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Washington Food Industry Association Names New Board Leaders

Mike Erickson and Todd Korman
Mike Erickson and Todd Korman

Last updated on March 25th, 2021 at 07:24 pm

The Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) has named two longtime leaders in the state’s grocery industry to lead the organization’s board of directors in 2017.

Mike Erickson, chairman of Harbor Wholesale Foods in Lacey, will serve as the WFIA’s board chairman, succeeding Mike Trask of Stanlar Foods Inc. The association’s new first vice chair, Metropolitan Market President and CEO Todd Korman, will follow Erickson at the conclusion of his term in 2017.

“We are so fortunate to have continued strong leadership for WFIA,” said Jan Gee, president and CEO of WFIA. “Both Mike and Todd have extensive experience in the industry and bring years of business expertise to the board. It’s particularly important now, given the increasing number of policy issues we face as an organization. It will be helpful to have their voices guide us in the coming years. We also appreciate the work of outgoing Board Chair Mike Trask, who has worked diligently on our behalf this year.”

Erickson has spent more than 50 years developing a career in the food distribution industry, working up the ranks of his fourth-generation, family-owned business.

Founded in Aberdeen in 1923 by Erickson’s grandfather, Harbor Wholesale initially served the coastal communities of Washington. Today the business serves 2,000 customers throughout five states in the Pacific Northwest with distribution centers in Lacey, Washington, and Roseburg, Oregon.

Korman started with Metropolitan Market in 2002 as the company’s CFO. He was promoted to COO in 2007, then to president and co-CEO in 2013 and finally CEO and president in 2016. Prior to his tenure with Metropolitan Market, Korman served as GM at Meyers Distributing from 1996-99 and has held several positions in the investment banking industry with a primary focus in private mergers and acquisitions. He earned his MBA from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s of science degree in business at the University of Virginia.

The 29-member WFIA Board has supervision, control and direction of the affairs of the association and determines its policies. The board actively defends WFIA purposes and has discretion in the disbursements of its funds, adopting rules and regulations for the conduct of its business.

The WFIA’s board of directors includes:

• Larry Baker, GM, Bunzl Distributing, Sumner

• Buzz Bellessa, CEO, Harvest Foods Marketing, Spokane

• Phil Blackburn, co-president, Willis Marketing Inc., Gig Harbor

• John Bole, president, Yoke’s Fresh Market, Spokane

• Larry Bourland, West Region sales director, Supervalu, Tacoma

• Chris Brown, president, Wray’s Food and Drug, Yakima

• Lori Brown, regional VP, Post Consumer Brands, Gig Harbor

• Roger Croshaw, owner, Bert’s Red Apple

• Mike Erickson, chairman, Harbor Wholesale Foods, Lacey

• Craig Gaylord, president, Fiesta Foods, Pasco

• Jan Gee, president and CEO, WFIA, Olympia

• Ali Hayton, president, Mount Vernon Red Apple, Mt. Vernon

• Stuart Holmes, SVP, Charlie’s Produce, Seattle

• Paul Kapioski, owner, West Seattle Thriftway, Seattle

• Mike Koens, executive director of sales, Unified Grocers, Seattle

• Todd Korman, president and CEO, Metropolitan Market, Seattle

• Nolan Lockwood, president and COO, Walla Walla’s Harvest Foods, Walla Walla

• Tyler Myers, owner, PND Mercado LLC, Cashmere

• Jeff Philipps, president, Rosauers Supermarkets, Spokane

• Brian Renney, SVP of planning and analysis, Young’s Market Co. of Washington, Kent

• Greg Saar, president, Saar’s Markets Inc., Oak Harbor

• Ray Sprinkle, president, URM Stores Inc., Spokane

• Don Stolz, president, Stolz Northwest Inc., Wauna

• Kevin Stormans, president, Stormans Inc., Olympia

• Mike Trask, president, Stanlar Foods Inc., Granite Falls

• Stan Trask, president and CEO, Northwest Grocers, Tukwila

• Kevin Weatherill, president and CEO, The Markets LLC, Bellingham

• Roger Williams, president, Williams Inland Distributors, Spokane

• David Willis, co-president, Willis Marketing Inc., Gig Harbor

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