When Bob Morrissey joined the National Watermelon Association nearly 20 years ago as the organization’s first executive director, there was no blueprint to follow. He was tasked with setting a new course for one of the oldest commodity-specific organizations in the world.

“I was presented with a blank slate when I came on board,” he told The Produce News recently. “What we built was a vision to incorporate the best programs that were in existence elsewhere, while always keeping the focus on the growers. I have always believed that if the growers are successful, then the industry would be as

As the National Watermelon Association prepares for the departure of longtime Executive Director Bob Morrissey, it also looks forward to embarking on a new chapter with a new leader.

George Szczepanski joined the NWA in January and will officially take the helm of the association during its 108th annual convention Feb. 22-26 in Asheville, NC. While Szczepanski is new to the watermelon industry, he has already amassed a wealth of experience in produce.

Szczepanski is a graduate of St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, earning a bachelor’s degree in food marketing. Prior to graduation, he

Flashfood added Nicholas Bertram to its leadership team in a newly created position of president and chief operating officer.

‍Bertram joins the company with more than 20 years of experience in the retail industry where he has dedicated his career to achieving sustainability, innovation and growth for companies including Jewel-Osco, Walmart and most recently as president of The Giant Co., an Ahold Delhaize brand.

‍Betram’s appointment comes on the heels of a historic year for Flashfood. The company has successfully diverted over 65 million pounds of food from landfills — a milestone achieved

Ten Acre Marketing added two new team members to its ranks: Jonnah Lee and Simon Andrys.

“Our company is growing and we’re thrilled to welcome Simon and Jonnah into two key roles to further support our network of clients who are advancing agriculture,” said Ten Acre Marketing CEO Leah Halverson.

Andrys joins the Ten Acre team as art director. The award-winning creative professional has built his creative career around marketing, providing services for clients large and small. Andrys will lead Ten Acre’s creative team, providing an aesthetic vision and technical acumen to expand the creative

Gelson's has promoted John Bagan to president and CEO following the departure of Rob McDougall, who has retired from Gelson's after 15 years with the Southern California-based brand. The new leadership position marks Bagan's third promotion in two years, most recently moving from chief operating officer into the role of president in July 2022.

Gelson's has concurrently promoted Rich Gillmore to vice president of center store and Sean Saenz to vice president fresh foods, while announcing key title changes to reflect additional responsibilities:

• Paul Kneeland is now senior vice president of

Ross Lambert has joined RedLine Solutions as its director of software development. He has won awards as a software engineer and solutions architect, yet his greatest satisfaction has come from building and leading world class development teams.

“RedLine Solutions helps produce companies manage, store, pack, label and ship fresh produce with complete traceability," said Todd Baggett, CEO of RedLine Solutions. "In addition to supporting the new FSMA Section 204 record-keeping and reporting requirements, we are extending our software functionality. We needed a proven leader to grow our technical