People in the News

Sunbelt Sales and Marketing appointed Angie Lewis field sales manager.

James Oppenheimer, former regional president of Whole Foods Market, opened Oppenheimer Enterprises, an investment firm.

Mrs. Leeper’s Pasta Co. hired Joe Browne, Randy Moore and Cliff Stout as district managers.

Mark Novak, former president and COO of Arrowhead Mills/Deboles, joined Northeast Cooperatives in Brattleboro, VT, as director of purchasing.

Rexall Sundown Inc. named as COO Ian Stuart, former president of the Mead Johnson Nutritional unit of Bristol-Meyers Squibb Co. He succeeds Dean DeSantis, who retired in March.

Amrion Inc., a subsidiary of Whole Foods Market Inc., said Steve Ramirez was promoted to managing director of the company’s Brand Partners private-label division. Rick Schultz was appointed to the newly created position of director of new-product development for the direct-marketing division.

Nutraceutix Inc. named Lyndon Johnson, formerly with Olympian Laboratories and Weider Nutrition, VP of sales and marketing.

The Hain Food Group Inc. said executive functions are now consolidated at its Uniondale, NY, offices and announced management changes following its recent purchases of Westbrae, Arrowhead Mills, Terra Chips, Garden of Eatin’, and DeBoles Nutritional Foods. Andrew Jacobson is president, sales and customer service, for Hain’s Natural and Specialty food brands; Benjamin Brecher is promoted to senior VP of operations; Gary Jacobs is senior VP of finance, treasurer, assistant secretary and CFO; Jack Kaufman, current CFO, is senior VP of business development and strategic planning; Ellen Deutsch remains senior VP of marketing; Alexander Dzieduszycki is VP and GM of the Snack Food Division; James Lemsky is promoted to VP of sales for natural and specialty food channels; Rebecca Remley is VP of sales for the Snack Food Division; Rena Cohen-Kozin is director of human resources and administration; Charles Nixon is controller of the Snack Food Division; and Stephen Schorr is GM of Hain’s West Coast operations and warehousing facilities.

Clif Bar Inc. promoted Warren “Buzz” Truitt to COO from director of international sales and Katherine Alexander to VP of sales from national sales director. Mary Harvat was appointed central regional sales manager.

HealthRite said Charles Walgreen Sr. was reassigned from president of Montana Naturals to full-time corporate VP for business development, with special emphasis on Montana Naturals branded and custom manufacturing businesses. Sterling Gabbitas, VP and GM, will assume responsibilities of HLRT’s Arlee, MT, facilities, where a 16,000-sq.-ft. expansion is under way.

Organic Trade Association Executive Director Katherine DiMatteo was awarded the 1998 Cliff Adler “Heart in Business” award at Expo East in Baltimore.

Boulder Fruit Express appointed Scott DeLaurentiis director of sales.

Herbalife International Inc. appointed Mervyn Stark VP of Southeast Asia, including responsibility for the company’s planned expansion into China.

Ashland Chemical Co.’s Fine Ingredients Division named David Solomon, former general manager for Whole Herb Co., source manager for its Nutritional Products business.

Nutritional Laboratories International Inc. of Lolo, MT, hired Stacey O’Reilly Petrey as director of sales and technical services.

Weider Nutrition International Inc. hired Judi Quilici Timmeke as VP, research and product development, and Alan Shugarman as research and product development director for sports nutrition.

Kathy McLeod was promoted from product development manager to director of marketing for Natrol Inc. Richard Goebel assumes her former position.

The Rainforest Co. of St. Louis assembled a new management team. Jerry Fitzgerald is VP of sales and national sales manager; Jim Holmes is VP of marketing; Jim Shankin is VP of sales, Western region; and Chuck Schmitz is CFO.