United Fresh’s DiSogra to retire at end of May
With just short of 12 years at the United Fresh Produce Association, nutrition advocate Lorelei DiSogra plans to retire at the end of May.
DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health for United Fresh, joined the association in August 2005 after being the director of the National 5 A Day Program at the National Cancer Institute from 2001 to 2005 and, before that, as vice president of nutrition at Dole Food Co. from 1991 to 2001.
“The only word that describes Lorelei and her work and commitment to the fresh produce industry is ‘passionate,’” Tom Stenzel, president and CEO of United Fresh, said in a news release. “She has been a life-long advocate for fresh produce and healthy eating and she is a living example of someone truly ‘walks the walk.’ The impact and benefit of her work will be felt for many years to come and I can say that our industry is truly better because of her.”
DiSogra, 69, said she will still stay engaged with critical nutrition issues but is looking forward to retirement.
“Right now I want to have a couple of months off to think and enjoy myself, and then think about what it is I want to do,” she said May 3.
DiSogra’s accomplishments at United Fresh include the expansion of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to schools in all 50 states, revising Women, Infants and Children program food packages to include fresh fruits and vegetables as recommended by the Institute of Medicine, and increasing fruits and vegetables in school meals to benefit more than 32 million students a day, Stenzel said in the release.
As one of the creators of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools, DiSogra worked with the Obama White House, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health foundations and other groups, according to the release. Through the campaign, more than 5,000 salad bars have been added to schools across the country.
United Fresh is currently searching for a replacement for DiSogra.
“Clearly it has been an honor to work in the industry for such a long time,” DiSogra said. “Those relationships with people in the industry are incredible and mean a lot to me.”
DiSogra said she was thankful to work on nutrition policy at United Fresh to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
“I have never stopped, and all of those (nutrition policy accomplishments) along the way have meant a lot to me,” she said.
