Following the union of the United Fresh Produce Association (UFPA) and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Cathy Burns will take a singular CEO role for the merged organization, the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA),  starting March 31, 2022.

Burns and the past President of United Fresh, Tom Stenzel, were both serving as Co-CEOs, and now according to a IFPA statement, Burns will take the top slot and Stenzel will move into a consulting role, working closely with her through June 2022.

 “Tom is a highly skilled and impactful executive who has spent almost 3 decades serving the fresh produce industry and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Serving IFPA with him has been a true partnership and I look forward to continued collaboration as he has agreed to stay on as an advisor and counsel to the IFPA team through the end of June”, Burns said in the statement.

March 31 also marks a year since the two former Boards of Directors announced the merger that brought the UFPA and PMA together on January 1, 2022.

“I’m pleased to begin this new consulting role to assist Cathy and IFPA, and will do everything I can to support our future success.  At the same time, I’m excited to begin a new career phase helping additional clients in our great industry drive their own success,” Stenzel said.

During the next several months, Burns and Stenzel will work together to make the most effective transition, reaching out to stakeholders in government, the media and global partners in and outside of the produce and floral industries.