The Organic Trade Association, based in Greenfield, Mass., appointed Laura Batcha to the newly created position of director of marketing and public relations. Batcha has been in the natural and organic business for more than 15 years, most recently as director of grassroots strategy and development at Tom's of Maine.

Albert's Organics promoted its Twin Cities General Manager Leonard Bibb to national operations director, a new position. Bibb, a fourth-generation food-industry veteran with more than 18 years of experience, joined Albert's in 2006.

Material handling solutions company FKI Logistex hired Alfredo Villacorta Ramos as service manager of its regional office in Mexico City.

Forsyth, Mo.-based National Enzyme Co. hired Bill Atkinson as account manager for the natural health retail market channel.

SPINS, a Schaumburg, Ill.-based information and consulting company for the natural and organic products industry, appointed Kathryn Peters senior vice president of retail client services. Peters has more than 15 years of experience in the food retail and consumer packaged goods industry, most recently as the vice president of grocery and corporate brands at supermarket operator BI-LO.

Boulder, Colo.-based mix1 beverage company hired Joelle Hoffman as vice president of sales. Hoffman has more than 15 years of sales experience, and was most recently director of sales at Endangered Species Chocolate Co.

Tortilla chip company FoodShouldTasteGood, based in Needham, Mass., hired Jamie Borteck as director of marketing. Borteck has more than 15 years of marketing experience and spent the last seven years at Kraft Food Co., most recently as the senior brand manager of the Back to Nature brand.

St. Augustine, Fla.-based distributor Tree of Life promoted Scott McNamara to vice president of natural food sales for the northeast region. McNamara has more than 25 years of retail, sales and category management experience.

Natural Marketing Institute, a Harleysville, Pa.-based market research and consulting firm, added Pattie Marshman-Goldblatt as senior vice president, Diane Ray as vice president of strategic consulting, and Kurt Wagner, Dave Montgomery, La-Vie Borde-Perry, Gail Sayer and Deb Morang as project directors.

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXIX/number 2/p. 42