Washington, D.C.—Jon Fiume, chief operating officer at Mustard Seed Market & Café in Akron, OH, was chosen to be the next president of the Natural Products Association (NPA). He begins a one-year role as president-elect this month.

Fiume has been a member of the NPA for the past 18 yeras and a member of the Board of Directors since 2010. He has decades of retail experience under his belt. He currently oversees the daily operations of Mustard Seed and helps implement the stores’ business strategies. Before coming to Mustard Seed in 2014, Fiume was the vice president of retailer operations at Ritzman Pharmacies in Wadsworth, OH.

"It is an exciting time for the association, and I’m eager to assist Dr. Fabricant and the entire NPA staff in helping the organization reach its next level. This was the driving force behind why I decided to run for president of NPA," Fiume told WholeFoods. "I look forward to collaborating with the NPA team, both staff and members, to ensure the association is best serving the industry, growing NPA membership, and enhancing the opportunities for retailers and suppliers to work together to achieve more in today’s marketplace."

NPA also announced election results for its 2015 Board of Directors, which include five supply chairs (Robert Craven of FoodState, Jane Drinkwalter of Vitamer Laboratories, Harvey Kamil of NBTY, Inc., Al Powers of NOW Health Group and Joe Weiss of The Vitamin Shoppe) and three retailer chairs (Carolyn Behrman of Natural Choices for Healthful Living, Donnie Caffery of Good Foods Grocery and Howard Pollack of Rainbow Acres). Each member’s two-year term starts this month.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, January 2015 (online 12/11/14)