The New England Produce Council Inc. has announced the appointment of Jodie Reardon as president, marking a historic milestone as the first female president in the organization’s history. NEPC also announced several executive board and director appointments that will support the council’s continued growth and leadership within the produce industry.

Reardon brings more than 24 years of experience in the produce industry. She began her career as an assistant buyer at Ahold USA before spending a decade as a buyer at Whole Foods Market. For the past eight years, she has held leadership roles at

Paulson Puerto Rico has announced a major transformation of its organizational structure, appointing Rafael Cedeño Paulson and Rolando Padua as its new co-CEOs. This strategic move coincides with the firm’s plan to invest over $1 billion in various projects across the island over the coming years.

The restructuring marks a new chapter for the company, which has been a prominent force in Puerto Rico's hospitality and real estate sectors since its establishment in 2013 by billionaire investor John Paulson. Under the new leadership, the company aims to capitalize on Puerto Rico's economic recovery

Keystone Fruit Marketing, a division of Progressive Produce, promoted Matthew Gideon to director of sales. Since joining Keystone in 2009, Gideon has played a key role in supporting the division’s growth, strengthening its year-round sweet onion program and building relationships with key accounts.

In his new role, Gideon will be responsible for all aspects of sales for the Keystone division. He will lead the company’s sales team in strategy, execution and customer partnerships across the company’s onion, sweet onion, apple, watermelon and citrus categories.

“I’m honored to step into this role

The NC Sweetpotato Commission recently held its annual meeting in Goldsboro, NC, and honored Craig Yencho with its 2026 Distinguished Service Award. The commission also elected a new slate of officers. 

Through his extensive work in agricultural research, Yencho has contributed invaluable knowledge to sweetpotato growers across the state. Whether it’s through developing new cultivation techniques, improving pest management practices or innovating new varieties, the efforts have significantly boosted both the quality and quantity of sweetpotatoes produced in North Carolina.

What makes this

Walmart has made executive leadership changes, including newly elected members of its Executive Council. Incoming President and CEO John Furner also shared four executive changes, including new presidents and CEOs of Walmart U.S., Walmart International and Sam’s Club U.S.

"Over my 32 years with Walmart, I’ve seen that our people are our greatest competitive advantage. These internal promotions reflect our culture of opportunity and the depth of our leadership bench,” Furner said. “These leadership changes also mark a key step in how we organize for the future. Even the best teams need the right

Village Fresh Greenhouse Grown has named Richie Keirouz as its vice president of sales.

Keirouz brings more than 25 years of sales leadership experience in the fresh produce and greenhouse-grown sector, with a strong track record of building strategic retail partnerships and driving commercial growth across North America. In his new role, he will lead Village Fresh’s sales strategy, oversee key account relationships and support the company’s continued expansion.

Prior to joining Village Fresh, Keirouz served as vice president of business development at Westmoreland Sales, where he focused on