RBA ADDS DIRECTORS FROM BAKERIES

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Retailer's Bakery Association here has added seven regional retail bakery directors to its board in the first election since a restructuring plan was approved last fall.

nder the new board structure, approved by the RBA last fall, 21 directors represent nine independent retailer regions, and seven directors represent in-store retailer regions. The new plan also gives seats on the board to the current chairs or presidents of the RBA National Bagel Board, the RBA National Doughnut Board, the Bread Bakers Guild of America and the Allied Advisory Committee.

New retailer members of the board are Carol Kimmel, Ukrop's Super Markets, Richmond, Va.; Kimberly Staten, White's Fresh Foods, Johnson City, Tenn.; Bill Mihu, Schnuck Markets, St. Louis; Tonni Olafsson, Randalls Food Markets, Houston; John Smolders, West Linn Thriftway, West Linn, Ore.; Jeff Ahlers, Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif.; and Dan Collier, Federated Co-Operatives Ltd., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

The new structure assures that there will be at least seven members on the board who represent in-store bakeries. The 35- to 45-member board had previously included only two or three representatives from the supermarket industry.

The restructuring is aimed at three goals: establishing a board of directors representative of all segments of the baking industry, creating a stronger network between the RBA and affiliate associations and allowing broader participation in the election of board members, the association said.