Milling & Baking News - September 3, 2013 - 14

Industry Activities 

New NAMA president brings long
history of cooperation with milling
WASHINGTON — Noting important and meaningful connections
between the snack foods and flour
milling industries, James A. McCarthy said he intends to enhance the
North American Millers’ Association’s “footprint in Washington” as
the organization’s new president.
On Aug. 22, NAMA announced Mr.
McCarthy will become the group’s
president, effective in October (see
related story on Page 10).
“In my years 30 years in the food
industry, coalition building has
been the key,” Mr. McCarthy said in
an interview with Milling & Baking
News. “You can move mountains
if you do it right. That’s what I
want to emphasize — working
closely with allied associations.
NAMA has made significant
headway, and I want to keep
building on its relationships at
U.S.D.A., on Capitol Hill and
with fellow associations here in
Washington.”
Mr. McCarthy comes to
NAMA from the Snack Food Association, where he was president for 15 years. The S.F.A. is the
trade association of the snack food
industry representing 400 snack
manufacturers and suppliers. Principally through the S.F.A., Mr. McCarthy said his relationship with
NAMA dates back many years.
“I’ve always been impressed with
NAMA,” he said. “I have worked
closely with them over the years,
which is one of the reasons I was
attracted to the group to grow my
career. I know Mary Waters (former
NAMA president), and Betsy Faga
(Ms. Waters’ predecessor at NAMA)
and I go back a long way. I have attended many NAMA functions and
have invited members of NAMA
staff to speak at our technical conference.”
‘Core of a quality snack’
At one level, the connection between the S.F.A. and NAMA could
hardly be more basic — the central
ingredient in most snack foods is a
milled grain product.
“The core of a successful snack
product is the quality of the ingredients,” Mr. McCarthy said. “That
has always been a focus of mine at
S.F.A.”
Mr. McCarthy cited a two-year old
14 / September 3, 2013 Milling & Baking News

I have spoken with national news
and other media communicating the
value processed foods bring to diet,
fighting both hunger and obesity.”
Beyond the overlap in external
controversy over corn amylase as an
issue in which he “worked closely” activities between the two groups,
with NAMA. He was referring to Mr. McCarthy said his experience
the release of a Syngenta Enogen, a leading a group representing an inbioengineered corn seed developed dustry with a shrinking number of
for the ethanol industry. Concerns players also has parallels at NAMA.
“In addition to my principal work
have been raised over potential food
product quality problems that could in Washington advocacy, I also have
arise if the special corn were to in- a law degree and an M.B.A., which
advertently enter the food supply. are important to the management of
Syngenta received U.S. Department an association,” he said. “I am leavof Agriculture approval in February ing S.F.A. in strong financial condition, even after all of the consolida2011 to deregulate Enogen corn.
Since then Mr. McCarthy said tion in the snack industry. We have
NAMA and others have worked achieved many things, including
with government agencies and remaining strong through a recession. I am looking to bring that
to NAMA as well.”
‘I’ve always been
Meeting with key stakeholders will be atop Mr. McCarthy’s
impressed with
agenda when he first joins
NAMA. I have
NAMA.
worked closely
“The objective is to meet with
with them over the
staff about their interests and
concerns, areas where the organiyears.’
zation can be improved,” he said.
— James A. McCarthy, incoming president, North
“I will need to spend time with
American Millers’ Association
members. I will need to spend
a good deal of my first 90 days
“have made a lot of progress trying doing that. I will be working with the
to come to some reasonable compro- organization preparing for our annual
meeting in late October and the anmises.”
“There is more to do here,” he nual meeting next year to be sure they
are well planned and well executed.
added.
“I want to enhance communica“It helped me see the power of
what NAMA can do working with tions, not only with our members,
the U.S.D.A. and other regulatory but also in Washington with other
agencies trying to come to achieve a associations in town and thought
leaders here. That’s a little further
goal,” he said.
down the road.”
Shared concern over labeling
Commenting more broadly on Early experience with pasta industry
Emphasizing his connections with
agricultural biotechnology, Mr. McCarthy said bioengineered organ- grain-based foods, Mr. McCarthy
isms have been a concern at the notes that his roots with the indusS.F.A. for many years, and the is- try go back significantly earlier than
sue of mandatory labeling was an the 1990s, when he joined the S.F.A.
“I worked for Hershey Foods, in
important part of his work there. It
will be a focus at NAMA as well, he their Washington office in the 1980s
around the time they acquired San
said.
Another parallel cited by Mr. Mc- Giorgio Pasta,” he said. Because
Carthy relates criticisms over the pasta was becoming a large part of
healthfulness of the snack and flour the Hershey business (the company
would go on to become the nation’s
milling industries’ basic products.
“Having represented S.F.A. dur- second-largest pasta company and
ing some very challenging years for currently is known as New World
the reputation of the snack industry, Pasta), Mr. McCarthy said his work
I’m familiar with challenges facing in Washington included engageprocessed food products,” he said. ment with industry groups, includ“I have spent years with the organi- ing the National Pasta Association
zation working to better communi- and the U.S. Durum Growers Assocate the value of snack foods in diet. ciation. MBN
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - September 3, 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milling & Baking News - September 3, 2013