The Packer is accepting nominations for the 2020 Produce Marketer of the Year.
Qualified candidates include those who have made significant impacts in furthering the produce industry’s interest in marketing fresh fruit and vegetables.
The Packer’s Produce Marketer of the Year and Marketer for All Seasons award dates to 1972 and represents various industry segments.
The award will be presented during the Produce Marketing Association’s virtual Fresh Summit, Oct. 13-15.
Send nominations to Tom Karst, editor of The Packer, at tkarst@thepacker.com by the end of September.
Recent winners include:
2019: DON CHRISTOPHER: Don Christopher, founder of Gilroy, Calif.-based Christopher Ranch, was honored for his commitment to the garlic industry and the way he has given back to his community.
2018: LYNDA RESNICK and STEWART RESNICK: Lynda Resnick, vice-chair and co-owner of The Wonderful Co., and Stewart Resnick, chairman and president, were honored for innovative brand marketing and commitment to inspiring healthier choices.
2017: JOHN SHUMAN: John Shuman, president and owner of Shuman Produce, was named The Packer’s Produce Marketer of the Year.
2016, STEVE CHURCH and TOM CHURCH: Steve Church, CEO of Church Brothers Farm, and Tom Church, chairman, were named Produce Marketers for All Seasons for their innovation in fresh produce marketing for retail and foodservice.
2015, ROGER PEPPERL: Marketing director for Stemilt Growers LLC, was named Produce Marketer of the Year for his ability to create programs that connect with consumers with products through compelling stories.
2014, JEFF DUNN: The president and CEO of Bolthouse Farms, was named Produce Marketer of the Year for his efforts to boost vegetable and fruit consumption by taking marketing cues from junk food and consumer packaged goods.
2013, LORRI KOSTER: The CEO for Mann Packing Co., Salinas, Calif., was honored for her ability to bring new products to market and get consumers to eat vegetables.
2012, JOHN ANDERSON: The chairman, president and CEO of The Oppenheimer Group, Vancouver, British Columbia, was honored for his contributions to a globalized produce marketplace and his efforts in leadership development.
2011, JAN DELYSER: The vice president of the California Avocado Commission was honored for her marketing diligence and acumen.
2010, TIM YORK: The president of Salinas, Calif.-based Markon Cooperative was honored for his work regarding food safety.
2009, MIKE O’BRIEN: The vice president of produce for St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets Inc. was recognized for his active involvement in industry issues and increasing fresh produce consumption.
2008, CATHY BURNS: The chief operating officer of Food Lion LLC, Salisbury, N.C., and chairwoman of the Produce Traceability Initiative Steering Committee, was rewarded for her ongoing work in implementing traceability standards.
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