A.B.A. names president of Bimbo Bakeries as chairman

Fred Penny, president of Bimbo Bakeries USA, has been named chairman of the American Bakers Association.

WASHINGTON – Fred Penny, president of Bimbo Bakeries USA, has been named chairman of the American Bakers Association. The association’s members approved a slate of officers for the March 2016 to March 2018 term: Bradley K. Alexander, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Flowers Foods, will serve as first vice-chairman; Cordia Harrington, chief executive officer of Tennessee Bun Co., will serve as second vice-chairman; Erin Sharp, group vice-president, manufacturing of The Kroger Co., remains as treasurer; and Rich Scalise, chairman and c.e.o. of Hearthside Food Solutions, will serve as immediate past chairman.

To ensure the perspectives of the industry’s up-and-coming leaders are included in the discussions of the A.B.A. leadership, the NextGenBaker Committee co-chairs have been invited to participate as special guests at the 2016-2018 A.B.A. board meetings. The current co-chairs, Jesse Amoroso, vice-president of Amoroso’s Baking Co., and Morgan Murphy, in sales for Mother Murphy’s Flavors, will be the first NextGenBaker representatives to participate.

Robb MacKie, president and c.e.o. of the A.B.A.

“We are going into this new term with an incredibly strong board of directors who are active leaders eager to engage in driving the strategic vision of our organization,” said Robb MacKie, president and c.e.o. of the Washington-based A.B.A. “They see the inclusion of the NextGenBakers as a meaningful step – to bring in the voices of an important segment of the industry and A.B.A. membership.”