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GOURMET NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 6 Kim Dietz of J. M. Smucker Co. to Lead Organic Trade Association Board Kim Dietz of The J.M. Smucker Company was tapped as the President of the Organic Trade Association's Board of Directors on September 13. First appointed as an Or- ganic Trade Association director in 2014 by the board for a three-year term, she was elected by the membership this summer for another three-year term. Dietz received the most votes in the as- sociation's democratic election process, in which each trade member company gets one vote. "I have been an active member of the Or- ganic Trade Association in many different capacities over the past 20 years, and am now honored and excited to be chosen to lead this incredible organization," said Dietz as she took over her new role. She added, "This is an exciting and challenging time for the organic community. I will do my very best to represent the membership and to promote and protect organic." Dietz had served as the board's vice pres- ident since 2016. In her professional life, she is Senior Manager for Environmental, Natural and Organic Policy at The J.M. Smucker Company. She also is currently enrolled in Michigan State University working towards her master's degree in global food law. Dietz succeeds Melissa Hughes of Or- ganic Valley, who served as the association's president from 2014 until Dietz's ascension to the office. "Our board is in great hands with Kim's depth of experience. We truly thank Melissa for her extraordinary leadership over the past three years and look forward to having her continue on the executive committee as this year's Vice President join- ing our other new officers," said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the trade association. Other officers announced at the Organic Trade Association's annual members meet- ing yesterday include Marci Zaroff of Under the Canopy/MetaWear as Secretary, and Rick Collins of Clif Bar and Company as Treasurer. In the recent board of directors election, a record 37 percent of Organic Trade Asso- ciation member companies voted, electing incumbent Dietz, and seating two new board members: Britt Lundgren, Director of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Stonyfield Farm and Mark Squire, Owner of two Good Earth Natural Food stores. In addition, the board named Bob Kaake of Annie's Inc. and Mike Menes of True Or- ganic Products to fill two appointed seats. Completing the board are Perry Clutts of Pleasantview Farm, who was named once again to fill the board's farmer seat; Doug Crabtree of Vilicus Farms; David Lively of Organically Grown Company; Kelly Shea of DanoneWave and Leslie Zuck of Penn- sylvania Certified Organic. Ryan Benn of Alive Publishing Group Inc. holds a board seat chosen by the Canada Organic Trade Association. Retiring from the board are Melody Meyer of UNFI, Tony Bedard of Frontier Natural Products Co-op, Sarah Bird of Bhakti Chai, and Jesse Laflamme of Pete and Gerry's Organics. First elected to the board in 2008, Meyer, Bedard and Bird have completed the maximum allowed three terms for at-large elected members. Elected to the board in 2014, Laflamme completed one three-year term. Melody Meyer served as the board's pres- ident for the 2013-2014 term. Sarah Bird served as vice president from 2010-2015, and as board secretary for 2015-2017. Meanwhile, Tony Bedard was board treas- urer from 2012-2017. In addition, Jesse Laflamme served on the board's governance and community relations committees. At the annual meeting, outgoing directors were recognized for their invaluable serv- ice. In other business, David Will, General Manager of Chino Valley Ranchers, was named Organic Trade Association 2017 Member of the Year. This special recogni- tion of an individual employed by a mem- ber company is staff nominated and endorsed by the Organic Trade Association Board. Will was selected for his advocacy for the Organic Trade Association within his company. He has also been instrumen- tal in developing trade association com- ments, positions and strategy to advance organic poultry production standards. He was commended for being a strong de- fender and advocate of organic farmers. Members attending the annual meeting had the opportunity to network and learn more about trade association business be- fore the Annual Organic Leadership Award Celebration took place later that evening. GN KeHE Show Continued from PAGE 1 because the fresh category, which includes bakery, dairy and deli categories as well as produce, determines whether a customer will shop in a particular store, according to Ari Goldsmith, KeHE's Executive Director of Marketing. "Having the right perimeter assortment and mer- chandising allows you to tell the customer without one sign that you 'get it', that you're on trend, and that you have what they need," she said "We don't just have those products plopped on a display or in a case at this show. We're actually using them in curated recipes and merchan- dising that can be duplicated in store." The new show is a response to growth of the natural products industry beyond the retailers focused on organic and natural products and into conventional channels. "We noticed the demand from our retailers to see these products on a much grander scale," Goldsmith said. "We knew it was time to create a show of this magnitude." The national show enables buyers from across the country to see an extensive vari- ety of natural foods and beauty and health care products from a broad range of manu- facturers all at the same time, she added. "Local is still really important, but I don't think a national show takes away from the importance of local," she said. Larger retailers are now merchandising natural prod- ucts on shelves next to con- ventionally made products rather than in special natural products sections, which is providing new market oppor- tunities for the makers of these products, and KeHE's focus is on helping independ- ent retailers compete in that bifurcated marketplace, Gold- smith said. "We see that the natural food marketplace has started to ma- ture," she added. KeHE's efforts to help independent re- tailers navigate the marketplace included a new app to guide them around the show. The app also includes a social net- working component that allows atten- dees to talk to any others at the show, including the exhibitors, so vendors can use it as a means of promoting their booths to attendees as well as simple awareness. Integration of natural products into the product assortments of chain grocers has made it more difficult for independent nat- ural retailers to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, and the the show was de- signed to assist independent retailers suc- ceed. We know that by offering a unique customer experience as well as knowledge- able staff with a solid grounding in what the natural products industry stands for as well as knowledge of the particular prod- ucts available in the store retailers are set up for success, Goldsmith said. Success at offering a unique customer ex- perience relies on helping a shopper feel like part of a community, according to Goldsmith. "Some big box stores do have customer experience, but the natural inde- pendents are a bit more nimble," she said, adding that the customers of independent retailers in the natural products space are looking for authenticity, community, prod- uct assortment and price, which includes a consideration of value as well as just a dol- lar amount. "This show allows retailers to find products they might not otherwise be able to," she said. "The marketplace is evolving, and our strength as a distributor is not wavering." GN

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