CTFA sees change at the top
CTFA sees change at the top
The California Tree Fruit Agreement in Reedley, CA, announced Oct. 30 the appointment of Sheri Mierau as president of the organization, effective Jan. 1. She will succeed Blair Richardson, who announced Oct. 27 that he had decided to step down after almost five years as president. He will remain with CTFA during the transition.
"I would have to say Blair has been an excellent leader," said Melvin Enns of Enns Packing Co. Inc. in Dinuba, CA, who is chairman of the CTFA Executive Committee. In an interview with The Produce News on Oct. 30, Mr. Enns said that Mr. Richardson "has served the industry extremely well. His insights into our industry, his leadership, his guidance on all aspects have all been excellent.
"At the same time, we are eagerly looking forward to Sheri assuming the role as president," Mr. Enns continued. "We have full confidence in Sheri. And having Blair stay on through the transition period is a positive for our industry."
Ms. Mierau, who has been with the organization since 2004 and has been serving as vice president of marketing, was unanimously selected to succeed Mr. Richardson by the Executive Committee, according to a CTFA press release.
"Sheri has been a tremendous asset to CTFA since joining the organization," Mr. Enns said. "She has led ground-breaking marketing programs for the industry, and we're looking to many more prosperous years of marketing and industry innovations under her leadership."
Prior to joining CTFA, Ms. Mierau served as director of produce with Ahold Operating Cos. Previously, she had worked on both the sales and buying sides of the produce industry with such organizations as Agribuys, New World Marketing, Safeway Inc. and Sunkist Growers Inc. A graduate of California State University-Fresno, she holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing.
According to the CTFA press release, under Mr. Richardson's leadership, CTFA has "worked closely with industry members to restructure the organization and its programs, finalized access of California plums to China, helped build the California brand through new labeling for fruit and developed a plan for long-term strategic direction for the organization."
Commenting on that list of accomplishments, Ms. Mierau said that Mr. Richardson "has done a great job in getting the organization on track." Looking ahead, "not a lot of changes are needed," she said. "We are in a great position right now, so we want to continue. We have gone through a lot of changes over the last five years, so at this point we need some stability in the industry, so we will be implementing and executing all of the plans and policies that were developed over the last five years."
Mr. Richardson worked with Calcot Ltd., a cotton marketing cooperative, for 11 years before joining CTFA. Previously, he had worked with Otis McAllister, an international trading company dealing with foods and manufactured goods, and with AgEx.com, an Internet-based food marketing and procurement platform.
Mr. Richardson told The Produce News that he has not yet determined his future plans other than to "take a couple of months off. I am really looking forward to spending a little bit of time with my family and not traveling quite so much for a couple of months."
While he plans to keep his options open, he said that he "wouldn't mind staying in the [produce] industry." In his five years with CTFA, he said, "I have certainly enjoyed it and I have learned an awful lot and have been truly blessed with a lot of great people to learn from."
But for the time being, he said, he is "going to stay focused on a good solid transition" at CTFA.
Timing had a lot to do with his decision to leave CTFA, he said. After going through a lot of changes, CTFA is now entering a phase where the focus will be on using "all the tools and flexibilities that the industry has created." It seemed that "this would be as good a time as any to step aside and let someone else take over and drive it from there," Mr. Richardson said.
"I would have to say Blair has been an excellent leader," said Melvin Enns of Enns Packing Co. Inc. in Dinuba, CA, who is chairman of the CTFA Executive Committee. In an interview with The Produce News on Oct. 30, Mr. Enns said that Mr. Richardson "has served the industry extremely well. His insights into our industry, his leadership, his guidance on all aspects have all been excellent.
"At the same time, we are eagerly looking forward to Sheri assuming the role as president," Mr. Enns continued. "We have full confidence in Sheri. And having Blair stay on through the transition period is a positive for our industry."
Ms. Mierau, who has been with the organization since 2004 and has been serving as vice president of marketing, was unanimously selected to succeed Mr. Richardson by the Executive Committee, according to a CTFA press release.
"Sheri has been a tremendous asset to CTFA since joining the organization," Mr. Enns said. "She has led ground-breaking marketing programs for the industry, and we're looking to many more prosperous years of marketing and industry innovations under her leadership."
Prior to joining CTFA, Ms. Mierau served as director of produce with Ahold Operating Cos. Previously, she had worked on both the sales and buying sides of the produce industry with such organizations as Agribuys, New World Marketing, Safeway Inc. and Sunkist Growers Inc. A graduate of California State University-Fresno, she holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and marketing.
According to the CTFA press release, under Mr. Richardson's leadership, CTFA has "worked closely with industry members to restructure the organization and its programs, finalized access of California plums to China, helped build the California brand through new labeling for fruit and developed a plan for long-term strategic direction for the organization."
Commenting on that list of accomplishments, Ms. Mierau said that Mr. Richardson "has done a great job in getting the organization on track." Looking ahead, "not a lot of changes are needed," she said. "We are in a great position right now, so we want to continue. We have gone through a lot of changes over the last five years, so at this point we need some stability in the industry, so we will be implementing and executing all of the plans and policies that were developed over the last five years."
Mr. Richardson worked with Calcot Ltd., a cotton marketing cooperative, for 11 years before joining CTFA. Previously, he had worked with Otis McAllister, an international trading company dealing with foods and manufactured goods, and with AgEx.com, an Internet-based food marketing and procurement platform.
Mr. Richardson told The Produce News that he has not yet determined his future plans other than to "take a couple of months off. I am really looking forward to spending a little bit of time with my family and not traveling quite so much for a couple of months."
While he plans to keep his options open, he said that he "wouldn't mind staying in the [produce] industry." In his five years with CTFA, he said, "I have certainly enjoyed it and I have learned an awful lot and have been truly blessed with a lot of great people to learn from."
But for the time being, he said, he is "going to stay focused on a good solid transition" at CTFA.
Timing had a lot to do with his decision to leave CTFA, he said. After going through a lot of changes, CTFA is now entering a phase where the focus will be on using "all the tools and flexibilities that the industry has created." It seemed that "this would be as good a time as any to step aside and let someone else take over and drive it from there," Mr. Richardson said.
