Fortitech Inc., the world leader in the development of custom nutrient premixes, appointed Rene Engelhardt as senior technical services specialist. Engelhardt will be responsible for formulating nutrient systems containing vitamins, minerals, amino acids and neutraceutical ingredients for food, beverage and pharmaceutical products and providing technical and trouble-shooting support to Fortitech's numerous customers throughout the world.

Jeff Moyer, farm director of the Rodale Institute, was elected as the 2009 chair of U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The board elected Moyer at its meeting last week in Washington, elevating him from the 2008 vice-chair role. His five-year board term began three years ago.
Moyer manages the 333-acre Rodale Institute research farm. He has refined the farm's cover cropping and crop-rotation systems and was instrumental in developing its no-till roller/crimper, a tool which makes possible organic no-till crop farming.

Pharmachem Laboratories Inc. appointed Paul Borrell, vice president of sales, according to Colin MacIntyre, general manager. Borrell was previously regional sales manager for Watson Foods. Prior to his tenure at Watson, he served in various capacities with Takeda Chemicals for 14 years. He will be based in the company’s headquarters located Kearny, N.J.

HighQuest Partners LLC, a strategic advisory and management consulting firm, announced three promotions within its management team. Philippe de Lapérouse was named managing director, William Devens was promoted to director, and George “Tripp” Lantz was appointed as finance and operations controller.
Lapérouse joined HighQuest Partners in 2006 as director of global food and agribusiness practice and head of its St. Louis office. He received an M.B.A. degree from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville and a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.

The National Seasoning Manufacturers Association (NSMA) named Tim Sonntag as president for a two-year term. He is the vice president of quality and technical services for Wixon Inc.
Sonntag was appointed president at the 2008 NSMA Annual Meeting held during the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo in New Orleans on July 1. The NSMA seeks to promote and continue scientific study in the food seasonings industry and improve relations between the industry, related associations and U.S. food regulatory agencies.
Sonntag has been employed by Wixon for more than 22 years. In his role, he is responsible for Wixon’s quality, sanitation, food safety and regulatory compliance functions. Sonntag is also chairperson of the American Spice Trade Association’s (ASTA) Government Relations committee, a member of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), and a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). He received his Bachelor of Science degree in food chemistry from the University of Wisconsin and his Master of Business Administration degree in management from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater.

Ray Pung joined Draco Natural Products as an account executive and will be based in the San Jose, Calif. office. Most recently he was with Harte Hanks in San Jose as a marketing and sales representative.
In his new position, Pung, with a degree in agriculture-business from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, will be active in the account management and development department. He will establish new business, growing and supporting existing relationships and serve as information liaison to various marketplaces for Draco’s unique Full Spectrum Standardized Herbal Extracts™ developed and manufactured by Draco Natural Products. Pung will also be responsible for coordinating the company’s trade show activities.

E.T. Horn and Company, a leading distributor, manufacturer and marketer of specialty chemicals and ingredients, promoted Jim Berg from senior account sales manager to vice president of hydrocolloids within its FoodTech Group.
Berg, with 27 years experience in the food ingredient industry, will continue in his sales role but will also be E.T. Horn’s main contact with four of the company’s principals: FMC Biopolymer, Aqualon Food, Sensient Flavors and Loders Croklaan. Prior to joining E.T. Horn, Berg worked for two of these ingredient manufacturers, FMC Biopolymer and Aqualon Food.