Hall of Legends welcomes 12 honorees at Expo West 2015

Each year at Natural Products Expo West, New Hope Natural Media honors the industry's greatest contributors in its Hall of Legends ceremony. Legends are individuals at the center of stories about change—influencers who change the way we do what we do with enduring impact. This year's inductions took place Friday, March 6, in Anaheim. We honored 12 individuals who have devoted significant portions of their lives making this industry what it is today. Inductees represented all of the categories of this sector, ranging from natural retail to research, science to supplements, personal care to packaged goods. Get to know them in the following slides, and check back later for interviews with each.

See Powers' Hall of Legends video interview here For over 40 years, Al Powers has been a pioneer in the natural products industry, actively involved in health food retailing, growing the NOW brand, defending the rights of consumers to buy natural products and working with industry trade associations. Al Powers joined NOW Foods in 1974 and was very involved in management of its Chicagoland retail division, Fruitful Yield. Upon the retirement of company founder Elwood Richard, Al became the CEO of NOW Health Group in 2005. Under his leadership, NOW Foods sustained consistently high growth both domestically and internationally, became the number one brand in the health food channel, created several hundred new jobs, expanded its manufacturing and distribution capabilities by building new facilities in Nevada and Canada, and developed state of the art analytical testing labs to support high quality manufacturing in a GMP environment. NOW was also consistently awarded for being one of the best companies to work for. Because of his health food retailing background, Al is very passionate about the industry and NOW’s mission to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. NOW demonstrates a strong commitment to social responsibility by supporting many charities that help people around the world affected by war, poverty and disease, including Vitamin Angels. Al and his wife, Kim, who is also a veteran of the health food industry, take a personal interest in bringing the benefits of nutrition to those who need it most. For example, they have visited Uganda and Rwanda to investigate opportunities to make nutritional supplements available to projects addressing childhood poverty and those impacted by AIDS. Al retired from day-to-day operations in May 2014 but remains on several of the NOW board committees, including the Charitable Committee, which was founded through his leadership. Al also continues to serve on the board of the Natural Products Association and the Council for Responsible Nutrition. In these roles, as with many others throughout his career, Al is dedicated to protecting the interests of the health food consumer and the independent health food retailer. Al received the President's Award for Excellence in Exporting from President George W. Bush on behalf of NOW in 2008, was the recipient of Nutrition Business Journal's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010, and was recognized for his 20 years of partnership with Vitamin Angels in 2014 when NOW was acknowledged as one of their founding supporters.

See the Berliners' Hall of Legends video interview here Andy and Rachel Berliner founded Amy’s Kitchen 26 years ago on the revolutionary idea that convenience food can—and should—be natural, nutritious, and delicious. From the couple's humble first product, a veggie pot pie handmade in their Sonoma farmhouse, to the 250+ Amy's products on the market today, Andy and Rachel have changed the natural foods landscape by staying true to themselves and their vision. "We do things the right way," says Rachel, "even if it takes a little longer.” At Amy's, that means building relationships with local farmers, using organic ingredients, listening and responding to customers, developing recipes in-house, and making food by hand. While most food companies manufacture food, Amy’s cooks food from scratch, even making its own pasta, tortillas, tofu, and sauces. Amy’s has maintained double-digit growth every year since its founding, and its success has fueled the organic farming movement, as well as helped pioneer the multibillion dollar (and growing) natural and organic convenience food industry. Before starting Amy’s, Andy was the president of Magic Mountain Herb Company, one of the first herbal tea companies to be widely distributed in mainstream supermarkets. From the beginning, Andy felt it was important to build strong ties with organic farmers. Amy's relies on ingredients sourced from organic farms located mostly near the company’s production kitchens in California and Oregon to make its popular pizzas, burritos, soups, chili, cookies and candy bars. Today, Amy’s sourcing supports over 22,000 acres of organic farmland, empowering organic farmers and supporting the non-GMO movement. Rachel’s creative vision and attention to consumer needs have always guided the work at Amy’s. From recipe development to package design, no detail escapes Rachel's attention. Rachel reads almost every customer email and is always looking for innovative and delicious ways to make life easier for people with dietary restrictions. Her vision is the reason Amy’s was one of the first-to-market with a full line of gluten-free foods. Amy's products have never contained GMOs or hydrogenated fats. Amy’s is a proud supporter of non-GMO labeling initiatives and of sustainable agricultural practices. In 2012, it became the largest American company to switch to non-BPA cans. In Sonoma County, California, Amy’s is about to open its newest venture, Amy’s Drive Thru, where hungry families and road warriors can pick up a freshly made organic veggie burger, fries, a salad and a shake to go. From pot pies to milkshakes, Andy and Rachel are still driven and inspired by their vision to revolutionize the food movement and, above all, cook delicious food for hungry people.

Bob Moore founded Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods in 1978 with a mission to move people back to basics with healthy whole grains and minimally processed foods. The motivation to do so took root in the mid-1960s when he was inspired by both his wife Charlee, who had set out to establish a healthier lifestyle for their family, and a chance reading of "John Goffe’s Mill," a book about restoring an old stone mill. Bob, a lifelong tinkerer and entrepreneur, felt instantly driven to do the same. He searched high and low to find rare usable stone mills, and he and his family opened their first mill in Redding, California. After going into semi-retirement and moving to Oregon, it was another chance encounter that led to the creation of the Bob’s Red Mill we know today. Bob and Charlee were out walking one afternoon when they came across an old mill for sale. He again tracked down stone mills and began stone grinding flours and cereals for local customers. In 1988, when Bob was 60 years old and the business had become quite successful, the unthinkable happened: an arsonist burned Bob’s Red Mill to the ground. Most people of Bob’s age wouldn’t have had the heart or the energy to rebuild from scratch, but Bob is not like most people. So, he started over yet again. The new Bob’s Red Mill quickly grew larger than the original. Today the company operates a 480,000 square foot manufacturing facility and a 125,000 square foot World Distribution Center. At those facilities, Bob’s Red Mill produces more than 400 products and ships them to 80 countries worldwide. In addition, the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store & Visitors Center welcomes visitors from all over the world—all of whom enjoy Bob’s Red Mill’s vast product selection, along with cooking classes, a bakery and a restaurant. In the late 1980s, Bob also recognized the need for safe and delicious gluten-free foods, and he led the company to be a pioneering leader in the category. With its dedicated gluten-free manufacturing facility, strict safety protocols and state-of-the-art in-house laboratory, the company has long been recognized as a leader in gluten-free products. In 2005, the company was invited to testify before an FDA panel about its gluten free manufacturing, testing and product labeling practices. With Bob’s Red Mill helping to set the standards, the FDA in 2013 issued gluten free labeling guidelines. By 2010, on the occasion of his 81st birthday, Bob surprised his employees by announcing he was giving the company to them in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The announcement stunned not only those hundreds of employees, but also the dozens of suitors who had made inquiries about buying the company over the years. Bob said at the time he simply had no choice but to give the company to those who had helped build it.

See Scowcroft's Hall of Legends video interview here Bob Scowcroft has successfully transitioned from a “retirement” state of mind into a more active composition of consultant, volunteer and advocacy oriented activities. He is working on gathering our collective organic history using audio, visual and written words as educational tools. Bob currently serves as an officer of the Nell Newman Foundation Inc. and sits on four non-profit advisory boards. He previously served as executive director of the Organic Farming Research Foundation, a national organization, based in Santa Cruz, California. It was co-founded by Bob and two certified organic farmers in 1990. OFRF awarded over $2.4 million in support of 300-plus organic research and education projects since 1990. During Bob’s tenure, OFRF had an active policy, research and publishing program. It also disseminated information on all sectors of the organic product industry to the public at large. For many years Bob annually averaged 200 media interviews and over 15 conference presentations on all subjects “organic." He retired from OFRF at the end of 2010. Prior to working for OFRF, Bob was the first full-time executive director of California Certified Organic Farmers (1987–1992); before that he served as Friends of the Earth’s national organizer with a primary focus on pesticide reduction and organic farming advocacy (1979–1985). Bob has been recognized by the Organic Trade Association (Organic Leadership Award-2002); the Ecological Farming Association (Steward of Sustainable Agriculture Award–2006) and New Hope Natural Media (Lifetime Achievement Award–2010). Congressman Sam Farr honored Bob's career by having his speech on the floor of the US House of Representatives, at the beginning of the 112th Congress, published in the Congressional Record (2011).

See Rehnborg's Hall of Legends video interview here In 1912, the word "vitamin" was coined. During this extraordinary time in history, new research findings led to incredible breakthroughs in science that greatly improved our global understanding of health. In 1915, Nutrilite Founder Carl F. Rehnborg stepped off a boat and began his own scientific journey into the world of nutrition. For 12 years he lived and worked in China, observing first-hand the poor health of the Chinese people. From those observations, he made a significant correlation between nutrition, health and lifestyle—leading to his 1934 launch of the first U.S. multivitamin/ multimineral product rich in phytonutrients.   Today, Doctor Sam Rehnborg proudly follows in his father’s footsteps. He is the main spokesperson for the Nutrilite® brand of vitamins and dietary supplement products. From Nutrilite’s home base in southern California, Dr. Sam—as he is affectionately known—crisscrosses the globe to spread the word about nutrition and wellness to thousands of people who respect and revere his dedication to Nutrilite. His sole purpose is to inspire people to understand how they can take personal responsibility for their health and the nutritional health of their families and others—through a rich plant-based diet and an active lifestyle. He calls it becoming a “product of the product.” As a young man, Dr. Sam learned the business from the ground up by helping his father with various tasks. He officially joined his father’s Nutrilite business in 1964. His job was to focus on nutritional research, product development and marketing. Carl’s vision to help change people’s health around the world has become Dr. Sam’s legacy. He has elevated the importance of Carl’s remarkable discoveries, sharing the concept of “optimal health” with generations of people engaged in direct selling throughout the world. In a landmark decision, Dr. Sam realized the power of the Amway business model—and what it could mean for Nutrilite. In 1972, he oversaw Amway’s acquisition of a controlling interest in the Nutrilite business. In 1983, he became president and chief executive officer of Nutrilite Products, Inc., a position he held until the formation of the Rehnborg Center for Nutrition and Wellness in 1994, which was renamed the Nutrilite Health Institute Center for Optimal Health in 1996. Today, Nutrilite comprises approximately 45 percent of Amway’s more than $11 billion in annual product sales. The company is in the midst of a multi-year research and manufacturing expansion led, in part, by demand for Nutrilite products. This year, new manufacturing opens in Michigan, California, India and Vietnam, and a new botanical research center for Amway will celebrate its opening with a ribbon-cutting in Wuxi, China, near Shanghai. Sam Rehnborg earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in biophysics from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering with a year of biochemistry graduate study at Stanford University in California. His philanthropic interests have centered on disadvantaged children and the health of the planet. Later this year, he intends to complete an 18-month Nutrilite World Tour, and take a well-earned sabbatical with his wife, Francesca, to reprise an earlier sailing trip around the world. We know he will be busy doing what he does best —meeting people, sharing inspirational stories and encouraging new friends to take personal responsibility for their own optimal health in building their Amway businesses —so that they may truly become a “product of the product.”

See Rechelbacher's colleague Mark Sejvar's Hall of Legends video interview here Horst M. Rechelbacher was the founder and CEO of Intelligent Nutrients LLC. Intelligent Nutrients was founded in 1992 as a dietary supplement line and has since evolved to become a certified organic health and beauty product company. Intelligent Nutrients’ headquarters is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its flagship location is at the Mall of America. Horst also founded the Aveda Corporation, a plant-based beauty company that manufactures hair care, skin care, makeup, perfume and lifestyle products. A man of his time and ahead of it, he began his search into the world of greater wisdom and plant study in the mid-1960s, adding aromatherapist, perfumer and Ayurvedic practitioner as the recipient of a honoris causa doctorate in Ayurveda from Gurukul Mahavidyalaya Twalapur, Haridwar University, India.   He continued his study of plant-based medicine, collaborating with noted physicians, chemists and pharmacologists, as well as with experts and traditional healers throughout the world. Horst was on the board of directors at the Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital in Detroit, Michigan; supported the Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program in Rochester, Minnesota; and was a primary benefactor to the recently opened Kiran Stordalen and Horst Rechelbacher Pediatric Pain, Palliative and Integrated Medicine Clinic on the Children’s of Minnesota campus.   Horst authored four books: "Minding Your Business," "Rejuvenation," "Aveda Rituals" and "Alivelihood." A sought-after speaker and collaborator, he counts TEDIndia among his innumerable speaking engagements. Horst’s journey ended in February 2014. His daughter, Nicole Thomas Rechelbacher, and wife, Kiran Stordalen, carry forward his mission with Intelligent Nutrients, to pursue Horst’s vision of a green, non-violent and restored planet.

See Zand's Hall of Legends video interview here Doctor Janet Zand, L.Ac., O.M.D., Dipl. Ac., Dipl. CH., was co-founder of Zand Herbal Formulas and chairman of the board from 1978-2002. The company spent over 20 years as a market leader in the herbal industry, self regulating and encouraging organic herbal farming. Doctor Zand’s original, clinically based formula, Insure Herbal, was the first popular Echinacea/Goldenseal formula sold in the United States. Shortly thereafter, ZAND introduced male and female formulas, becoming the first American company to combine Western and traditional Chinese herbs for the consumer.   In 1982, ZAND introduced Active Herbal, the first purely herbal energy dietary supplement without caffeine, which was popular with consumers and used successfully by professional and Olympic athletes. ZAND continued for more than 20 years to satisfy the growing interest in natural alternatives to pharmaceutical medicines. Doctor Zand has treated thousands of patients during her 30 years of private practice in acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy and nutrition. She is the co-author of "Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, A Parent’s Guide to Medical Emergencies, Smart Medicine for Healthier Living" and "The Nitric Oxide Solution." She has authored and been interviewed for multiple articles in dozens of publications including Alternative Medicine, Cosmopolitan, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Men’s Fitness, Allure magazine and others. Janet has lectured and taught all over the world. She is considered a thought leader in the world of natural medicine. She currently serves on the Biomedical Board for the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is the strategic consultant for the SONIMA Wellness Center. She is the co-inventor of the nitric oxide nutraceutical, NEO 40, a natural supplement which has been shown to reduce triglycerides and lower blood pressure. Janet feels honored, blessed and fortunate to be part of this vibrant and growing industry. She has devoted her adult life to bringing her passion and the benefit of plants, natural medicine and health to others.

Jeffrey Hollender is co-founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation, which he built into a leading natural product brand known for its authenticity, transparency and progressive business practices. Hollender is currently the founder and CEO of Hollender Sustainable Brands, which developed and markets Sustain condoms, the first U.S. brand of condoms that is certified to be fair trade, free of chemicals of concern and sustainably produced. He is also adjunct professor of sustainability and social entrepreneurship at New York University. As an author, speaker, consultant and activist, Hollender is a leading authority on corporate responsibility, sustainability, social equity, global health care and population issues. His passion for changing the negative impact that business has on the environment and society is evident in each of his six books, including “The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win.” At the same time, as a leader in social responsibility, Jeffrey has been helping millions of Americans make green and ethical product choices, beginning with his best-selling title, “How to Make the World a Better Place: A Beginner’s Guide." His most recent book, “Planet Home: Conscious Choices for Cleaning & Greening the World You Care About Most” guides consumers through the dizzying array of decisions they make each day, helping them understand which choices matter most and which have hidden repercussions. A born entrepreneur, Hollender’s first business ventures were in the field of education and publishing: the Skills Exchange in Toronto and Network for Learning in New York City. In 1985, after selling Network for Learning to Warner Publishing, a division of Warner Communications (now Time Warner), he was appointed president of the renamed firm, Warner Audio Publishing. In 1988, he acquired Renew America, a mail order catalog of green products, which eventually became Seventh Generation. His record of sustainable achievements and thought leadership is unparalleled in the business world. Hollender is on the board of Greenpeace US; Verité, a leading workers’ rights organization; and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. He is co-founder and co-chair of the American Sustainable Business Council, a coalition of business leaders committed to changing the rules of business and serves on the Kimberly-Clark and the Morgan Stanley Sustainability Advisory Boards. He divides his time between Charlotte, Vermont and New York City.

Margaret Isely was born Ann Margaret Sheesley on August 13, 1921. In the 75 years of her life, she numbered among her many accomplishments being the parent of seven children, grandmother of 14, co-founding the Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage health food store chain, a bid for Colorado State Senate in 1958, and serving as president of the Natural Foundation for Nutritional Research, president of the Rocky Mountain Nutritional Foods Association, and executive council member of the National Nutritional Foods Association.   Margaret was vibrant, nurturing and loving. She dedicated her life to helping people and the planet, and she was passionate about nutrition. In 1955, shortly after the birth of her second child, Margaret became chronically ill. When conventional medicine was unable to help her, she turned to the health mavericks of that time: Adelle Davis and Roger J. Williams. She used the principles in Adelle Davis’ book, "Let’s Get Well," to heal her body with nutrition, which included eating nutrient-dense, natural foods and taking dietary supplements. This experience inspired Margaret and her husband Philip to found Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. Obtaining a $200 loan from her mother to put gas in their car and feed the family, they went door-to-door in Golden, Colorado, with books on nutrition and samples of whole-grain bread. They would return a week to two later, discuss the nutrition principles in the books and take orders for supplements, whole grain bread and bulk food. Margaret and Philip believed that everyone should be able to afford the components of a healthy diet (natural, nutrient-dense foods and dietary supplements) and live a healthy and active life. They had a vision, and that was to build a better future through helping people achieve optimal health by educating them about nutrition. They wanted to build a business that was in partnership with the community that it served. And they did just that. Margaret was a visionary and she was also an activist. In the 1970s, she became one of the leaders of the grass-roots movement to preserve the right to have access to dietary supplements, and lead the local community grass-roots letter writing campaign in Colorado to ensure the passage of the Proxmire Amendment. Over one million letters were sent to Congress demanding that Congress protect the consumers’ right to have access to dietary supplements and to nutritionally support their health. The Proxmire Amendment passed in 1976. In the 1990s, Margaret and her daughter, Heather, led another grass-roots letter writing campaign. This campaign helped to achieve the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA), which continues to provide the legal framework which regulates the dietary supplement industry to this day. At the time of her death, Margaret was still working to better the world, and to fight for the health of our planet. She had two projects in the works, one to establish a non-profit alternative health care clinic in Colorado and a phytoplankton growing project to help prevent global climate change. Margaret’s legacy lives on through her children, and through the company she co-founded 60 years ago. Today Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has over 90 stores in 14 states and continues to grow, empowering health in all of the communities it serves.

See Mooney's Hall of Legends video interview here Michael Mooney’s voracious appetite for nutritional science began in 1967, when he reversed his “sugar-kid” brain problems by abandoning the standard American diet, taking high-potency niacin and other vitamins and seeking out natural and organic foods in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. Mentored by his biochemist father, Patrick Mooney, Michael learned to research nutritional science. In 1973, they created a not-for-profit vitamin research co-op that led to the development of SuperNutrition anti-aging potency supplements. Together, they were early pioneers in nutrition, creating the world’s first gluten-free multivitamins and the first science-based optimal potency multivitamins. Patrick and Michael founded SuperNutrition in 1977 to bring their cutting-edge, anti-aging potency multivitamins to the public. Over time, Michael became a leader in nutritional science. He donated five years serving as the director of research and education for Program for Wellness Restoration (PoWeR), a non-profit HIV/AIDS educational organization that focuses on a more natural approach to HIV/AIDS well-being, utilizing nutrition, exercise and hormonal intervention. Michael helped to summarize PoWeR’s HIV/AIDS research by co-authoring the book "Built To Survive: A Comprehensive Guide to the Medical Use of Anabolic Hormones, Nutrition and Exercise for HIV(+) Men and Women. All profits are donated to non-profit HIV organizations. Michael also served eight terms as the political committee chairperson or co-Chairperson of the NORCAL chapter of Natural Products Association (NPA), when it was called the Natural Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA). Michael also served on the national legislative committee of the NNFA. In 1992, he co-founded the San Francisco branch of health freedom lobbyists Citizens For Health (CFH) to help pass the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). This halted the FDA’s attempt to regulate dietary supplements as prescription drugs. For his efforts, Michael received the “Outstanding Health Freedom Activist Award” when the largest letter-writing campaign in history caused Congress to pass DSHEA. Michael continues his efforts to improve the public’s health, with his main focuses being progressive nutritional research and education, and the recent invention of SuperNutrition’s patent-pending new product, Heart Smart, a ground-breaking supplement for better cardiovascular health.

See Roy's Hall of Legends video interview here Peter Roy is the former president of Whole Foods Market, the nation’s largest retailer of natural and organic foods. Peter started his career in the natural products industry in 1975 when he took a job bagging groceries at a newly opened natural foods store in New Orleans called Whole Food Company. By 1978, he was president of the company and it was one of the largest volume natural products stores in this fledgling industry. Two years later, Whole Food Company opened one of the first natural food supermarkets in the country and helped to pioneer this new merchandising concept.   In 1984, Peter founded and became president of the Natural Foods Network, an industry trade association that brought together the entrepreneurs of the large-format natural foods supermarket business. This association led to close ties between the principles of Whole Foods Market, Bread and Circus, Mrs. Gooch's, Wellspring Grocery, Unicorn Village and Whole Food Company. Beginning with Whole Food Company, all of the companies would eventually merge into Whole Foods Market and become the highest-volume natural and organic products retailer in the country. In 1988, after Whole Food Company merged into Whole Foods Market, Peter moved to the West Coast to become president of the new California region for Whole Foods Market. Over the next five years, he helped to successfully expand the Whole Foods concept in Northern California and was made president of the entire company in 1993. He served in that capacity until his resignation at the end of 1998. During his tenure as president, Whole Foods was twice named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” by Fortune magazine. After Leaving Whole Foods, Peter joined the boards of White Wave Foods and Stonyfield Yogurt and became the first operating advisor for North Castle Partners. Over the last 15 years, Peter has continued to work with many entrepreneurs to build highly successful brands in the natural and organic foods industry including Applegate Farms, United Natural Foods, Avalon Natural Products and Naked Juice. In 2007 Peter co-authored “The Book of Hard Choices,” published by Random House, with Jim Autry. The book tells real world stories of some difficult decisions leaders from all walks of life have faced where their ethics and integrity have been called into question. Peter is also the former chairman of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), based in Lander, Wyoming. NOLS is a non-profit school that is recognized as the worldwide leader in wilderness education.

See Antonelli's Hall of Legends video interview here Mr. Antonelli joined the company in 2009 as CEO and serves on the company’s board of directors. Previously, he was executive vice president, chief operating officer and president of distribution for United Natural Foods from December 2005 to August 2008, and served as a member of the board of directors from December 2003 to August 2008. The majority of his professional career was dedicated to United Natural Foods (Nasdaq: UNFI), the nation’s largest natural products distributor with over $4 billion in annual sales, serving as president of both Eastern and Western regions, director of sales from 1996 through 2001, and director of sales for Cornucopia Natural Foods, the Company's predecessor, from 1985 through 1996. From 1982 through 1985, Mr. Antonelli was director of operations for Harvest Provision, a division of Bread and Circus that was acquired by Cornucopia Natural Foods in 1985. From 2001 to 2002, Mr. Antonelli was president of Fairfield Farm Kitchens, a Massachusetts-based custom-food manufacturer where his responsibilities included oversight of a 250,000 square foot manufacturing facility, the acquisition and integration of an integrated food company, and the development and launch of three new organic product lines. In addition to his responsibilities at Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Mr. Antonelli currently serves on the board of directors of both the Zevia Beverage Company and the National Cooperative Grocers Association.

See Antonelli's Hall of Legends video interview here Mr. Antonelli joined the company in 2009 as CEO and serves on the company’s board of directors. Previously, he was executive vice president, chief operating officer and president of distribution for United Natural Foods from December 2005 to August 2008, and served as a member of the board of directors from December 2003 to August 2008. The majority of his professional career was dedicated to United Natural Foods (Nasdaq: UNFI), the nation’s largest natural products distributor with over $4 billion in annual sales, serving as president of both Eastern and Western regions, director of sales from 1996 through 2001, and director of sales for Cornucopia Natural Foods, the Company's predecessor, from 1985 through 1996. From 1982 through 1985, Mr. Antonelli was director of operations for Harvest Provision, a division of Bread and Circus that was acquired by Cornucopia Natural Foods in 1985. From 2001 to 2002, Mr. Antonelli was president of Fairfield Farm Kitchens, a Massachusetts-based custom-food manufacturer where his responsibilities included oversight of a 250,000 square foot manufacturing facility, the acquisition and integration of an integrated food company, and the development and launch of three new organic product lines. In addition to his responsibilities at Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Mr. Antonelli currently serves on the board of directors of both the Zevia Beverage Company and the National Cooperative Grocers Association.