Founded in 1934, FISMC offers a forum for relationship building with both customers and associates who share your goals and challenges. To qualify for membership you must manage sales people or broker representatives. You must be employed by a company which manufactures, produces, or represents a product or service sold to the food industry.
Active participation affords opportunities for meeting and building relationships with top executives in all walks of the grocery industry. With the widespread downsizing of customer and member companies, we need more than ever to keep open the channels of communication. If you qualify, apply for membership now!
David Talmage
Secretary
Michael Aquilina
Monica Abarca
Heather DeLuca
Cathy Yochem
Lorna Bjorklund
Rita Cabot
Belinda Vant Hul
Liz Gustafson
Taylor Verbeck
Donna Simpson
Jake Johannes
Heather Wilson
Cindy Jo Schneider
Kathy Talamante
Herbert Benjamin
The Food Industries Sales Managers' Club has proudly been in existence for over 85 years! The club was founded in 1934 and was incorporated on September 22, 1939.
From an original membership of eighteen, FISMC has grown into one of the most highly respected organizations throughout the food industry. Its membership is limited to those of management level within suppliers of food and related products and services to the food industry. The club honors grocers and holds business meetings throughout the year. At the annual Hi-Jinks event, FISMC thanks customers for their business and accepts donations to Olive Crest to make Christmas better for underprivileged children.
The Food Industries Sales Managers’ Club of Los Angeles proudly donates to selected charitable organizations. Each customer-oriented event raises funds to support causes specified by the honored retailer. Through these events FISMC gives back to the community.
The following are some of the charitable organizations
that have benefited from FISMC’s events.
1934 Stanley West
1935 Stanley West
1936 George Salm
1937 Oliver Seegelken
1938 Roy Heinz
1939 Dumont Hirsch
1940 Sy Ferguson
1941 Cyril C. Nigg
1942 William B. Massie
1943 Tony Whan
1944 Lyman Dunbar
1945 James A. Camp
1946 Alex Smith
1947 Lester Irvin
1948 Jack L. Hall
1949 Irvin E. Damon
1950 Paul J. McKinney
1951 Spencer D. Redfield
1952 Anthony Hebner
1953 Verne L. Mishler
1954 Ivan A. Nielson
1955 Floyd W. Williams
1956 Charles F. Fuller
1957 Fred Heaton
1958 Andrew J. Dossett
1959 Carl D. Finn
1960 Ray Kidd
1961 Fred C. Hawkins
1962 Richard W. Burns
1963 Will L. Higgin
1964 Ray C. Parks
1965 John A. Mooney
1966 John B. Coker
1967 James P. Curry
1968 David J. Ford
1969 James C. Martin
1970 William H. Coulson, Jr.
1971 J. E. Johnson
1972 Harold R. Lohmuller
1973 N. R. Maitino
1974 Ernie J. Ales
1975 Robert W. Hutto
1976 Robert L. Lord
1977 Fred E. Marsic
1978 Robert A. Kunz
1979 Larry Moore
1980 Warren C. Lattin
1981 Jack R. Hinrichs
1982 John Vander Giessen
1983 Jack Targon
1984 Ron West
1985 Virgil Zappe
1986 Sid Borie
1987 Arnie Gamboa
1988 Larry Taylor
1989 Bob Stokes
1990 Roy Roudine
1991 Bill Manwarren
1992 Harry Little
1993 Kent McLain
1994 Bob Gilmore
1995 Jerry Whitmore
1996 Gerry Martin
1997 Don Davis
1998 Lorna Bjorklund
1999 Joe Wertzberger
2000 Eddie Gales
2001 Mickie Sharp-Villanueva
2002 Victor Gwinn
2003 Orv Harpole
2004 Dana Gilbert
2005 Dave Dimond
2006 Warren Langley
2007 Cricket McNeill
2008 Joel Yochem
2009 Cynthia Weifenbach
2010 Susan Bremer-Rossow
2011 Robert Mayo
2012 Jeff Hansen
2013 Kent Sandie
2014 Jill Elroy
2015 Perry Sanders
2016 Kristal Clark
2017 Chuck Balassa
2018 Michelle Cassatt
2019 Belinda Vant Hul
2020 Rita Cabot
2021 Rita Cabot
Who is eligible for membership with FISMC?
• You must be a sales manager employed by a food and/or grocery merchandise manufacturer
or a sales manager directly selling products or services to the retail food trade channels.
• Employees of wholesale or retail grocers or buying organizations are not eligible.
• Application to the Club is first approved by the Membership Committee.
• Applicants must be then elected to membership by the Club.
• Membership is strictly social in nature and cannot be used to further business interests.
• Membership is not transferable to another person or company.
• Dues are annual: $150 per year with a one-time $100 initiation fee.
Seats go fast so make your reservations now!!!
frequently asked questions...
Q. CAN OTHER QUALIFIED PEOPLE FROM MY COMPANY JOIN AS WELL?
A. Yes, but they have to submit an application and be presented to the membership for a vote.
Q. WHAT DOES THE PROCESS OF INDUCTION INVOLVE?
A. At your induction, you will be given your FISMC badge, FISMC pin and pen, and a copy of that year’s Club Roster. We will also ask you to tell us something about you and your company so that we may get to know you better.
Q. I TRAVEL FREQUENTLY. ARE THERE A REQUIRED NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT I MUST ATTEND?
A. We all understand that our jobs come first and there are no attendance requirements during the year. However, if you don’t attend events you won’t reap the maximum benefits the Club has to offer.
Q. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET INVOLVED?
A. Go to our website and look at the list of Committees. Decide where you would best serve the Club and volunteer by contacting the Chair or Vice Chair of that Committee.
Q. WHAT ARE THE FISMC “EXCLUSIVE” EVENTS?
A. During the year we will have at least one event where we will honor a retailer that is “exclusive” to FSIMC members in good standing and one special guest. These are more intimate affairs, which is why we restrict attendance to a member and a guest. The retailer invites individuals from their senior management, so it is an excellent opportunity to socialize with our accounts top management.
Q. HOW DOES ONE SERVE ON THE BOARD OR AS AN OFFICER?
A. Board members are selected by the Nominating Committee. Selection is based on how active a member is on event attendance and/or Committee participation, as well as how the member interacts within the membership. Nomination to the Board is a two-year term, with monthly Board Meeting on the first Monday of the month. If selected to be an Officer, this is a five year process serving as Secretary,
Treasurer, Vice President, President, and then Immediate Past President of the Club.
• American Red Cross
• Boys and Girls Club
• Children’s Hospital of Orange County,
• Children’s Miracle Network
• City of Hope
• Los Angeles Regional Foodbank
• National Brain Tumor Society
• Olive Crest Homes for Abused Children
• Stater Bros. Charities
• Weingart Center
Active participation in club events affords opportunities
for meeting and building relationships with top executives in all walks of the grocery industry.
Food industry
resources list
2022 Fismc Golf Tournament
2022 Womens Luncheon
2022 Legends of the Food Industry Luncheon
2022 Past Presidents Dinner
2022 Northgate Market Luncheon
Message from the 2020 Board
We are here to answer any questions you may have about FISMC.
Reach out to us and we'll respond
as soon as we can... :)
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