IPC President: Dave Zepponi, was selected as President of Northwest Food Processors Association on June 1, 2001, after four years as Environmental Affairs Director, where he worked closely with regulatory agencies in the Northwest to ensure balance between the viability of the food processing industry and sustaining a healthy environment. Prior to his employment at NWFPA, Dave served as Executive Director of the Klamath Water Users Association. He was an agribusiness management consultant with projects that included the fruit and vegetable processing industry and addressed management challenges of wineries and distribution companies. He also owned and managed an international food and wine marketing company. Dave started his career as an Assistant Brand Manager with Beringer Vineyards (Nestle), and worked most of his youth at his family winery and vineyard. Dave has an MBA with a specialization in Food and Agribusiness Management from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Jim Azumano brings more than 25 years of diverse leadership roles in public and community service as well as the food industry. For the past four years, Jim held a cabinet position as Governor Kulongoski’s Director of Office of Rural Policy for the State of Oregon. In this capacity, Jim was involved with issues relating to small business, economic development, water, housing, natural resource jobs, grant administration, transportation, workforce development, and education. Previously, he was a public administrator and managed more than 200 employees in Lane, Hood River, and Clatsop Counties, Oregon and the City of Hailey, Idaho. From 1984 – 1992, Jim was President of K-Pac International, a food export business, which was the first US exporter of American and Oregon turkey into South Korea and the first to open TacoTime Int'l (Oregon) fast food franchise stores (21) in Japan. Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Oregon. He and his wife, Lois, live in Salem and have three children and nine grandchildren.