Michele Hoard

Pear Bureau Northwest, a nonprofit marketing organization promoting fresh pears grown in Washington and Oregon, has hired Michele Hoard as the new regional marketing manager for the Midwest region, according to a news release.

Hoard has established retailer relationships setting up innovative in-store and digital promotions and has experience consulting with domestic and international brands, including the National Mango Board, New York Apple Association, Zespri Fruit and Red Bull. Her hiring comes at a pivotal moment after Pear Bureau Northwest recently broadened its strategy for driving demand for pears both in-store and online.

“I have always enjoyed working on behalf of produce organizations to increase grower returns, and when I heard about the position with Pear Bureau Northwest, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with such a forward-thinking organization,” said Hoard. “This opportunity affords me the chance to make a direct impact for growers and grow category sales for our retailers.”

Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest, emphasized that “Michele’s creative thinking and diverse range of retail experience makes her a valuable and welcome addition to our organization. Her experience working with respected produce groups and brands will benefit the bureau and build on our team’s development and execution of innovative promotions for Northwest pears designed to increase pear consumption and sales.” 

Overseeing the Midwest region, Hoard will focus on keeping pears in front of the consumer at retail and making the pear category profitable for major retailers such as Kroger, HEB, Meijer, SuperValu, Jewel-Osco, Roundy’s, Super Target, Hy-Vee and more. 

To contact Hoard or reach the Pear Bureau Regional Marketing Managers, visit trade.usapears.org/regional-managers/.