Ken Melban, CACThe California Avocado Commission has named two employees as co-executive leaders of the organization. Current CAC Vice President of Industry Affairs and Operations Ken Melban and Vice President of Marketing Terry Splane will split the responsibilities. Melban joined the commission in 2011 as director of issues management. Splane was recently hired in March to his current position and brings over 30 years of sales and marketing experience in the foodservice and retail channels. He most recently was the head of partner success and strategy for Impossible Foods.
CAC also elected new board officers including California avocado growers Jason Cole as chair, Rachael Laenen as vice chair, Daryn Miller as secretary, and Maureen Cottingham as treasurer.
Neil Kornze has moved to K Street to be the senior vice president of Cassidy & Associates. Kornze is a former chief of staff for Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and served as the director of the Bureau of Land Management during the Obama administration. Amy Friedman has replaced Kornze in Bennet's office. She previously was the deputy chief of staff and state director for the office.
Terry Splane, CACGrocery store chain Publix has announced current President Kevin Murphy will become CEO, and current Senior Vice President John Goff will move to president. The changes come as former CEO Todd Jones transitions to an executive chairman role. Jones became president of Publix in 2008 and added CEO to his title in 2016. In 2019, the president's role was shifted to Murphy, who began his career at Publix as a front service clerk in 1984.
NOVUS has brought on Edwin Westreicher as its new dairy technical services manager for Europe to help improve herd efficiency. Westreicher grew up on a cattle farm and previously worked as a senior researcher in ruminant nutrition at Schothorst Feed Research in the Netherlands. He has also consulted feed mill companies on feed formulations.
The Giant Co. has named Brian Lorenz as the new vice president of omnichannel fresh merchandising and Kathy Sweigert as vice president of the mid-Atlantic division, overseeing retail stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Lorenz has been with Giant since 2014 and previously worked for Walmart and Tops Friendly Markets. Sweigert has been with the company for the last 16 years and previously was the human resources director.
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Joe MacFarlane is now the new legislative director for Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore. He previously was a legislative assistant for Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and also worked as a legislative correspondent and staff assistant for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind.
Anne Hucker is the new district director for Rep. Sharice Davids, D-Kan. Hucker previously was an associate for Polsinelli PC. She has also previously worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign and was an intern on the House Energy and Commerce Committee under Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.
Sean Mullin now works for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee as a professional staff member under chairman Joe Manchin, D-W.V. He previously worked for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif.
Jay McCormick has been brought onto the staff of the House Appropriations Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee as the operations manager for Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. He previously interned for the committee.
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