Great Harvest Franchising Inc., Dillon, Mont., named Brittny Bird nutrition advisor. She is a registered dietician and a member of the American Dietetics Association. Bird works on FDA compliant nutrition labeling and developing whole grain programs for Great Harvest bakeries.

Alpha Baking Co., Chicago, promoted three employees to vice president. Gary Narcisi, vice president sales, was promoted to group vice president, frozen foodservice and retail divisions. Narcisi has been with Alpha Baking Co. for 19 years. Joe Nemethy, director of retail sales, was named vice president sales, retail division. Nemethy has been with the company for 13 years. Tim Gill, director of sales, frozen foodservice division, was appointed vice president sales, frozen foodservice division. Gill has been with Alpha Baking for 11 years.

William Seppi, general manager of Costeaux French Bakery Inc., Healdsburg, Calif., received the 2008 Spirit of Sonoma Award from the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce. The award acknowledges Seppi's contributions to Sonoma County, Calif., in community outreach, civic responsibility and economic development.

Jeffrey Naaman was named director of bakery and deli operations at Fresh Encounter Inc., Findlay, Ohio. The grocery retailer operates 32 stores in Ohio and Indiana under the banners of Community Markets, Great Scot Community Markets, Fulmer Community Markets and Sack ‘n Save. Naaman was formerly the director of bakery operations at Strack & Van Til Supermarkets, has worked for Cub Foods and Dawn Foods Products Inc. and serves on Modern Baking's In-store Editorial Advisory Council.

John Urbanski, vice president of technical sales and services at Cargill Cocoa Chocolate, Lititz, Pa., received the Stroud Jordan Award from the American Association of Candy Technologists for contributions to the confectionery technology field. He has been in the confectionery industry for 44 years and with Cargill for 30 years. The award is named for the late Dr. Stroud Jordan, a pioneer candy technologist.