NGA Names New Board Members

LAS VEGAS — For the first time in its 27-year history, the National Grocers Association has elected manufacturers to its board of directors. As announced last week at the opening session of NGA's annual convention here, the four new manufacturer directors are Dennis Belcastro, vice president, customer development and industry relations, Kraft Foods; Jerry Brown, vice president, industry and customer development, Unilever; Ted Herrod, vice president and general manager, strategic grocery, Pepsico; and Mark Wagner, executive vice president, sales, and chief customer officer, U.S. Morning Foods, part of Kellogg USA. Newly elected retail board members are Juvenal Chavez Sr., chairman and chief executive officer of Mi Pueblo Food Center, San Jose, Calif., and Ken Hubbard, CEO, Western Supermarkets, Birmingham, Ala.; plus wholesaler Christopher Brown, executive vice president, food distribution, Nash Finch Co., Minneapolis. Two wholesalers and a retailer were also appointed to fill board vacancies: Jerry Garland, executive vice president, marketing, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Kansas City, Kan.; and Jack Porter, vice president, sales, Kehe Food Distributors, Romeoville, Ill., on the wholesale side; and Bobby Ukrop, president and CEO, Ukrop's Super Markets, Richmond, Va., on the retail side.

NASH FINCH PROMOTES BRUNOT

MINNEAPOLIS — Nash Finch here, having completed the previously announced acquisition of three distribution centers from GSC Enterprises, a food distributor based in Sulphur Springs, Texas, said that Edward Brunot, senior vice president, military, will take on an additional role as president and chief operating officer of MDV, Nash Finch's Norfolk, Va.-based military commissary and exchange business. Brunot will oversee existing MDV businesses and the new GSC centers.

HEPFINGER NAMED TO WEIS BOARD

SUNBURY, Pa. — David Hepfinger, president and chief executive officer of Weis Markets here, has been named to the company's board of directors, Weis said. Hepfinger takes the place on the board vacated by Norman S. Rich, the former CEO, who has retired, the company said.

BEIT JOINS AG NEW ENGLAND

KEENE, N.H. — Nathan Beit has joined Associated Grocers of New England as director of business development, responsible primarily for new business development in the Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut markets. Beit spent more than 25 years with Beit Bros. Super Markets, a family supermarket group based in Uncasville, Conn., as vice president from 1989 to 2008 and perishable operations manager prior to that. He is also a former vice president and director of the New England Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association.