Nash Finch Names Mahoney EVP

MINNEAPOLIS — Retailers and wholesaler Nash Finch Co. here last week said it had promoted Kathleen M. Mahoney to executive vice president, general counsel and secretary. Previously, she was senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Mahoney, who reports to Alec Covington, chief executive officer, joined Nash Finch in 2004 as vice president and general counsel after working for local law firms. She also spent six years as a Minnesota special assistant attorney general. “Kathy has proven not only to be a brilliant legal mind, but also a critical business partner and has played a significant role in the development and implementation of our strategic plan over the last several years,” Covington said.

POPOOLA JOINS TOPCO AS VP OF QA

SKOKIE, Ill. — Private-label buying cooperative Topco Associates said Howard O. Popoola has joined the company as vice president, quality assurance. He will be responsible for setting food safety and quality standards for Topco's lines of private-label food products. Popoola, 42, most recently was senior director of food safety and quality assurance at U.S. Foodservice in Rosemont, Ill. His experience in quality assurance systems also includes several years as corporate microbiologist at Dreyer's and Nestlé, and before that, he worked as quality systems supervisor at Kraft Foods.