AFFI Augments Staff

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) has added two new staff members to its government affairs and regulatory and technical affairs departments, and has promoted two staffers to the McLean, Va.-based organization’s conferences and member services departments, president and CEO Kraig R. Naasz said.

Kelly Pike Poulsen joins AFFI as director of government affairs. Poulsen was previously legislative assistant to U.S. Reps. Denny Rehberg (R-Mt.) and Mark Green (R-Wis.), and also worked for the National Association of Home Builders as a manager of legislative affairs. Poulsen will report to AFFI VP of Government Affairs Kristin Pearson Wilcox.

Rishi Banerjee comes to the trade group as manager of regulatory and technical affairs. He previously worked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Environmental Microbial Food Safety Lab. Banerjee will report to AFFI VP of Regulatory and Technical Affairs Dr. Donna Garren.

Kristen Holmes has been promoted to the role of director of conferences, from her previous position of manager of conferences. Before coming to AFFI in November 2009, she worked for two other trade associations.

An employee of AFFI since August 2010, Patrick Kendall has been promoted to director of member services, from his earlier role as manager of member services. He oversees AFFI’s affinity and membership recruitment, retention and sponsorship programs.

“The skills and experience of our new and newly promoted team members will help further AFFI's ability to advance the frozen food industry’s public-policy priorities and enhance the delivery of AFFI member programs and services,” noted Naasz.