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EXECUTIVE CHANGES

Homeland Names Messneromeland Stores here appointed Dennis Messner director of produce operations, succeeding John Acton, who left the company.Messner brings to Homeland 20 years of experience in produce retail and wholesale operations, including stints as district produce merchandiser and produce sales manager. Most recently, he was with Fleming Cos. in its Oklahoma City division.At Homeland, Messner

Homeland Names Messner

omeland Stores here appointed Dennis Messner director of produce operations, succeeding John Acton, who left the company.

Messner brings to Homeland 20 years of experience in produce retail and wholesale operations, including stints as district produce merchandiser and produce sales manager. Most recently, he was with Fleming Cos. in its Oklahoma City division.

At Homeland, Messner reports to Steve Mason, vice president of sales and merchandising.

Homeland Stores operates 66 stores in Oklahoma, southern Kansas and the Texas panhandle region.

Calavo Appoints President

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Ronald G. Bennett has been named president of Calavo Growers of California, based here.

Bennett has been working with outgoing Calavo president Al Vangelos, during a transition period that ended Nov. 1 when Vangelos left Calavo. Bennett was president of Hunt-Wesson Foodservice Co., Fullerton, Calif.

Before his post at Hunt-Wesson, Bennett was president of Knott's Berry Farm Foods, Placentia, Calif., where he oversaw the acquisition of Knott's food-product operations by Hunt-Wesson, a division of ConAgra, Omaha, Neb.

Vangelos has been president and chief executive officer of Calavo since 1986.

Calavo is the largest U.S. avocado growers' cooperative, producing 36% of the California avocado crop.

David Oppenheimer Adds Posts

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- David Oppenheimer & Associates here, the Canadian company of the Seattle-based David Oppenheimer Group, has named four staff members to new positions.

Doug MacKenzie has been named general manager of sales and marketing. MacKenzie was the company's marketing manager.

Three of the company's salespeople have assumed new positions. Mike Fitzsimmons has become sales manager for domestic products, Walt Breeden sales manager for imported products and Steve Nicholl covers sales related to the Nogales, Mexico, area.

The David Oppenheimer Group is an international marketer of fresh produce.

Strawberry Group Fills QA Slot

WATSONVILLE, Calif. -- The California Strawberry Commission here has named Frances Pabrua quality assurance director, a new position.

Pabrua is responsible for overseeing the industry-wide Quality Assurance Program implemented earlier this year by the commission.

Pabrua most recently was chief deputy agricultural commissioner in Monterey County, California, responsible for the county's agricultural inspection and enforcement division.

She reports to Dave Riggs, commission president.

Tusco Display Taps Consultant

GNADENHUTTEN, Ohio -- Jim McMath has been named sales and marketing consultant at Tusco Display, based here.

McMath is responsible for point-of-purchase merchandising and marketing of produce, deli and perishable food products for food manufacturers and supermarket chains. This is a new position at Tusco.

McMath continues as a consultant for his company, Regional Sales & Marketing, Union, Ky. Tusco Display designs and manufactures permanent point-of-purchase displays and custom store fixtures.