Bryan Silbermann, President & CEO

Bryan Silbermann is President & CEO of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), the largest, global not-for-profit trade association representing companies that market fresh fruits, vegetables, and related products. PMA's membership of 3,000 companies in nearly 50 countries ranges from supermarket retailers to farmers, foreign exporters to restaurant chains. The association's programs promote the efficient distribution and increased consumption of members’ products around the world.

Silbermann joined PMA in 1983. In 1996, he was selected to become president. As the President & CEO of PMA, he directs more than 80 staff professionals.

Bryan has been instrumental in launching and developing new programs and services for the fresh produce and floral industry including:

• Produce for Better Health Foundation
• PMA’s Foundation for Industry Talent
• Center for Produce Safety at UC Davis
• PMA’s first affiliate: PMA Australia-New Zealand
• Research into consumer demand and groundbreaking trends
• Standardized coding systems (PLU and UPC)
• Produce Traceability Initiative
• Food safety communication campaigns

Silbermann is a frequent and sought-after speaker. He has been interviewed by media worldwide. Supermarket News recognized Bryan as one of the top fifty “power players” whose actions drive the food industry.

Born and raised in Durban, South Africa and studied there as well as at the University of Chicago and Oxford University, England. He currently lives in Delaware, USA, where PMA has its headquarters.

Bryan and his wife Bonnie have two sons (Gregg and Brian) and two treasured grandchildren, Toby and Emily. Gregg and his wife Julie are both teachers in France. Brian works in the financial services sector near Philadelphia. Bryan’s personal interests include music, community service, photography and travel.

Email Bryan at: bsilbermann@pma.com

Lorna D. Christie, Executive Vice President & COO

Lorna Christie joined PMA in 2002. As Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Christie directs the activities of PMA staff responsible for enhancing member and industry value. This staff team is responsible for membership recruitment and retention, PMA events, product development, government relations, industry technology and standards, public relations, marketing communications, volunteer activities and business development.

Ms. Christie is an accomplished spokesperson and marketing and public relations strategist, with proven crisis management and mitigation experience ranging from food safety issues to industry wide ethics.

Ms. Christie's career experience includes senior management roles in corporate, public and government organizations. The majority of her career was spent in Washington, D.C., as vice president, consumer affairs for the Direct Marketing Association. She also served under the George H.W. Bush Administration in the Office of the Special Advisor to the President, United States Office of Consumer Affairs, where she held the position of associate director for industry and international affairs.

Email Lorna at: lchristie@pma.com

Duane Eaton, Senior Vice President, Administration

Duane Eaton joined PMA in 1979. In his role as Senior Vice President of Administration, Eaton is responsible for providing members and staff with the appropriate infrastructure systems and support needed to access services, achieve strategic objectives, and grow member value.

Prior to joining PMA, he served as National Education, Manpower and Safety Manager for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) in Washington, D.C., as Apprenticeship Coordinator for the Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter of the ABC, and as secondary school teacher in Baltimore City.

Eaton achieved his Certified Exposition Manager (CEM) certification from the International Association of Exposition Management in 1987 and his Certified Association Executive (CAE) certification from the American Society for Association Executives in 1989.

Email Duane at: deaton@pma.com

Tony Parassio, Senior Vice President, Member Value Creation

Tony Parassio joined PMA in 2008 as Vice President of Business Development. In January of 2010, Parassio was appointed Senior Vice President, Member Value and a member of the senior management team of the association. In this role, he is responsible for leading and integrating Member and Volunteer Relations, Chapter Relations, Global Business Development, and Member Value Creation, which includes Education, Events, and Research and Development. Parassio’s team is charged with creating and delivering value for the association and its members around the globe.

Parassio earned a BS degree in Chemical Engineering at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, and has done graduate studies in marketing and leading organizational change. Prior to joining PMA, Parassio held a variety of commercial leadership roles with Fortune 500 global companies, including sales and product management , global business development, and executive positions.

Email Tony at: tparassio@pma.com

Robert J. Whitaker, Ph.D., Chief Science & Technology Officer

Dr. Whitaker is the Chief Science & Technology Officer for the Produce Marketing Association. In this role Dr. Whitaker has responsibility for food safety and security, environmental sustainability and technical innovations for the produce supply chain, from field to fork. He joined PMA in 2008.

Prior to Joining PMA, Dr. Whitaker’s experience includes a16-year tenure with DNA Plant Technology Corporation (DNAP) where he served as Vice President for Vegetable Research and Development, and Vice President of Product Development, managing the development of products ranging from extended life tomatoes to seedless watermelons and tobacco varieties.

In 1998, Dr. Whitaker joined NewStar as Vice President of Product Development and Quality where he developed corporate food safety programs throughout the U.S., Mexico and South America, spearheaded NewStar’s aggressive product development activities, and had operational responsibility for NewStar’s two value-added processing plants. In 2006, Dr. Whitaker became President of MissionStar Processing, where he re-organized the processing venture and streamlined operations. In early 2007, Dr. Whitaker moved back into New Star as Vice President of Innovation and Food Safety.

Actively involved in produce association activities, Dr. Whitaker has served as a volunteer leader for several industry trade groups. In 2006, Dr. Whitaker was awarded the International Fresh-cut Processors’ Association (IFPA) Technical Achievement Award for his work in food safety and product development.

Dr. Whitaker has been intimately involved in the development of the leafy greens GAP Metrics and also serves on both the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Technical Committees. In 2007, Dr. Whitaker was named to the Executive Advisory Board for the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) and serves as Chairman for the CPS Research and Technology Council (2008) which oversees the solicitation, review and funding for research projects focused on produce food safety.

Dr. Whitaker received his Ph.D. in Biology from the State University of New York at Binghamton.

Email Robert at: bwhitaker@pma.com

Yvonne Bull, Chief Financial Officer

Yvonne Bull joined PMA in 2002 as Director of Finance. She was promoted to CFO in 2009. Ms. Bull is responsible for the financial and fiscal management of the association which includes the general accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, tax and auditing functions. Ms. Bull has twenty years’ of experience in financial management, having previously served as Finance Director for the Delaware Theatre Company and an Accounting Manager with Brandywine Financial, a real estate investment company.

She possesses a Masters of Business Administration from Wilmington University and a Bachelor’s degree from Goldey-Beacom College, both in Delaware.

Email Yvonne at: ybull@pma.com

Margi Prueitt, Executive Director of PMA Foundation for Industry Talent

Margi joined the Produce Marketing Association Foundation for Industry Talent as the 2^nd Executive Director in 2010. She comes to the position after serving as the Executive Director of an economic development organization and a 35 year career with the American Red Cross. As CEO of the American Red Cross of the Delmarva Peninsula, Margi was responsible for:

• leading two successful mergers improving business capacity serving a population of over 1MM people;
• designing and implementing an operations model that increased a budget from $1.2 MM to $3.6 MM;
• improving the competency levels of members of Board of Directors resulting in increased support of other community leaders in the organization;
• building a nationally recognized system to increase public support following catastrophic disasters;
• increasing philanthropic income from less than $500,000 to over $1.2 million

Margi’s community involvement and recognition includes:

• Wilmington, DE Rotary Club: past president and vocational exchange team leader to South Africa
• Red Cross Tiffany Award for Employee Excellence
• Instructor for leadership-level executive development series
• Coach for the National Red Cross “rising star” executives
• Board of Corporators for Artisan Bank
• Volunteer – Food Bank of Delaware Anti-Hunger Coalition

Her education includes:

• Harvard J.F. Kennedy School of Government: Executive Leadership Program
• University of Louisville – MS in Community Development
• University of Kentucky – BA in Education

Margi and her husband, Ned Aksim live in Delaware with their two dogs and enjoy gardening, beach collecting, watching University of KY basketball, and time at their “off the grid” cabin in Canada.

Email Margi at: mprueitt@pma.com