Specialty Food Magazine

SFA Announces New Board, Approves Resolution The Specialty Food Association, whose Governance Committee and Board of Directors have worked over the past year to modernize the governance of the Association, announced its new directors during its annual Member Meeting in June. The new Board reflects a diverse set of members, with existing directors elected to serve one- and two-year terms and new directors elected to serve three-year terms: Three-Year Terms (2020-2023) • Pierre Abushacra (maker, Firehook Bakery) • Sana Javeri Kadri (maker, Diaspora Co.) • Tyler Lowell (broker, CA Fortune) • Sarah Masoni (affiliate, Oregon State University Food Innovation Center) • Sarah Wallace (maker, The Good Bean Inc.) Two-Year Terms (2020-2022) • Jill Giacomini Basch (maker, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.) • Julie Busha (maker, Slawsa) • Mark Kroencke (distributor, KeHe Distributors LLC) • Nona Lim (maker, Nona Lim) • Jon Pruden (buyer, TASTE) One-Year Terms (2020-2021) • Charlie Apt (maker, Sarabeth's Kitchen) • William "Pete" Booker (maker, Savannah's Candy Kitchen) • Emilio Mignucci (buyer, Di Bruno Bros.) • Lee Zalben (maker, Peanut Butter & Co.) Becky Renfro Borbolla, senior vice president of Renfro Foods and outgoing Co-Chair of the Board, announced during the meeting that SFA members voted overwhelmingly to approve this 14-member slate, which represents all classifications of members, new and established companies, and reflects SFA's diverse membership. "Many associations present a slate of directors as a means to make sure that all member classifications are part of the governance of the association. SFA has historically presented individual candidates but the results have been a Board that is not as reflective of the membership," she said. The slate was developed by the SFA's Governance Committee, which reviewed all nominations and interviewed candidates, Renfro Borbolla said. The following additions were also made to the election process: • Board officers are elected to one- year terms, allowing more directors to embrace leadership roles. • Board members are elected to three- year terms to ensure continuity within the Board. • Board elections are scheduled every year to ensure there is opportunity for members to serve. • Board service is limited to six years, to encourage members with new ideas to volunteer for service. Resolution Approved to Maintain Nonprofit Status SFA members also voted in favor of a resolution to keep the Association's nonprofit status. "Some of you may have been contacted by a campaign called Members First that wants to take over the SFA and use its assets to create a for-profit company," Renfro Borbolla said. "We believe this is the wrong direction for the Association and wanted our members to confirm that through this resolution." The resolution states that the SFA and its Board will continue to support and promote members in the following ways: • Conducting trade shows, education, and other business development opportunities for the benefit of members. • Maintaining prudent fiscal management, with dues and fees that continue wherever possible to be less than those of competing organizations and events, consistent with the SFA's not-for-profit status. • Continuing to operate as a not-for-profit, 501(c)(6) trade association, for the benefit of members, and not at this time consider selling the SFA's trade shows (the Fancy Food Shows) to for-profit operators. —Julie Gallagher SFA to Host Specialty Food Live! Virtual Event The Specialty Food Association will host Specialty Food Live!, a virtual event that will connect specialty food makers and buyers, Sept. 21–24. As part of the event, food makers will showcase their new and bestselling products in virtual showrooms and be available to interact with buyers from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, on show days. Qualified, specialty food buyers will have the ability to discover the exact types of products they're looking for and be matched with makers they may not have known about. "Specialty Food Live! was carefully crafted with input from our community, married with world-class technology to produce a virtual experience unlike any other," said Bill Lynch, interim president of the Specialty Food Live! 2020 A V I R T U A L M A R K E T P L A C E SEPT. 21-24 FALL €‚ ASSOCIATION NEWS

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