United Natural Foods Inc. announced the appointment of J. Alexander (Sandy) Miller Douglas to the role of CEO and a member of its board of directors effective Aug. 9. Douglas is a proven, customer-focused, strategic leader who brings a broad background and expertise in distribution, sales, marketing, and e-commerce as the company’s new CEO. He was selected after an extensive search to replace Steven Spinner, who earlier announced his retirement as CEO and who will concurrently retire from the board, both effective Aug. 9.

The latest Grower Spotlight from Eagle Eye Produce features Randy Bowns, an onion grower in eastern Oregon. Bowns is a recent addition to Eagle Eye's onion program with the newly formed partnership between it and Central Produce Distribution Inc. 

C.H. Robinson announced today that Arun Rajan will be joining the company as chief product officer, effective Sept. 1. Rajan will report to CEO Bob Biesterfeld and will lead all global product development and innovation across C.H. Robinson’s platforms.  

The Kroger Co. has named Keith Shoemaker as the president of its Dallas division. He succeeds Adam Wampler, who died suddenly earlier this month.

Eric Valenzuela has filled the newly created position of director of food safety at Bobalu LLC. He will focus on grower support, facility safety operations and working with the company’s third-party auditors to optimize food-safety practices throughout the operation.

Valenzuela will also manage the technical and administrative aspects of the food-safety system and serve as the primary point of contact with auditors and customers responding to their food-safety compliance needs.

Ocean Mist Farms, a leading grower and marketer of fresh artichokes in the U.S., announced its 2021 scholarship recipients. Since 2018, the Ocean Mist Farms Academic Scholarship Program annually awards seven scholarships to recipients who demonstrate the guiding values of Ocean Mist Farms – integrity, quality, passion, and success – with $1,000 toward their college tuition.