Speaker Biographies (in session order)
Trends Update with PMA President Bryan Silberman
Bryan Silbermann, CAE
Produce Marketing Association
President
Bryan Silbermann joined PMA in 1983 and in 1996 was elected president. As the chief executive of PMA, he directs more than 75 staff professionals and has been instrumental in developing new programs and services for the fresh produce and floral industry, including:
- Researching consumer demand for fresh produce
- Launching the national 5 A Day program in the United States
- Training programs
- Standardized coding systems for produce and floral
- Food safety communication campaigns
Bryan is a frequent speaker at industry meetings worldwide and is a visiting lecturer at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He is interviewed often by national and international media, representing the industry on TV and radio. Supermarket News has recognized Bryan as one of the top 50 "power players" whose actions drive the food industry. He is currently chairman-elect of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, a national program that unites industry, government and consumer organizations to teach safe food handling.
Born, raised, and educated in Durban, South Africa, Bryan now lives in Delaware, U.S.A., where PMA has its headquarters. He also studied at the University of Chicago and Oxford University, England. Bryan's personal interests include music, golf, photography, and travel. He and his wife Bonnie have two sons, Gregg and Brian.
Rich Dachman
Vice President, Produce
SYSCO
Richard Dachman began his produce career at his family owned business, Perry's Produce Co. After the sale of Perry's Produce in 1979, he and his father opened a produce operation for Kraft Foods, Inc. in Denver. Richard joined Kraft's corporate office as National Director of Produce in 1987, and in 1992, began working for FreshPoint of Houston, Inc. as President of Southern Produce. While working for FreshPoint, he held various positions including President of Produce America out of their central procurement office in Salinas, California, General Manager of their Denver operations office, and President of FreshPoint's Atlanta Group.
In 2000, after SYSCO acquired FreshPoint, Mr. Dachman was promoted to his current position. He and his wife, Clari, have four sons and reside in Sugar Land, Texas, where he enjoys his favorite hobby, fatherhood.
Dexter Tompkins
Director of Supply Management (Fresh Produce)
Sodexo, Inc.
Dexter Tompkins initiated the program and lead Sodexo to a leadership position in sustainability and locally grown produce. All of Sodexos regionally contracted distributors support their local farmers. He also revitalized Sodexos produce program to include up to seventy-five regional and independently owned produce distributors, that now account for nearly 80% of Sodexos total produce needs.
Tompkins remains a relative newcomer to fresh produce, however, having managed protein and grocery purchasing for both Marriott and Sysco in 2002.
Bruce Taylor
Chairman and CEO
Taylor Farms
Bruce Taylor started Taylor Farms, a leading North American fresh food company producing salads, fresh-cut vegetables, prepared fresh foods and healthy snacks, in 1995. Taylor Farms has grown to twelve facilities, supplying foodservice and retail customers as well as supermarket deli operations. Prior to Taylor Farms he led Fresh Express for 13 years.
Bruce has been very active in Produce Marketing Association leadership roles, having served a three-year term on the Foodservice Board, two three-year terms on the PMA Board, and is currently Chairman of the Board.
Bruce is also active on the boards of the Western Growers Association and Mission Produce. Two of his most memorable professional experiences have been developing the packaged salad business in retail markets nationwide and having the support of friends, family and partners in founding and building Taylor Farms. He and his wife Linda have four sons: Alex, Drew, Ted and Bruce. He enjoys golf, snow skiing and traveling with his family.
Bob Gray
CEO
Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc.
Bob put himself through college by working for various produce companies in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He went on to complete his masters degree in Scotland.
His career with Duda began in 1980, where he held a variety of positions including General Manager, then Vice President at Duda, President of Gene Jackson Farms in California, Corporate Vice President of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, President of Dudas Vegetable Division, Executive Vice President, then President of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, and now CEO.
Bob has served on various boards and committees including the Monterey County Farm Bureau, the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California, Western Growers officer positions, the California Celery Research Advisory Board, the California Iceberg Lettuce Advisory Board, and was appointed as a Director of the California Institute for the Study of Specialty Crops.
In his community Bob has worked with the Hartnell College Foundation and the San Francisco Regional Selection Committee for the British Marshall Scholarships. Bob and his wife Pat live in Salinas, California, where he enjoys fly fishing, Jack Russell terriers, antiquarian books, travel, and gardening.
Hot Topic Session: Sustainability
Kathy Means, CAE
Vice President Government Relations
Produce Marketing Association
Kathy Means is Vice President of Government Relations at the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), the largest, worldwide not-for-profit trade association representing companies that market fresh fruits and vegetables. PMA's membership of 2,100 includes supermarket retailers, growers, importers, exporters, foodservice companies, and suppliers to the industry. The association's programs promote the sale and consumption of fresh produce worldwide.
Kathy joined PMA in 1989 and is responsible for government affairs, public affairs, and self-regulatory programs. She leads the associations food safety/security efforts. She has previously served the association in communications, marketing and customer service. She also represents PMA and in the industry on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables. Appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, Means is one of 34 chosen nationally to sit on the committee. The ATAC for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables provides technical information, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative on matters specific to produce.
Before coming to PMA, she spent nine years with The Packer, the trade newspaper for the produce industry, as an editor and reporter. She earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1996. She has a masters in nonprofit management and bachelor's degrees in journalism and French.
Speaker Presentation: Sustainability
Produce Powered Trends & Strategies
Cathy Holley
Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Flavor & The Menu
Cathy Nash Holley has been publisher and editor-in-chief of Flavor & The Menu magazine since it began nine years ago. Cathy started her publishing career with Diversified Business Communications, where she worked as an editor for SeaFood Business and National Fisherman magazines. In 1998, she joined Media Unlimited Inc., and worked with founders David Stafford and Mike Wigell to develop Flavor & The Menu, the only magazine dedicated entirely to the importance of flavor as a business tool, directed at the highest volume and most influential menu developers in the nation, including the Top 550 chains. Flavor & The Menu is produced five times a year, and, with its annual Top Flavor Trends issue, is a valuable resource for the foodservice industry.
Speaker Presentation: 10 Great Ways Produce is Driving the Momentum in Menu Development
Kathy Hayden
Contributing Writer, Editor
Flavor & The Menu
Kathy Hayden began as a contributing writer and editor for Flavor & The Menu in 2001 and became managing editor in 2003. Flavor & The Menu looks at all facets of the foodservice business through the lens of flavor and its impact on menu strategies and business success. Published five times a year, the magazine provides vital menu development tools and resources from research and development experts in the field.
Kathy has helped manage the growth of Flavor & The Menu and has added several new columns and writers. In 2007, she helped develop the format for the yearly Top Ten Trends issue, which examines the techniques, ingredients, and other forces creating menu momentum. Before becoming an editor, she was freelance writer, a publicist and media relations expert for book and print media accounts and an English teacher to high school and community college students.
Defining Success: Leadership the Missing Link
Dr. Alan M. Patterson
Mentor
President
Dr. Alan Patterson is one of Americas best thinkers, teachers and coaches. Having guided more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies in re-thinking how best to elevate their talent, he is an expert at driving effective organizational change.
Alan Patterson has 24 years of international consulting experience in change management, leadership development, and executive coaching. He recently formed Mentor, a consulting organization that focuses on aligning strategy, organization structure, job responsibilities, and skill sets to major shifts in the business.
His expertise has been tapped by many global and national organizations, including Anheuser-Busch, CVS, Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett-Packard, Major League Baseball, Merck, Sea World, the United States Navy, and Williams Sonoma.
Speaker Presentation: Defining Success: Leadership The Missing Link
Explore Frontline Challenges with the Unit-Operators Panel
Harold Lloyd
Harold Lloyd & Associates
For 10 years Harold Lloyd was president and CEO of a 14-unit retail organization with a team of 1,000 associates dedicated to superior customer service. Since 1988, Harold has worked very closely with businesses large and small to provide qualified, executive level assistance to companies on a temporary basis, eliminating the need to add permanent top management overhead.
After 14 years of coaching, Harold returned to the business world in a hands-on capacity: he and his wife are the Tidewater, Virginia area franchise developers for Friendly's Restaurants. Their business, The Friendly Folks' Company, has agreed to build a total of six restaurants in eight years.
Harold holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and a Masteré’’s Degree in Business Administration with honors in Marketing from the University of Chicago. He has taught part-time at two community colleges, and made numerous presentations each year including the Food Marketing Institute Convention.
More speakers for this panel to come.
Food Safety Update
Bonnie Fernandez
Executive Director
Center for Produce Safety
Bonnie became the first Executive Director of the new Center for Produce Safety in March, 2008. She brought with her a wealth of knowledge and practical experience in agriculture gained from serving as the Executive Director for California Wheat Commission for 15 years, and as Chairman of the United States Wheat Food Aid Working Group.
Bonnies past appointments include Chairman of the United States Wheat Phytosanitary Committee, the USDA Agriculture Trade Advisory Committee, the USDA Grain Inspection Advisory Committee, the AgriBusiness Presidents Council, and the Agriculture Advisory Committee of the California Commission for Economic Development.
She holds a masters degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento, and a bachelors degree in agricultural business management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Kathy Means, CAE
Vice President Government Relations
Produce Marketing Association
Kathy Means is Vice President of Government Relations at the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), the largest, worldwide not-for-profit trade association representing companies that market fresh fruits and vegetables. PMA's membership of 2,100 includes supermarket retailers, growers, importers, exporters, foodservice companies, and suppliers to the industry. The association's programs promote the sale and consumption of fresh produce worldwide.
Kathy joined PMA in 1989 and is responsible for government affairs, public affairs, and self-regulatory programs. She leads the associations food safety/security efforts. She has previously served the association in communications, marketing and customer service. She also represents PMA and in the industry on the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables. Appointed by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Susan C. Schwab, Means is one of 34 chosen nationally to sit on the committee. The ATAC for Trade in Fruits and Vegetables provides technical information, advice, and recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative on matters specific to produce.
Before coming to PMA, she spent nine years with The Packer, the trade newspaper for the produce industry, as an editor and reporter. She earned the Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation in 1996. She has a masters in nonprofit management and bachelor's degrees in journalism and French.
Dave Murphy
Director, Food Safety and Quality Programs
Boskovich Farms, Inc.
Dave Murphy has more than 40 years food safety and quality assurance experience, with ten of those forty years leading the Fresh Produce Food Safety and Quality for Yum! Brand restaurants. Murphy was also Vice President of Foodservice Quality Assurance for Ready Pac Produce, Inc., and Danaco Solutions, a foodservice produce purchasing group.
Murphy holds a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture from The Ohio State University, and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Indiana University. He is a former PMA Board Member, and former Chairman of the PMA Foodservice Board.
Timothy E. York
President
Markon Cooperative Inc.
Tim York is the President of Markon Cooperative Inc. Markon is a purchasing, marketing, and logistics cooperative serving North Americas leading independent foodservice distributors. Based in Salinas, California, Markon distributes produce to forty-seven facilities in the United States and Canada.
Mr. York has thirty years experience in the produce and foodservice industries. He began his career in 1977 at H. Hall & Company, a grower/shipper of strawberries and mixed vegetables. Mr. York joined Markon in 1985 as Purchasing Director. He was promoted to Executive Vice President in 1990 and to his current position of President in 1997. Mr. York has held numerous committee and task force positions, including Member, USDA Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Council, Chairman of the Board for Produce Marketing Association in 2002, Director of the PMA, 1993-1996 and Chairman of PMAs Foodservice Division, 1994-1996.
A third-generation Californian, Mr. York studied business at San Diego State University. He is married to Lisa, has two children and enjoys running, biking, skiing, and fly-fishing.
Robert J. Whitaker, Ph.D.
Chief Science Officer
Produce Marketing Association
Dr. Whitaker became the Chief Science Officer of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) in April 2008. In this role, Dr. Whitaker is responsible for food safety and security, environmental sustainability and technical innovations relative to the produce supply chain from field to fork. Whitaker is directing the creation of PMAs new science-based programs and services at a time when food safety, traceability, sustainability and other science-based issues are taking immediacy in the produce industry.
Prior to joining PMA, Dr. Whitaker was with NewStar Fresh Foods LLC for more than 10 years, most recently as vice president of innovation and food safety. He previously served as president of NewStars value-added salad production company, MissionStar Processing LLC, and held vice president positions in charge of product development and food safety, value-added operations/research and development, and product quality and development. Prior to joining NewStar Whitaker held senior management positions in product development, and research and development, for FreshWorld/DNAP of Oakland, Calif. He was an adjunct professor for Rutgers Universitys Department of Botany and Plant Physiology.
Dr. Whitaker has been actively involved in produce association activities. His executive leadership experience includes the Executive Advisory Board for the Center for Produce Safety (CPS), and CPSs Research and Technology Council, United Fresh Produce Associations Production & Quality Assurance Council, and the International Fresh-cut Processors Association (IFPA) Technical Committee. Dr. Whitakers professional achievements include helping guide the merger of IFPA and United Fresh in 2006, and being awarded IFPAs Technical Achievement Award for his work in food safety and product development.
Dr. Whitaker has been intimately involved in the development of the leafy greens Good Agricultural Practices metrics, and also serves on both the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Technical Committees. He has also testified before both houses on Congress on produce food safety.
Dr. Whitaker received his undergraduate degree and Ph.D. in Biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton. He has authored more than 50 articles on microbial and plant biochemical genetics and biotechnology, and has participated in more than 40 scientific seminars or symposia.
General Session Celebrity Chefs Dish!
Chef Demos: Celebrity Chefs
Chef Cat Cora
Chef
Author, Cooking from the Hip: Fast, Easy, Phenomenal Meals
TV Personality, Iron Chef America
President, Founder, Chefs for Humanity
In 2005, Chef Cora made television history on Food Network's Iron Chef America as the first and only female Iron Chef, and in November 2006 Bon Apptit Magazine bestowed her with their Teacher of the Year Award, an award she calls, the greatest recognition she could achieve as a chef.é“” That month, she was also honored with another great culinary distinction when she was named Executive Chef of the magazine. Add to the list of accomplishments, her recently-published second cookbook, Cooking From the Hip.
Chef Cora was raised in a small Greek community in Jackson, Mississippi, and already presented a business plan for her own restaurant to her grandfather, father, and godfather (all of whom were restaurateurs), by the age of 15. After graduating The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Cora worked in kitchens for such distinguished restaurants as Arcadia, the Beekman Tavern, The Old Chatham Shepherding Company and Napa Valley's Bistro Don Giovanni.
Outside of the kitchen, Cat is known for her philanthropy. She is President and Founder of Chefs for Humanity, an organization that raises funds and provides resources for the important emergency, educational and hunger-related causes, and is the nutritional spokesperson for UNICEF. Cat resides in Northern California with her family, including her biggest fan, her son.
Tom Colicchio
Chef
Head Judge, Bravo TVs Top Chef
Owner, Craft Restaurants
One of the culinary world's most celebrated figures, Chef Tom Colicchio leads the judges panel for Bravo's reality chef competition, Top Chef, and also serves as mentor to the competing chefs on the series, guiding them through their various challenges. Colicchio taught himself to cook with the help of Jacques Ppin's legendary illustrated manuals on French cooking, La Technique and La Mthode. After making his kitchen debut at Evelyn's Seafood Restaurant, Colicchio cooked in prominent New York restaurant kitchens such as The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, Rakel, and Mondrian.
In 1994, Colicchio, along with partner Danny Meyer, opened Gramercy Tavern, and thus the restaurateurs success began. His cooking at Gramercy Tavern earned consistent recognition: after a three nominations for James Beard's Best Chef NY Award, he won it in 2000. One year later, Colicchio opened his first Craft é’– now with locations in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. After opening Craft and Craftbar in New York City, Colicchio opened Craftsteak at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, New York, and at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, in Mashantucket, Connecticut. In spring 2003, he opened 'wichcraft a sandwich shop rooted in the same food and hospitality philosophies as Craft.
Colicchio consults at the restaurants at The Core Club (NYC), Liberty National Golf Club (Jersey City) and Voysey's and Tides (Kiawah Island, SC) and Doonbeg (Ireland) all private clubs. Colicchio and his restaurants give back to the community by supporting charities including Share Our Strength, Children of Bellevue, City Meals-on-Wheels, The College Fund, Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Doctors of the World. Colicchio continues to be celebrated in publications such as Saveur, House Beautiful, Gourmet, Food & Wine Magazine, Esquire, GQ and New York Magazine.
Robert Danhi, CHE, CCE, CEC, CCP
Chef
Author, Southeast Asian Flavors
Owner, Chef Danhi & Co.
PMA Consulting Chef
Chef Robert Danhi is an expert in the cuisines of Southeast Asia, specializing in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and currently authoring a book entitled Southeast Asian Flavors, to be released October 2008. His food writing and photography have been published in over a dozen publications and he has authored the Asian sections in the Culinary Institute of Americas New Professional Chef and On Cooking Textbooks.
Chef Danhi graduated from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), and returned as a Chef Instructor. An educator at heart, Chef Danhi held the position of Executive Chef of the California School of Culinary Arts, and continues teaching at the CIA and other schools across the globe. After two decades in restaurants from Hawaii to New York, and holding the position of Executive Chef of Two Chefs on a Roll, a custom food manufacturer, Robert now leads Chef Danhi & Co. in Los Angeles, which consults with educational organizations, food manufacturers, restaurant chains and professional associations. Chef Danhi & Cos principle partners include Produce Marketing Association, Wing Hing Foods, Lee Kum Kee, and Sunkist. Chef Danhi also leads culinary immersion tours for food professionals that seek a better understanding of the cuisines and cultures of Southeast Asia.