(Chicago) March 24, 2023 \u2013<\/strong> The American Egg Board (AEB) today announced important new talent additions and key staffing realignments to support egg industry strategic priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe success of our organization rests with our people, and the American Egg Board is continuing to deepen its talent and expertise in furthering our shared vision,\u201d said Emily Metz, AEB president and CEO. \u201cSustainability and purpose-driven production are table stakes today, and pushing the boundaries of opportunities for eggs through innovation is crucial to our future. We\u2019ve made new additions to our team in both areas, along with adding new project management and administrative support. We\u2019re also repositioning some of our existing leadership and functions to ensure we are set up to achieve both near- and long-term strategic objectives for America\u2019s egg farmers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEW Director of Sustainability Kristen Wharton<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Wharton will oversee development and administration of AEB\u2019s sustainability program encompassing critical industry-level research and education initiatives. She brings important food system expertise and experience in regenerative agriculture, climate change resilience and water\/nutrient management stewardship, most recently as vice president of corporate responsibility with Handsome Brook Farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEW Director of Innovation Nelson Serrano-Bahri<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As a key member of AEB\u2019s Eggcelerator Lab\u2122, Serrano-Bahri will manage execution of the strategic innovation program, including new product pipeline development and customer relationship building. Serrano-Bahri will also establish AEB\u2019s first technical research program to more effectively work with food technologists and research chefs. He most recently served as the culinary and innovation manager with Ingredion Inc. and has previously held positions at Unilever, Kraft and Nestle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEW Director of Project Management Francis Garvey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Garvey will provide strategic direction and project management for major AEB programs and projects, ensuring efforts receive proper planning, resources, and focus to maximize impact and effectiveness. She brings 16+ years of experience driving enterprise-level initiatives for a wide range of organizations and holds PMP\u2122 (Project Management Professional) and CSM\u2122 (Certified Scrum Master) certifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NEW Executive Assistant Cassie Morren<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Morren will support AEB\u2019s Leadership team as Executive Assistant. She brings 16 years of experience in executive administrative and meeting\/event coordination. Morren fell in love with agriculture during her time at PIC , The Pig Improvement Company, and is excited to return to the ag industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, the AEB announced the following changes for key current personnel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mike Hostetler Promoted to Vice President, Consumer Insights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This elevated role recognizes both Hostetler\u2019s contribution and the strategic importance of Consumer Insights at AEB\u2014establishing a centralized, standalone function with a seat on AEB\u2019s Leadership Team. Hostetler has distinguished himself as the architect of the AEB\u2019s insights hub\u2014the egg industry\u2019s first-ever integrated consumer, customer and industry research and intelligence center to support marketing, innovation and industry-level strategic initiatives. He also led creation of the AEB\u2019s enterprise-wide data analytics framework and the AEB Newsroom\u2014the egg industry\u2019s first real-time news and social media monitoring and response center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n