New York, NY (August 8, 2025) New faces and perspectives have joined the governing board of the not-for-profit Specialty Food Association (SFA). Following a voting period in the spring and early summer, members of the Association approved a new group of Board Officers and new Directors for the 2025-2026 term. The new Board of Directors roster was announced at SFA’s Annual Member Meeting on Thursday, June 26.
The following Directors were appointed as Board Officers for 2025-2026:
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Board Chair: Pierre Abushacra, Firehook
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Vice Chair: Scott Jensen, Kosmos Q
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Treasurer: Dwight Richmond, Town & Country Markets
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Secretary: Sarah Masoni, Oregon State University Food Innovation Center
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Immediate Past Chair: Nona Lim
“I’m super honored to be stepping into this role and especially excited to be doing it at a time when so many new independent makers and innovators are relying on the SFA to launch and grow their businesses,” said Abushacra.
SFA’s Board of Directors is responsible for the overall governance of the SFA as a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization. Board members are all actively involved in the business or management of SFA member companies in good standing.
SFA also announced that three new Directors have joined the Board: Heather Brand of Thrive Market, Lucia Conejo-Mir of Ines Rosales USA, LLC, and Harrison Kahn of Vermont Creamery. Victoria Ho of Khalo Inc. was re-elected.
Each of these Directors will serve a three-year term through June 2028.
“The strength of the SFA comes from our engaged members and the steady leadership of our Board,” said Bill Lynch, President of the Specialty Food Association. “I want to thank every member who took time to vote this year. We’re deeply grateful to the dedicated volunteer leaders who will help shape our direction and drive our mission forward in the years ahead.”
Directors who are continuing to serve on the Board in 2025-2026 are:
Class of 2025-2026
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Michael Reich, Hanson Faso Sales & Marketing
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Dwight Richmond, Town & Country Market
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Pierre Abushacra, Firehook
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Scott Jensen, Kosmos Q
Class of 2026-2027
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Sarah Masoni, Oregon State University Food Innovation Center
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James Ren, GoodSAM
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Rodd Willis, BeyondBrands
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Loralie Holly, Texas Tamale Co./Brazos Legends
In addition to the Board of Directors, more than 35 SFA members were appointed to serve on SFA councils and committees for the 2025-2026 term, helping to guide the Association’s approach to priority services and programs including membership, trade shows, buyer engagement, community, inclusion, and belonging, and more.
For more information, visit specialtyfood.com.
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About the Specialty Food Association
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) was founded in 1952 and is the not-for-profit trade association of the $207-billion specialty food industry. Representing more than 4,000 businesses worldwide, SFA champions industry participation and success for a diverse community of makers, buyers, importers, distributors, and service providers by producing events, programs, and year-round resources and education. SFA owns and operates the Summer Fancy Food Show, Winter FancyFaire*, and the sofi™ Awards, which have honored excellence in specialty food and beverage annually since 1972. SFA also produces the e-newsletter Specialty Food SmartBrief, the Trendspotter Panel annual predictions, and Show reports. Find out more at Specialtyfood.com, and connect with SFA on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and X.
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