American Frozen Food Institute Elects New Board Members

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) announced the election of three officers and nine members to the AFFI Board of Directors. The elections took place at the AFFI Annual Meeting and Keynote Breakfast held in conjunction with the 2014 AFFI Frozen Food Convention in San Diego, Calif. The newly-elected AFFI officers are: Dave Yanda of Lakeside Foods as chairman; Paul Bakus of Nestlé USA as vice chairman; and Jeff Varcoe of The Schwan Food Company as immediate past chairman. Yanda is president and CEO of Lakeside Foods, a privately-held international private-label food maker headquartered in Manitowoc, Wis., with 15 production facilities and eight distribution centers in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ohio. Bakus is president of corporate affairs for Nestlé, named one of "The World's Most Admired Food Companies" in Fortune magazine for 16 consecutive years, providing quality brands and products that bring flavor to life every day. Varcoe is vice president of food safety and quality for The Schwan Food Company, a privately-held company based in Marshall, Minn., that makes and sells branded frozen food products through home delivery, retail and foodservice channels throughout North America. "On behalf of the American Frozen Food Institute, the only national association dedicated solely to the interests of companies engaged throughout the frozen food sector, we applaud the service and commitment of these frozen food leaders," says Kraig R. Naasz, AFFI President and CEO. "Each individual brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, which will assist AFFI in enhancing the value we provide our diverse, and growing, membership." The nine board members elected to three-year terms are: Bob Ashmun of National Frozen Foods; Denny Belcastro of Hillshire Brands; Paul DiGenova of Bonduelle North America; Stan Firestone of Firestone Pacific Foods; Andrew Loucks of The Kellogg Co.; Tom Madden of Rite Stuff Foods; David Moore of Superior Foods; Paul Palmby of Seneca Foods; and Mark Schiller of Pinnacle Foods.