SFA Names Board Officers, Directors

Specialty Food Association welcomed four new directors to its governing board for the 2024/25 term, as voted on and approved by its members at its Annual Member Meeting, Thursday. 

Board members, consisting of 15 individuals, must be employees, partners, or actively involved in the business or management of SFA member companies in good standing. They serve a three-year term. Members of the Class of 2027 include:

• Elizabeth Hemphill-Burns, BrainJuice    

• Loralie Holly, Texas Tamale Co./Brazos Legends                

• James Ren, Thrive Market

• Rodd Willis, Dot Foods, Inc.

Additionally, Sarah Masoni of the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center was re-elected after being appointed to a one-year term in 2023 to fill a vacancy.

"We are grateful… to all the volunteer leaders who will help guide SFA's strategic plan over their coming terms and steer the organization to continued success,” said Phil Robinson, SFA's SVP of member development, in a statement. “The diversity of our board, with directors from different backgrounds, experiences, and roles, nicely reflects the dynamic specialty food industry that we serve."

During the meeting, the following current board members were appointed as officers for 2024/2025:

• Chair: Nona Lim, Nona Lim

• Vice Chair: Pierre Abushacra, Firehook Bakery

• Treasurer: Dwight Richmond, Town & Country Markets

• Secretary: Sarah Wallace, The Good Bean

• Immediate Past Chair: Jon Pruden, TASTE Family of Businesses

Directors who are continuing to serve on the board in 2024/2025 are: 

Class of 2025

• Julie Busha, Slawsa

• Jill Giacomini Basch, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese    

• Victoria Ho, Sherpa CPG

• Nona Lim, Nona Lim

• Jon Pruden, TASTE Family of Businesses

Class of 2026

• Pierre Abushacra, Firehook Bakery

• Scott Jensen, Kosmos Q

• Michael Reich, Hanson Faso Sales & Marketing

• Dwight Richmond, Town & Country Markets

• Sarah Wallace, The Good Bean

Board members also serve on SFA committees. They are as follows for the 2024/2025 term: 

Finance Committee

• Dwight Richmond, Chair (ex-officio) Town & Country Markets

• Pierre Abushacra, Firehook Bakery

• Elizabeth Hemphill-Burns, Brainjuice

• Julie Busha, Slawsa

• Scott Jensen, Kosmos Q

• Michael Reich, Hanson Faso Sales & Marketing, Inc.

Nominating Committee

• Victoria Ho, Chair Sherpa CPG

• Jill Giacomini Basch, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese

• Cara Figgins, Former Director, PARTNERS, a Tasteful Choice Company

• Loralie Holly, Texas Tamale Co./Brazos Legends

• Jon Pruden, TASTE Family of Businesses

• James Ren, Thrive Market

DEI Committee

• Sarah Masoni, Chair OSU Food Innovation Center

• Pierre Abushacra, Firehook Bakery

• Elizabeth Hemphill-Burns, Brainjuice

• Loralie Holly, Texas Tamale Co./Brazos Legends

• James Ren, Thrive Market

In addition to the board members, more than 30 SFA members were appointed to serve on SFA councils and committees for the term:

Lynch highlighted SFA’s recent accomplishments, as well as outlined ongoing and upcoming activities.

“The staff, the board, and I remain laser-focused on serving your needs, and we are steadfast in our commitment to you,” said Lynch, in an address to the SFA members attending the virtual event.

In the over 70-year history of the organization, the last three years have ranked in the top three for membership growth, he explained, with 916 new member companies having joined the Association in the past year. Additionally, SFA currently represents a record number of buyer members, including 114 new buyers that joined in the past year.

The president also outlined ways that SFA is driving value for members. For the first time, the soon-to-be-released State of the Specialty Food Industry report and the 2024 Today's Specialty Food Consumer report, which comes out this fall, will be free for SFA members, a roughly $1,400 value.

Mentorship and exchange groups also provide a way for members to engage with the community throughout the year, said Lynch.

“This past year, we launched a mentorship program which pairs industry veterans with new startup companies. The beauty of these relationships is that both participant groups can learn from each other,” said Lynch. The newly launched exchange groups, on the other hand, bring together a small group of senior executives to discuss common challenges in the industry, and share information and insights.

Anticipating the Summer Fancy Food Show, taking place in just a few days, Lynch also highlighted that applications are open for the Maker Prep cohort for the class of 2025. The six-month program will culminate in a graduation ceremony at the next Winter Fancy Food Show.

“Our aggressive goal is to onboard 100 promising, new upstart maker member companies, offering them an extensive educational program and SFA experience,” said Lynch. Participants will benefit from continuous online connections, networking opportunities, and business coaching.