The Food Industry Association has announced the recent promotions of Ashley Eisenbeiser, Peter Collins and Deborah Stewart to elevated roles within food safety, membership and meeting services, respectively, furthering FMI’s commitment to serving the industry at the highest standards.
FMI President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin said, “Our members appreciate that FMI’s core strength resides in the dedication and expertise of its talented staff. These exceptional professionals are being promoted because they exemplify the leadership, dedication, and vision needed to enhance our mission of advancing the food industry. We celebrate the remarkable achievements that earned these promotions and look forward to the innovative contributions they will continue to make on behalf of our members and the industry at large.”
Collins is promoted to vice president of business development and membership. Collins has successfully expanded and strengthened FMI’s product supplier and associate membership, consistently surpassing sponsorship goals for key meetings and events. His efforts have ensured robust representation of this vital membership segment, enhancing FMI’s meetings, thought leadership initiatives and overall organizational growth. With 15 years of dedicated service at FMI, Collins brings extensive experience from previous roles in the food, beverage and related services industries.
Eisenbeiser is elevated to vice president of food and product safety programs. Throughout her 11 years at FMI, Eisenbeiser has been an integral part of the team, elevating the department’s service and earning the trust of FMI members. She delivers outstanding technical support to food retail, wholesale and product supplier members while providing in-depth analysis and insights that strengthen FMI’s communications and government relations efforts on complex issues. A proven leader in the industry, Eisenbeiser represents FMI members on advisory committees and boards such as the FDA Retail Roundtable, National Association of County and City Health Officials Retail Advisory Board, and various coalitions and workgroups. Eisenbeiser’s technical expertise, analytical acumen and strategic vision have been pivotal in advancing the FMI food and product safety program.
Stewart is appointed director of registration services. Renowned for her proactive approach and dedication, Stewart consistently exceeds expectations by taking on additional responsibilities, enhancing productivity and training staff members, all while driving attendance for FMI’s events. She excels in providing detailed reporting, targeted promotional outreach and concierge-style service.
JOH recently announced the promotion of Heather Griffin to director of produce retail. She brings nearly two decades of experience and leadership to her new role.
Griffin began her journey with JOH in 2007 as a part-time retail merchandiser for produce. Within a few years, her exceptional work ethic and commitment earned her a full-time position. In 2012, she was promoted to produce retail supervisor for New England.
“Heather’s promotion shows her dedication, expertise and the strong relationships she has built with our clients and customers and within JOH,” said Brian Maguire, EVP of produce, New England. “We are excited for her to take on this increased leadership role and continue driving success for the produce division at retail.”
The National Grocers Association (NGA), the trade association representing the independent supermarket industry, has announce several promotions among its staff and the NGA Foundation.
Stephanie Johnson, RDN has been promoted to NGA group vice president of government relations and political affairs. In this expanded role, Johnson is responsible for managing NGA’s advocacy and political affairs, including policy development and management. She will manage the association’s Government Affairs Committee and PAC Board and will engage with NGA’s Board of Directors to ensure policy positions are updated and approved. Johnson also will collaborate with NGA’s communications and public affairs team and will have primary responsibility for the public affairs and ALF budgets, including fundraising.
Johnson joined NGA in May 2022 as vice president of government relations and quickly took the initiative to advance NGA’s priorities around food and nutrition.
Marvelle Wright has been promoted to NGA senior manager of accounting. Wright, who joined NGA in October 2019 as an accounts receivable and payable specialist, has worked diligently to improve the association’s processes and accounting functions, including daily functions and the annual audit. She has expanded her role to include taking responsibility for ensuring accounts receivable are effectively managed.
Going forward, Wright will be the principal leader behind ensuring NGA adheres to its fiscal policies and collects and reports outstanding balances, while collaborating with the audit team.
Brielle Underwood has been promoted to group director of grants for the NGA Foundation. With the addition of work with the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), Underwood is taking on an expanded role overseeing all NGAF grant programs. She will pursue ways to create better alignment over this expanding area, will oversee the rebranding of NGAF’s Technical Assistance Center, and align messaging across the foundation’s grant services.
Kari Wolkwitz has been promoted to an NGAF project director. With Underwood focused on HFFI and the overall grants vision, Wolkwitz will more directly work on the SNAP EBT Modernization Technical Assistance Center (SEMTAC). She also will take over previously outsourced analytics and evaluation reporting to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Wolkwitz has managed the expanded EBT chip integration efforts and spearheaded SEMTAC customer service ticket tracking.
Gabrielle Rumney has been promoted to an NGAF project manager and will take an expanded role within SEMTAC and HFFI, including website management, resource development, and outreach. Rumney also will manage NGAF’s national advisory committee and integrate DEI principles into SEMTAC work as well as the larger Foundation programming.
“I’m proud of this entire team and the work they’ve accomplished since SEMTAC began over two years. I am excited for the continued growth these promotions will bring in our grant work across SEMTAC, HFFI and GusNIP,” said Chelsea Matzen, NGA Foundation vice president.
