Healthy Living People in the News

This week people are making news at United Natural Foods, FDA, Pharmaca and Bio Essentials.

United Natural Foods Inc. (Nasdaq: UNFI) has elected CEO Steven Townsend as chairman of its board of directors. Townsend has been on the board since December 2000; he's been CEO since January of this year. In total, Townsend has worked for UNFI for 20 years. In other UNFI personnel news, the board elected Thomas Simone, board vice chair, to the newly created position of lead independent director. In this position, Simone will coordinate the activities of the company's independent directors.

Joseph Levitt has retired from his position as director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). Levitt will move to a position as partner in a law firm at the beginning of 2004. Robert Brackett will take his place. Brackett has been responsible for the agency's food safety and security efforts since 2001.

Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy Inc. has hired Dan Milovich as VP of pharmacy operations. Milovich, who has more than 25 years of experience in the retail pharmacy industry, will direct Pharmaca's plan to expand to more than 100 stores. Currently Boulder, Colo.-based Pharmaca operates eights store in the Western U.S. Most recently, Milovich worked for the Kroger grocery chain company.

James Tonkin has resigned his post as president and CEO of Reno, Nev.-based Bio Essentials, developers of Motion Potion. Tonkin, who assumed his roles with the company a year ago, will continue to hold stock in the company and will also act as an advisor. Tonkin was brought on to help the company through its initial year, says Bio Essentials. Tonkin will now re-focus on his consulting clients. A Dec. 2 announcement did not name Tonkin's successor.