Markon, whose reputation is built upon its dedication to food safety, hired Kate Burr as its new food-safety director. In her new role, Burr will use her proficiency of field and processing practices, product recall expertise, and sustainability knowledge to enhance Markon’s food-safety initiatives. She will be responsible for compliance with Markon’s 5-Star Food Safety Program standards throughout Markon’s supply chain; ensure all Markon First Crop, Ready-Set-Serve, and Markon Essentials products meet or exceed its stringent food-safety standards; and serve as the voice of Markon for all food

The Allen Lund Co. announced the promotion of Keith Curtis to the position of IT director; Jill Smith will take over his former role of manager of integrations. In this role, Curtis will take on the direct oversight of systems, integrations and desktop support groups. He will continue to work closely with the company's IT teams. “I am proud of Keith’s hard work and dedication for Allen Lund company. Keith has done a remarkable job in leading our EDI team from a one-person show to some of the smartest engineers in the country," said Chetan Tandon, CIO of ALC. “EDI-setup turnaround time has

The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas hired Andrea Ortega as its communications coordinator. Ortega, a local native to the area, graduated from the University of Arizona and has a strong background in marketing, communications, event coordination, import/export knowledge and project management from her work in various organizations including the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Peace of Mind Events, Grupo GOCM, Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, and the Tubac Chamber of Commerce where she completed one of her last roles as executive director. Additionally, Ortega is involved with various

Limoneira Co., a diversified citrus growing, packing, selling and marketing company with related agribusiness activities and real estate development operations, announced organizational changes to its marketing department. John Chamberlain, who served the company for over 15 years, in his most recent role as vice president of marketing, retired Dec. 30. “We express our collective gratitude to John Chamberlain for his years of marketing leadership and dedicated service to Limoneira,” said Harold Edwards, Limoneira president and CEO. Marketing Manager Michael Gonzales, who has been with the

Robert R. Glasser, a member of the produce industry for more than 60 years, died peacefully in his sleep on Dec. 22. He was 87. Mr. Glasser was born Nov. 20, 1933 in Los Angeles to Jacob and Rose Glasser. He joined his father in the family-owned food importing, processing and distribution business Torn & Glasser after graduating from UCLA and serving a two-year commitment with the US Army, first in in El Paso and then finishing in Hollywood. For over 60 years, Mr. Glasser started his workday at 2 a.m., opening across from the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. He lived life to the fullest

Naturipe has named Alvaro G. Alezard as its new vice president of finance. In his new role, Alezard will manage Naturipe’s finance department and help implement strategies to optimize operational and financial performance. With over 20 years of experience working as a global finance executive, Alezard will bring a new perspective to Naturipe. He will help continue to build the strength and efficiency of the accounting and finance department, streamline processes to improve productivity up and down the supply chain, and further strengthen revenue generation and profit margins. “I’m fascinated