The Specialty Food Association, whose Governance Committee and Board of Directors have worked over the past year to modernize the governance of the Association, announced its new directors during its annual Member Meeting, Monday.
The new Board reflects a diverse set of members, with existing directors elected to serve one- and two-year terms and new directors elected to serve three-year terms:
Three-Year Terms (2020 – 2023)
Pierre Abushacra (maker, Firehook Bakery)
Sana Javeri Kadri (maker, Diaspora Co.)
Tyler Lowell (broker, CA Fortune)
Sarah Masoni (affiliate, Oregon State University Food Innovation Center)
Sarah Wallace (maker, The Good Bean Inc.)
Two-Year Terms (2020-2022)
Jill Giacomini Basch (maker, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.)
Julie Busha (maker, Slawsa)
Mark Kroencke (distributor, KeHe Distributors LLC)
Nona Lim (maker, Nona Lim)
Jon Pruden (buyer, Taste)
One-Year Terms (2020-2021)
Charlie Apt (maker, Sarabeth’s Kitchen)
William “Pete” Booker (maker, Savannah’s Candy Kitchen)
Emilio Mignucci (buyer, Di Bruno Bros.)
Lee Zalben (maker, Peanut Butter & Co.)
Becky Renfro Borbolla, senior vice president of Renfro Foods and outgoing Co-Chair of the Board, announced during the Zoom member meeting that SFA members voted overwhelmingly to aprove this 14-member slate, which represents all classifications of members, new and established companies, and reflects SFA’s diverse membership.
“Many associations present a slate of directors as a means to make sure that all member classifications are part of the governance of the association. SFA has historically presented individual candidates but the results have been a Board that is not as reflective of the membership,” she said.
The slate was developed by the SFA’s Governance Committee, which reviewed all nominations and interviewed candidates, Renfro Borbolla said.
The following additions were also made to the election process:
- Board officers are elected to one-year terms, allowing more directors to embrace leadership roles.
- Board members are elected to three-year terms to ensure continuity within the Board.
- Board elections are scheduled every year to ensure there is opportunity for members to serve.
- Board service is limited to six years, to encourage members with new ideas to volunteer for service.
Resolution Approved to Maintain Nonprofit Status
SFA members also voted in favor of a resolution to keep the Association’s nonprofit status.
“Some of you may have been contacted by a campaign called Members First that wants to take over the SFA and use its assets to create a for-profit company,” Renfro Borbolla said. “We believe this is the wrong direction for the Association and wanted our members to confirm that through this resolution.”
The resolution states that the SFA and its Board will continue to support and promote members in the following ways:
- Conducting trade shows, education, and other business development opportunities for the benefit of members.
- Maintaining prudent fiscal management, with dues and fees that continue wherever possible to be less than those of competing organizations and events, consistent with the SFA’s not-for-profit status.
- Continuing to operate as a not-for-profit, 501(c)(6) trade association, for the benefit of members, and not at this time consider selling the SFA’s trade shows (the Fancy Food Shows) to for-profit operators.
Virtual Member Services
SFA Interim President Bill Lynch outlined the programs that the SFA is offering members to help them navigate the uncharted terrain of the current business climate.
“With so much unrest and uncertainty, our focus is on how to deliver value and serve you best,” he said. “We will continue to improve what’s working well, fix what’s broken, and develop programs and services to help grow your businesses.”
In that vein, the SFA has hosted more than 30 free webinars in the past three-and-a-half months, on topics including Top Legal Considerations, Practical Guidance for Food Manufacturers, SBA Programs that Can Help, and Selling on Amazon in the Time of COVID and Beyond. Recordings of the webinars may be accessed on specialtyfood.com.
The SFA is also planning a virtual event for the fall, according to Lynch.
“While we could have thrown together something quickly with off-the-shelf offerings, instead we wanted to carefully and thoughtfully craft what we think will be an amazing opportunity for our members,” Lynch said. “The program is still being built out, but at the heart of it is a really sophisticated matchmaking technology that we think is going to be a great benefit in getting our maker and buyer members connected.”
As part of its effort to connect members and buyers, the SFA has also developed a program for members to leverage the online product marketplace and marketing platforms to get videos of their product pitches in front of buyers and members of the press.
“This is another great opportunity that is part of your membership and allows you to get your branding in front of thousands of influencers, buyers, and press,” said Lynch.
The SFA will also launch SFA Feed, a mobile app and web-based platform that will consolidate the SFA’s content into a single resource. As it renews its focus on digital media, the SFA will stop printing its quarterly Specialty Food magazine, he said.
Lynch also discussed plans for the Winter Fancy Food Show, which is scheduled for Jan. 19-21, 2021, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
“Our commitment to you is that we are going through an extensive planning process behind the scenes to figure out the best opportunity we can present to help you conduct business in an environment that you feel safe and comfortable in,” he said.
SFA staff is working out best- and worst-case scenarios as it plans for the event and is exploring the possibility of alternate dates later in Q1, venues in different cities, and business models for the event, according to Lynch.
“As our plans evolve, we will start messaging the community as we continue to solicit your feedback,” he said.
Related: SFA Releases State of the Specialty Food Industry, 2020-2021 Edition; Specialty Food Association Names Bill Lynch Interim President.
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