"I never forget a face,
but in your case
I'll be glad to make
an exception."

— Groucho Marx —

Groucho Marx had a keen perspective into marketing—looking good isn't enough, you have to be memorable. And our talented crew is waiting to help you.

Philip Connelly
President

A food industry veteran with extensive management and turnaround experience, Philip Connelly has optimized the company's resources to deliver a range of retail, contract packing, and private label solutions. Mr. Connelly brings over two decades of consumer goods experience with companies such as Whitehall/Robins, Sara Lee, and Borden. In the 1990s, he played a pivotal role in building Edwards Fine Foods into the third-largest frozen desserts company in the U.S. A proven innovator with a keen understanding of the industry and consumer, Mr. Connelly is transforming Choice Food of America into a leader in retail food manufacturing and marketing.

Dee Folmar
Vice President of Research & Development

Dee Folmar leads the Research & Development and Quality Control operations at Choice Food of America. She has over 20 years' experience in her field, having worked in R&D for such well-known food companies as Pillsbury's Martha White division, H.J. Heinz, and Dean Foods. Ms. Folmar has a Bachelor of Science in Food Technology from the University of Tennessee, and provides CFA with expert guidance on new product development and specifications. This includes the oversight of nutritional panels and product labeling for government compliance, as well as the optimization of our formulas.

Mark Johnson
Chief Financial Officer

Mark Johnson is a CPA and native of Middle Tennessee, graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 1981 with a BA in Business Administration.

In 1987 Mr. Johnson left public accounting and accepted a position with COI Food Service, a $400 million wholly owned subsidiary of Shoney's Inc, as the senior accountant. From 1992-2002 Mr. Johnson was controller maintaining responsibility for all financial activities of COI.

Frank Baltz
Director of Operations

A Nashville native who attended Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Mr. Baltz joined CFA from Vietti Foods, where he had been employed since 1999. A meat industry veteran for over thirty years, Mr. Baltz successfully implemented for Vietti Foods a significant labor reduction initiative, while also generating timely and unexpected increases in production yields.

Beth Eaton
National Accounts Sales Manager

Ms. Eaton, a University of Akron graduate, has over ten years' sales experience in both retail and manufacturing, ranging from assistant buying to account management, for such companies as The Shop At Home Television Network, W.E. Stephens Apparel Manufacturing, and O'Charley's Inc. She develops retail sales programs and initiatives for the O'Charley's retail line with our Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and Target Accounts.

Voyne Stepp
National Accounts Sales Manager

Mr. Stepp is a sales veteran of such companies as Whitehall/Robins (Advil) and American Home Products, where he served as field and key account manager with the over-the-counter drug division. He also managed key accounts for Acosta Sales & Marketing, a national broker of consumer packaged goods, where he worked for 12 years.

Throughout his career, Mr. Stepp has built valuable relationships with a number of food and drug chains including Eckerd, Winn-Dixie and Albertsons. He comes to CFA through Vietti Foods where he joined in 2001, and is a graduate of Presbyterian College in South Carolina.

Trent Baker
Director of Purchasing

Mr. Baker received certification from the Institute of Supply Management in 1995 and studied Advanced Purchasing at Weber State University. He joined CFA from the former Vietti Foods, where he had been employed since 2003. Mr. Baker is the former President of the Utah Chapter of the National Association of Purchasing Management and brings seventeen years of raw material procurement experience most recently at Reser's Fine Foods.

Monica Romero
Director of Marketing

Monica Romero holds an MBA in Marketing/Brand Management and Operations from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. With over 17 years' experience in sales, marketing, and brand consulting for such companies as Thomas Nelson Publishers, CR Gibson, Lands' End, and Colonel Littleton, Ltd., she leads strategic marketing initiatives for CFA's retail brands. Prior to joining the company, Ms. Romero served as marketing consultant for CFA and our sister company, Diversity Brands.