The Food Processing Suppliers Association has announced that David Seckman will join the association this August as president and CEO.

The Food Processing Suppliers Association has announced that David Seckman will join the association this August as president and CEO. He will succeed Dr. George Melnykovich, who is retiring this year after 23 years as president of FPSA.

In making the announcement, Barry Shoulders, president of Packaging Technologies and chairman of the board of FPSA, said: “We are pleased to have an individual with David’s vast experience and a superb record of accomplishments take the helm at a most significant time in our association’s history.”

Seckman, Shoulders said, “is keenly aware of the challenges facing the global food and beverage industry and he is uniquely qualified to lead FPSA to meet those challenges successfully.”

Seckman comes to FPSA from the Natural Products Association, where he was the chief executive officer for the past nine years. Prior to NPA, he was with the American Health Care Association in Washington. Seckman has vast experience in trade show development and management as well as international outreach, two program areas of great importance to FPSA. He has a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University and a master’s from the University of Illinois.

Additionally, FPSA recently announced a new partnership with the Institute of Food Technologists. FPSA will co-locate its trade show, Process Expo, with the IFT Annual Conference and Food Expo in Chicago beginning in July 2010.

This brings together two premier events that will draw a range of food industry professionals interested in product development, processing, packaging and the science of food.

Each year, the FPSA Process Expo draws about 10,000 food processing and packaging professionals during its three-day meeting while the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo welcomes more than 18,000 professionals working in the food science and technology fields. In 2010, the two events will be held on separate expo floors but will be in close proximity within Chicago’s McCormick Place to expand offerings for those interested in food science, food technology, packaging and processing.

“We are extremely pleased that we can generate new opportunities for both our exhibitors and show attendees,” said IFT Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan. “Food industry professionals interested in attending Process Expo will have an additional compelling reason to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting & Food Expo, especially if their work is in the area of food engineering, processing, product development, packaging, quality assurance or foodservice.”

The partnership provides a unique opportunity to expand food safety education across the food chain.

Exhibitors at both Process Expo and Food Expo have a shared commitment to food safety, and the agreement will generate new opportunities to develop educational programming that will expand food safety education throughout the food chain. In addition, the combination of both expos creates an additional value for corporate teams with interests ranging from product development to production.

“This partnership unites the world’s leading suppliers with their customers in the food and beverage industry,” Melnykovich said. “The resulting dialog between the two will produce a greater experience for all food professionals at every level of the food value chain.”

For additional information on these organizations, visit www.ift.org and www.fpsa.org.