Tom Dempsey, former President of UTZ Quality Foods, Inc., has been named Chief Executive Officer of the Snack Food Association (SFA), effective July 1, 2013.
Jim McCarthy, SFA’s President since 1999, will continue as SFA’s President and his focus will be to enhance SFA’s presence in federal, state and international arenas. McCarthy’s expertise in government relations is renowned in Washington, where he has held staff positions on Capitol Hill, with a federal regulatory agency, a Fortune 500 food corporation and with law and public policy firms.
“I am delighted to announce that Tom Dempsey will be joining SFA as CEO and am looking forward to his leadership as we seek to build our association for the future,” said SFA Chairman William (Chip) Mann II, President &Co-owner, Pretzels, Inc. “We will be able to benefit from Tom’s energy and leadership in moving SFA forward – and from Jim’s experience and expertise in the critically important governmental affairs arena. I feel we have significantly increased the strength of SFA’s leadership team.”
Mann said Dempsey’s focus will be to help increase SFA’s value to its members while helping to develop a long-term strategy that will make the association increasingly successful into the next decade.
Dempsey, a 24-year veteran of Utz and 2007 SFA Chairman, plans to visit both business and associate member companies as part of an effort to solicit ideas and assist company executives in leveraging their SFA membership to benefit both the industry and their companies.
“As a former industry executive, member of SFA and former chairman, I know how important this association is to the industry and to our individual companies,” Dempsey said. “Our goal is to build an even stronger SFA that maximizes value for all of our members.”
Mann credited McCarthy with helping to place SFA in a very strong financial position. “Now that he will no longer be responsible for the day-to-day management of the association, Jim will be able to focus his considerable talent and expertise on the increasingly important area of government relations for the benefit of our members,” he said. “There is no doubt that the challenges keep growing at all levels of government.”
“I am looking forward to working with the SFA Board and new CEO to deliver even greater government relations results for the association and our industry,”McCarthy said.
Dempsey held various executive positions with Dun &Bradstreet, Avon Products and CJ Clark NA prior to joining Utz. Mr. Dempsey is a graduate of Colgate University with a BA in Sociology. A native of Williamsport, PA, Mr. Dempsey has served on the boards of United Cerebral Palsy of South Central Pennsylvania, the YMCA of Hanover, the York County Community Foundation and Sweet Charities of Hanover and currently serves on the boards of Colgate University Alumni Council, the Delta Upsilon Foundation of Colgate University, and was recently appointed to the Governor’s Early Learning Investment Commission.
Before joining SFA, McCarthy represented the The Hershey Company in their Washington DC office. He also served on the staff of the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Federal Spending Practices of the Senate Government Affairs Committee. A native of Washington DC, McCarthy served on the Board of the Boys &Girls Club of Washington DC and currently serves on Board of So Others Might Eat (SOME). McCarthy holds a law degree from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, an M.B.A. degree from the American University and a B.A. degree in political science from Boston University.
