UNFI Gets V.P. of Sustainable Development

DAYVILLE, Conn. -- In a sign of companies' growing ownership of environmental matters, United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) here said yesterday that Thomas A. Dziki has been promoted to the newly created position of v.p. of sustainable development.

Dziki's job will be to unite all of UNFI's existing sustainability practices, as well as developing and implementing new programs, the specialty distributor said. Additionally, Dziki will continue to guide the company's national real estate and construction activities, incorporating environmentally sustainable practices such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification, indoor air-quality assurance, and zero-waste programs.

Since joining the company in May 2002, Dziki has held various positions of increasing responsibility, among them manager of special projects; v.p. of special projects; president of the Hershey Import Co., Inc.; and president of Select Nutrition Distributors. His most recent role, national v.p. of real estate and construction, will be incorporated into his new position.

A licensed architect with over 20 years of professional experience, Dziki recently became a member of the United States Green Building Council and is now studying to become a LEED-accredited professional.

UNFI carries and distributes over 40,000 products to more than 18,000 customers across the U.S. The company serves a wide variety of retail formats, including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators, and the foodservice channel.