When an announcement went out proclaiming a former senior manager for General Mills as the new leader of the cherry industry, it meant the entire industry.
For the first time the two leading cherry organizations are combining their clout by jointly hiring an industry president overseeing the Cherry Industry Administrative Board (CIAB) and the Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI).
“Tart cherries have an incredible story to tell — from their myriad health benefits to their trendy applications, to their connection to U.S. family farms,” said Amy Cohn, the new president of the Cherry Industry Administrative Board and Cherry Marketing Institute.
Jim Nugent, a long-time leader in the industry who has held seats on the CIAB and the Michigan Cherry Committee — which funds CMI — likes the selection.
“It gives a fresh approach to the industry. She brings a new perspective and expertise having worked in the private sector, and that can be quite positive. I know people on the selection committee were very impressed with her,” said Nugent, who owns a cherry farm in Bingham Township with his wife, Toddy Rieger.
The combined role has been a while in the making. Former CIAB executive director Meghan Swain was let go in 2021. CIAB chair Curtis Rowley said the board was working toward aligning the top positions of the CIAB and CMI.
“We want to know what we’re looking for (in a new director), and for that to happen, we have to know who we are and what that looks like,” Rowley said at the time.
Former compliance officer Heather Weber has been serving as CIAB executive director with no aspirations of assuming the combined position.
Julie Gordon, a 22-year employee of CMI, resigned in March as president and managing director of CMI and as executive director of the Michigan Cherry Committee (MCC). Suttons Bay Township cherry grower Emily Miezio has been helping to assume Gordon’s responsibilities. Miezio is chairwoman of CMI and treasurer of MCC.
“Emily Miezio is the person from this county who has stepped up and provided a lot of leadership when they’ve been without a president and executive director,” Nugent said. “I’ve been impressed with the time, commitment and expertise she’s brought to the plate. It’s nice to see young people stepping into leadership positions.”
The CIAB and CMI may be joined at the hip by cherries, but their roles differ. The main job of the CIAB is to harmonize tart cherry production with domestic consumption, which in a perfect world would build profits for growers. It’s main resource is the authority to reduce the amount of cherries that can enter the marketplace, at times forcing growers to find new markets or destroy part of their crop.
The CMI is charged with expanding the market for cherries domestically and globally.
Both organizations primarily are funded through per-pound fees placed on harvested cherries, and grants.
But the industry has hit a wall in recent years as growers have been paid far less than their cost to grow cherries. Some farmers are pulling even young orchards to cut their losses.
Leelanau, which grows more tart and sweet cherries than any other county in the nation, has been caught in the crosshairs. Those in the industry hope Cohn can halt the downward trend.
“Amy brings a distinct blend of strategic vision, nutritional expertise and a deep understanding of consumer trends,” said Melanie LaPerriere, vice chairwoman of CMI and CEO of Cherry Central.
Cohn, a registered dietitian nutritionist, spent 17 years at General Mills where she increased market share through a nutrition strategy while driving product renovations and innovations to set the company’s cereals apart.
Through her new role, she assumes leadership of an industry made up of 385 producers, most of whom are family farms throughout Leelanau and across America.
Said Cohn, “I look forward to working with growers, processors and partners to expand awareness and elevate this iconic superfruit to even greater heights.”
COHN
