The North Carolina State Ports Authority announced the arrival of industry veteran Doug Vogt as its next chief operating officer. At North Carolina Ports, Vogt will apply his extensive experience to further improve the operational excellence at the port of Wilmington, port of Morehead City and Charlotte Inland Port. Specifically, he will direct and coordinate the activities of all terminal operations. He will also oversee the execution of the infrastructure investment plan.

“Doug is the perfect addition to round out our leadership team. His experience and knowledge of the industry will be

Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers announced the addition of two new members to its sales team and the internal promotion of three key staff members. The additional staff will be instrumental in supporting the ongoing significant growth for Bard Valley Date Growers.

Derrick Stinnet, joining as director of international sales, brings 15 years of industry experience to BVDG specializing in international trade. Prior positions included four years as vice president of international sales and marketing at The Grapery.

Liam Slavin, joining as Northeast sales rep, has a background in sales and

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association has named Christina Morton as its new director of communications. She replaces Lisa Lochridge, who will retire Dec.1.

An experienced strategic communicator with a strong public relations background, Morton comes to FFVA from Consensus Communications, a well-known Orlando, FL, public relations firm. She is nationally accredited in public relations.

“We are very pleased that Christina has chosen to share her experience and talent with our industry,” said FFVA President Mike Joyner. “Our members will benefit greatly from her expertise in strategic

During the Idaho Potato Commission’s October meeting three new commissioners representing the grower sector of the industry were sworn in: Ron Ambrose of Four Ace Farms in Wendell; Mark Darrington of Big D Farms in Declo; and Eric Jemmett of J&S Farms in Parma. Each serve a three-year term. Todd Cornelison of High Country Potatoes and Brett Jensen of Brett Jensen Farms were appointed chairman and vice chairman, respectively.   

“Growers are the backbone of the Idaho potato industry and I’m pleased to welcome Ron, Mark and Eric, all growers to the Idaho Potato Commission. With close to 100

Sev-Rend is pleased to announce the addition of James (JC) Nyssen as its new Pacific Northwest Sales Manager

Bringing JC Nyssen on as the Pacific Northwest Sales Manager lines up with Sev-Rend’s goals to further service its clients in the produce industry with high-performance packaging. This move allows Sev-Rend to further support the ever-growing fresh produce industry.

“JC brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Sev-Rend team that will allow us to grow in some key areas within the fresh produce packaging world” stated Rob Williams, chief executive officer of Sev-Rend.  “His

Smith’s Farm, a leading East Coast grower-shipper of broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes marketed under the Stag brand, announced the hiring of Peter Hallowell as chief financial officer. Hallowell’s established career in finance and the ag industry makes him a perfect fit for the Smith family businesses.

Hallowell, who grew up on a seed potato farm in northern Maine, has an MBA with a concentration in economics and finance from the University of Maine. He started his career in banking in the early 1990s and managed the Northern Maine Region for Farm Credit East, ACA for 23 years. He serves as