SAN DIEGO, CA — During the BEMA 2022 Convention held June 22-25, the association announced its 2022-23 board of directors and slate of officers.
For the upcoming term, Jay Hardy, national sales director for J&K Ingredients, was named as third vice chairman for the board of directors’ executive committee. Hardy joins Tim Cook, president and CEO of Linxis Group and immediate past chair; Clay Miller, president of Burford Corp. and second vice chair; Patrice Painchaud, VP of sales and marketing for Rexfab and first vice chair; and Jim Warren, VP of exact mixing for Reading Bakery Systems and board chair.
Warren spent four years serving BEMA’s Baking Industry Forum (BIF), six years on the Meetings and Convention Committee and nine years on the board of directors before being named as chair.
BEMA also elected Mike LaValle, corporate account manager for Intralox, and Audrey St. Onge, president and GM of Lallemand Baking, to the board of directors.
“Mike has shown years of dedication to BEMA through his years of service on multiple committees and the Baking Industry Forum,” said Rick Hoskins, president of Colborne Foodbotics, BEMA past board chair and nominating committee chair.
“This is an intriguing time for the industry and for BEMA.” — Jim Warren | VP of exact mixing for Reading Bakery Systems | BEMA board chair
St. Onge has served the industry as a baker and a supplier and has led several professional groups including BEMA’s Baking Industry Forum.
“This is an intriguing time for the industry and for BEMA,” Warren said. “The industry is recovering and moving forward, and in three short months, we’ll all be together again at IBIE in Las Vegas.”
During these challenging times, Warren issued a directive to all BEMA members: Get involved.
“Everyone in this association has an opportunity to be involved,” he said. “I’ve been attending BEMA meetings for more than 30 years. For the first 15 years, I considered it to be not much more than a place to meet customers. That attitude is okay, but somewhere along the way, I realized BEMA is much more. If you’re involved in BEMA beyond attending meetings, I say thank you. But if you’re not, now is the time to get involved.”
The 2022-23 BEMA board of directors is as follows:
- Jim Warren, VP, Exact Mixing, Reading Bakery Systems | board chair
- Patrice Painchaud, VP of sales and marketing, Rexfab | first vice chair
- Clay Miller, president, Burford Corp. | second vice chair
- Jay Hardy, national sales director for J&K Ingredients | third vice chair
- Tim Cook, president and CEO, Linxis Group | immediate past chair
- Delia Justable, global sanitary compliance manager, Forbo Siegling (not pictured)
- Paul Lattan, publisher, Commercial Baking | ABA Liaison
- Mike LaValle, corporate account manager, Intralox
- Mike Pierce, president, The Austin Co.
- Mark Podl, CEO, Doran Scales
- Eric Riggle, president, Rademaker USA
- Craig Souser, president and CEO, JLS Automation
- Joanie Spencer, editor-in-chief, Commercial Baking
- Audrey St. Onge, president and GM, Lallemand Baking
- Jason Ward, president, AMF Bakery Systems
- Allen Wright, VP of sales, Hansaloy | IBIE Representative
