An April 24-25 seminar on merchandising and handling organic produce "was everything we hoped it would be," said Mike Mascari, owner and president of Indianapolis Fruit Co. in Indianapolis.

The seminar attracted 240 people, many from a large section of the middle of the United States, and was deemed "a large success" by Mr. Mascari.

Sun Pacific, the Los Angeles-based grower-shipper known for its recent success in launching the national Cutie clementine program, announced the hiring of Tristan Kieva as its new vice president of marketing.

Ms. Kieva has been in the produce industry for 16 years, the last seven of which were spent at Frieda's Inc. in Los Alamitos, CA, where she rose to the position of vice president of sales and marketing. Prior to Frieda's, she worked as marketing director for Paramount Farms in Los Angeles, and as the corporate marketing manager for Smart & Final in Vernon, CA.

Summeripe Worldwide Inc. in Dinuba, CA, announced the addition of Sun World International LLC in Bakersfield, CA, to the Summeripe Alliance of quality tree fruit shippers.

Sun World joins an existing group of shippers of preconditioned peaches, plums and nectarines that includes Crown Jewels Marketing, Family Tree Farms Inc., Giannini Packing Co., Mountain View Fruit Sales Inc., Pandol Bros. Inc., Simonian Fruit Co., Visalia Produce and Wespak Sales Co.

Bill Ramsey and Don Nucci, co-owners of Mann Packing, have named company veteran Mike Jarrard as the firm's new president and chief executive officer. He replaces Joe Nucci, who died unexpectedly last July at the age of 40.

Mr. Jarrard was most recently vice president of business development for Mann, where he managed company affiliates Garden Valley LLC and Fresh Leaf Farms LLC.

What would you do if presented with an opportunity to significantly improve the health of America's children while increasing your sales at the same time?

The United Research & Education Foundation has chosen to launch Project Fresh Start, a new three-year, $500,000-per-year program to help the next generation of children double their fresh produce consumption to meet today's dietary goals and stem the tide of childhood obesity.