Lisa Bednar will become the first female president in the 80-year history of the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance (AFMA) on April 1 when she takes the reins from Mark Miller, who will be retiring at the end of May.
In announcing the appointment, AFMA noted that Bednar has served as its senior director of community and education since February 2022. Miller has been president since February 2019, following a long career in the beverage business in Arizona.
“On behalf of the board of directors of AFMA, I am pleased to announce Lisa’s appointment as president following a lengthy search process including many exceptional candidates,” Miller said.
“I have worked side by side with Lisa for many years, and I am confident she is the right choice to lead AFMA into the future.”
In her current role, Bednar has overseen the expansion of the Education Foundation’s scholarship awards. Under her leadership, the AFMA Board of Trustees has awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships to members’ employees and children.
Prior to joining AFMA, Bednar served in varying brand and account management roles of increasing responsibility for more than 20 years at Hensley Beverage Co.
“I am thrilled to continue serving AFMA in my new role as president,” Bednar said.
“I want to thank Mark Miller for his many years of service to AFMA, and I look forward to continue executing on our mission to represent and advocate for the interests of the Arizona retail food industry and their supplier partners.”
Read more association news from The Shelby Report.
