Bowen, Davis Join USApple Team

Vienna, Va. — The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is pleased to announce the recent addition of two new staff members, Wendy Davis and Mark Bowen.

"We are very pleased that Wendy and Mark have joined USApple," said Nancy Foster, USApple president and CEO. "They bring a great deal of knowledge and experience that will be an asset to the association and our mission to support the profitable production and marketing of apples and apple products in the United States."

Davis will serve as the new director of communications and consumer health at USApple. The duties of the position will require the use of her unique blend of nutritional and marketing expertise as she works to educate consumers on the benefits of enjoying apples and apple products. As a registered dietitian holding an MBA with a concentration in marketing, Davis fits the bill for the position.

In addition to serving as the primary media contact on the healthy aspects of apples, Davis will also spearhead USApple's health research and consumer education program and work directly with the association's outreach programs. She joined USApple in early November.

Prior to joining USApple, Davis worked extensively in the areas of marketing, communications and media relations. She also developed and coordinated educational pieces for consumers and health care professionals for publication by government agencies. In addition, she served as the manager of consumer affairs for the Food Marketing Institute, where she helped develop and manage consumer education programs.

Bowen joined the USApple team in late October as the manager of industry information, and will take the helm of the publication of the Association's Market News publication. In this position, he will work to gather important economic and technical information needed to address upcoming production and marketing challenges the apple industry faces here and abroad.

Before joining USApple, Mark was responsible for the coordination of research efforts and information flow for an agribusiness advisory firm. This included work with government agencies and other organizations for information. His previous responsibilities included direct sales of corn and alfalfa seed to growers. He also wrote a column for customer newsletters and trained the sales staff in agronomic information.

"This year's apple harvest produced an abundant crop, both in terms of quality and quantity," noted Foster. "With Wendy and Mark on board, USApple's full staff will be working to build profitable apple production and marketing opportunities by providing critical information to the industry, the media and the consumer."

Wendy Davis can be reached via email at wdavis@usapple.org and Mark Bowen can be emailed at mbowen@usapple.org. Davis, Bowen or any other USApple staff member can be reached via telephone at (703) 442-8840.

Note: The text of this release can be downloaded from the News Releases section of USApple's Media Web site, at http://www.usapple.org/media/newsreleases/index.cfm.

The U.S. Apple Association (USApple) is the national trade association representing all segments of the apple industry. Members include 40 state and regional apple associations representing the 9,000 apple growers throughout the country, as well as more than 400 individual firms involved in the apple business. USApple's mission is to provide the means for all segments of the U.S. apple industry to join in collective efforts to profitably produce and market apples and apple products.