Jim Barnard has been appointed director of technical sales for J&K Ingredients, Paterson, N.J., while Kurt Miller, Midwest director of sales for J&K Ingredients, will head up the company’s new Midwest office. 

Flowers Foods, Thomasville, Ga., has promoted two executives within its accounting team. Karyl H. Lauder has been named vice president and chief accounting officer. Vandy T. Davis has been appointed vice president and corporate controller.

Rondo Doge North America has appointed John Latshaw after-sales service manager for North America. Latshaw will coordinate parts and service efforts across Rondo Doge’s offices in New Jersey and Toronto, Canada.

Mary’s Gone Crackers of Gridley, Calif., has a new vice president of sales: Mike Quinn. Previously, Quinn was vice president of sales for Kashi.

Christopher Gagnon has joined Boston Gourmet Chefs as partner and vice president of sales and development. Gagnon is former vice president of business and product development for Dancing Deer Baking Co., also of Boston.

Stan McCarthy has been appointed chief executive designate for Kerry Group in Tralee, Ireland. McCarthy continues as Kerry Americas’ president as he transitions to his new position. Meanwhile, Gerry Behan has been appointed president and CEO designate of Kerry Americas as of January 2008. Behan has served as senior vice president and chief operating officer for Kerry Americas since 2004.

John Freeland has joined Information Resources, Inc. of Chicago as president and chief executive officer. Freeland is the former president of worldwide operations for salesforce.com.

Sasa-Demarle, the North American subsidiary of Groupe SASA Industrie, relocated Eric Tellier to its offices in Cranbury, N.J. Tellier was named sales and marketing manager for the U.S. and Canadian business units of Groupe Sasa in January.

At Schenck AccuRate, Inc., Whitewater, Wis., Dirk Maroske has assumed the position of president, and Neal Mueller will continue in his position of chief financial officer. Maroske and Mueller will work together to fulfill the responsibilities formerly conducted by recently retired CEO Greg Fream.

Barry Callebaut, Chicago, has appointed Gjergj Dollani brand marketing manager. Dollani develops new products and realign gourmet brands for growth in North America.

At Reading Bakery Systems, Robesonia, Pa., Chip Czulada has been promoted to chief financial officer and director of operations, Dulcinea Brendlen has been promoted to manager of marketing services, Chris Kline has been promoted to service project coordinator, and Frank Zwiercan recently was hired as project engineer.

ConAgra Mills, Omaha, Neb., has announced that Virgil Smail will join the company as senior director of research, quality and innovation. Smail joins ConAgra Mills from Lallemand, Inc., where he was senior vice president of the start-up Nutritional Food Ingredient division.

Juanita’s Foods, Wilmington, Calif., announces the appointments of Mark and Aaron De La Torre as co-CEOs of the family-owned company. The brothers are sons of George De La Torre Jr., chairman of the board, and George De La Torre Sr., who along with his nephew Albert Guerrero, co-founded Juanita’s Foods in 1946.

At Solvay Chemicals, Inc., Houston, Texas, Marcie Peters has been named vice president, supply chain. Cameron Berry has been appointed to the position of business director, soda ash. Gary Waller has been made director, customer services and imported products.  

Alfred Schwan, chairman of Schwan Food Co., Marshall, Minn., was recognized last week by the School Nutrition Association of Kansas with the Outstanding Industry Member of the Year award.

Jim Kabbani has been named executive director of the Tortilla Industry Association (TIA). His areas of expertise are revenue generation, customer acquisition, and strategic partnerships.

AACC International has installed its new leadership: Mary Ellen Camire, president-elect; Maureen Olewnik, director; Sergio O. Serna Saldivar, director; Rob Hamer, chair; Laura Hansen, treasurer; Margaret Bath, director;  Jan Delcour, director; Elizabeth Knight, director; and Moses Okot-Kotber, director.

Shanae Randolph has been appointed corporate communications manager at MGP Ingredients, Inc., Atchison, Kan. Before joining MGPI, Randolph was economic development and convention and visitors bureau director for the city of Lansing, Kan.