Aug 22, 2022

Rice Fruit’s Brenda Briggs heads USApple’s board

The U.S. Apple Association has named Brenda Briggs of Rice Fruit Co. chair of its board of directors for its 2022-23 term.

She has served on USApple’s board since 2018, most recently as vice chair.

Briggs is vice president of the sales and marketing team with Rice Fruit, a Pennsylvania-based marketer, packer and shipper. She leads the company’s sales and marketing department and is a member of its executive leadership team. She has been with Rice Fruit since 1999.

“We are thrilled to have Brenda at the helm of USApple’s board of directors,” said USApple President and CEO Jim Bair. “Her passion for the apple industry, growers and USApple is unequivocal. She is highly respected in the industry because she’s not afraid of hard work and is always ready to lend a hand.

“She has served in many volunteer roles at USApple since the beginning of her career and I couldn’t be more delighted to see her commitment pay off in her new role as chair,” Bair said.

Briggs also has served as chairperson and board member of the U.S. Apple Export Council. Prior to her career at Rice Fruit, she was the executive director of the Pennsylvania Apple Marketing Program, where she supported the state growers through marketing efforts and represented growers as the liaison with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Briggs has a master of business administration from Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and a bachelor of arts in Policy and Management Studies from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She resides in Carlisle with her husband Phil and their two children, Ben and Nora.

Briggs succeeds Chris Alpers, operations manager and grower with Redpath Orchards in Michigan.

USApple’s 2022-23 elected board officers are:

• Steve Clement, Sage Fruit, Washington, vice chair;
• Brett Baker, United Apple Sales, New York, secretary; and
• Craig Hinkle, Knouse Foods, Pennsylania, treasurer.

USApple also elected Beth Brown of Orchard Dale Fruit Co. in New York, and Kristin Kershaw Snapp of Domex Superfresh Growers in Washington as new board members.

The new board was appointed during USApple’s annual Outlook Conference, which was Aug. 18-19 in Chicago.