Zerocrats add three to Hall of Fame

The American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) report that the Distinguished Order of Zerocrats has selected three food industry leaders as 2012 Frozen Food Hall of Fame inductees.

Inductees for 2012 are Nevin B Montgomery, retired president/chief executive officer of NFRA; Dr H Reid Wagstaff, retired vice-president–government and environmental affairs for J M Smucker Company; and the late Benjamin Zdatny, former vice-chairman/chief operating officer of the Di Giorgio Corporation. These individuals will be honored at the Grand Awards Reception & Banquet, set for October 9, 2012, at the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention in Washington DC. The event will begin at 5:30 pm at the Marriott Wardman Park.

Montgomery joined NFRA as director of membership in 1973, when it was the National Frozen Food Association. He served as director of education, vice-president and executive vice president prior to being named president in 1984. Under his leadership, NFFA launched the first National Frozen Food Month in 1984. In 2001, he embraced the organization’s need to evolve as refrigerated dairy products became an integral part of the association, renaming NFFA as the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association. He remained president/CEO of NFRA until his retirement in 2010.

Wagstaff joined the J M Smucker Co at its Salinas CA plant in 1976 to handle environmental waste issues at West Coast plants. He later worked as director of fruit procurement and was promoted to vice-president–government and environmental affairs in 1984. Wagstaff is a past chairman of AFFI and served on the boards of many other organizations. He also chaired the environmental committee of the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

Zdatny established Service Frozen Food Industry in the early 1950s, which supplied frozen foods to retailers in the greater New York area. He later sold the firm to the Di Giorgio Corp, and it became the White Rose Co. Zdatny left Di Giorgio to become president of Weight Watchers. In 1974, he returned to White Rose as president, and in 1984, he became chairman of White Rose and vice-chairman/COO of Di Giorgio. Zdatny previously served on the NFRA board and was vice-chairman and partner of Nova Foods before his death in 1995.

The Zerocrats established the Frozen Food Hall of Fame in 1990 to honor individuals who have helped shape the industry with their hard work and dedication.