The International Fresh Produce Association celebrated industry award winners at its 2022 Global Produce & Floral Show.
The winners represent the best of the industry, having been nominated and selected by industry leaders and members, according to a news release.
Winners for the 2022 Awards of Excellence include:
The Frieda Rapoport Caplan Women’s Catalyst Award: Carrie Mack, apple and pear sourcing manager II for Walmart Sourcing
“Receiving this award is so meaningful to me,” Mack said in the release. “Having finally found a seat at the table and being comfortable using my voice, my joy now is finding strengths in others and giving them little nudges of encouragement to build their personal fuel. With enough of us cultivating, leaning in, and nudging each other along in a space where we can speak freely, think of all we can accomplish together.”
The Jay Pack Cultivating Our Future Award: Charles Olins, vice president of sales and marketing for Saco Foods
“This is all about the students and enabling them to reach their full potential, as they look for opportunities in the produce industry and begin their careers,” Olins said in the release. “It is a genuine privilege to be able to help students learn about our industry and develop their careers within it. I’m also aware that this is a mutually beneficial relationship. Over the years the students have challenged me to question why the industry and participants operate the way we do; this has often resulted in improvements in the way I and my colleagues perform.”
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The Science and Technology Circle of Excellence Award: Verdant Technologies
“We are tremendously honored for Verdant Technologies and our HarvestHold solution to receive the IFPA Science & Technology Circle of Excellence Award,” Gordon Robertson, CEO of Verdant Technologies, said in the release. “Our goal is to bring nourishment to the world through innovative solutions that make a positive impact for our customers, the supply chain, and society. This award further validates the hard work of our team and the partnerships with our customers in the produce and floral industries that have helped bring our solution to market.”
Other awards recognized at the Global Produce & Floral Show included:
- Advocate of the Year Award: DNO Produce, honored at the Washington Conference earlier this year.
- Floral Marketer of the Year Award: Lane DeVries of Sun Valley Floral Farms
- Retail Merchant Innovation Award winners:
- Brian Penfield, director of produce for Sendik’s Food Markets
- Jim Gaylord, category merchant for Wegmans Food Markets
- Barry Paul, produce sales manager for Shaw’s Supermarkets
- Jeff Mallory, vice president of produce for Hy-Vee
- Vic Savanello, regional vice president of produce and floral merchandising for SpartanNash
- Produce Retail Manager Award winners:
- Tamra Barnes – Harps Food Store, Dexter, Mo.
- Joshua “Josh” Combs – Food City, Galax, Va.
- Javier Contreras – Sendik’s Food Market, Franklin, Wis.
- Carmen Dipiazza Jr. – Price Chopper, Guilderland, N.Y.
- Morgan Dodge – Pilgrim’s Market, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
- Tyler Doggett – Corner Market, Hattiesburg, Miss.
- Micah Fabrizio – Albertsons Safeway, Denver, Colo.
- Clint Fraze – New Seasons Market, Happy Valley, Ore.
- Lisa Graner – Coborn’s Inc., Bismarck, N.D.
- Mitchell “Mitch” John Hamelin – Longo Brothers Fruit Markets, Ajax, Ontario
- David Heetderks – SpartanNash’s Forest Hills Foods, Grand Rapids, Mich.
- Chris Jorgensen – Food Lion LLC, Gloucester, Va.
- Troy Kopriva – Hy-Vee Inc., Grimes, Iowa
- Grant Naylor – Macey’s, Providence, Utah
- Mohamad “Mo” Qadir – Harris-Teeter Super Markets, Purcellville, Va.
- Bridget Robin – Super One Foods, Opelousas, La.
- Alex Samario – Gelson’s Markets, Sante Fe Springs, Calif.
- Bob Smith – Mariano’s, Oak Lawn, Ill.
- Rich Spader – Big Y Foods Inc. – Derby, Conn.
- Douglas Storey – Tops Friendly Markets, North Tonawanda, N.Y.
- Michelle Tarwater – Fred Meyer Stores, Inc., Issaquah, Wash.
- Donald “Don” Eugene Uttley – Mount Royal Market, Duluth, Minn.
- Dan Villone – Brookshire Grocery Company, Kilgore, Texas
- Calvin “The Goat” Yednak – JEWEL-OSCO, Munster, Ind.
- William “Will” Yontz – The Giant Company, Martinsburg, W.Va.
Learn more about the IFPA award winners and recognitions.
