global CDO for the world’s largest retailer, Orlopp is responsible for advancing a diverse workforce with 2.1 million associates worldwide.
The NEW Diversity Forum 2012 will open with Tom Grecco, president of Frito-Lay North America, and Grant LaMontagne, senior vice president, chief customer officer, The Clorox Company, sharing their thoughts on diversity and the role it plays in their strategies. For more information on the NEW Diversity Forum visit www.newonline.org/news .
More than 5,000 food and distributing retailers are expected to be in attendance. In 2010, 82 percent of the buyers attending ranked the value of the show “Good to Excellent.”
If you haven’t registered yet for the FMI 2012 and the US Food Showcase in Dallas, Texas April 30 – May 3, visit www.fmi.org.
Did you know the Maryland Food Bank has food pantries in more than 124 schools in the state and is planning on creating more? The school pantry program provides food to families of children at risk for hunger.
Thanks to a recent $15,000 grant from the Perdue Foundation, the Maryland Food Bank will be able to serve even more at-risk students. The Perdue grant will be used to create and expand programs in Worcester County, MD. According to statistics from Feeding America, Worcester County has a 14.7 percent food-insecurity rate, the second highest food-insecurity rate in the state.
The Maryland Food Bank opened in August of 2010 its culinary training program, FoodWorks. To date, more than 30 graduates have completed the 12-week program, learning cooking techniques, menu planning, proper use of commercial kitchen equipment and certification in ServSafe Food Safety Training Program
The program utilizes rescued and donated food to prepare healthy meals to the food insecure in Maryland. These meals are offered on the organization’s daily menu, from which soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and feeding programs may order.
Graduates have been employed by institutions such as Aramark, Olive Garden, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Stony River Steakhouse and Turf Valley Resort.
For more information on the food bank and its many programs, visit [email protected].
We recently learned of the death of Jay Scott Thompson, a former Baltimore- based food broker. Mr. Thompson was born in Baltimore and after graduating from Boys’ Latin School in 1974, he attended Roanoke College and the University of Maryland, College Park.
During his college years, he went to work for the family business, W. H. Bryan Co. Food Brokers, delivering food ingredients to local businesses and eventually advanced to a sales position. His territory extended from Virginia to New York.
He later worked for the Frank A. Serio Co. and eventually formed his own business J.S.T. Enterprises, which sold advertising and marketing specialties to the printing industry.
Surviving are a son, Jay Scott Thompson Jr. of Ocean Pines; three daughters, Leigh Anne Thompson of Westminster, Cori Rose Thompson of Ocean Pines and Toni Phillips of Los Angeles; and a grandson.
Happy Birthday wishes go out this month to Randy Holland, Star Sales & Marketing; Carl Jablonski, formerly of Acme and Shaws Supermarkets; Jim Therian, Masiello Group Realty; and Kathleen Kelly, sister of Food World and Food Trade News editor Terri Maloney.
Anniversary wishes go out this to: Policy Solutions Barry and Olga Scher, their eighth.
From all of us at Best-Met Publishing—Food World, Food Trade News and the Mid–Atlantic Grocery Industry Directory—may you and yours enjoy a very healthy, happy and prosperous 2012 and remember to keep reading Food World and Food Trade News and keep buying those ads!