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Chuck Brice of Kemin Health, L.C., Peter Reinecke of Reinecke Strategic Solutions, Inc., and John Venardos of Herbalife International have been named the 2009 recipients of the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s (CRN) “Apple Awards” in a ceremony held today at The Conference, CRN’s annual symposium for the dietary supplement industry, at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
The prestigious award, CRN’s highest honor, is given to individuals who have shown long-term commitment, dedication and significant contributions to both the association and the dietary supplement industry.

Mr. Brice is senior vice president, Global Strategies at Kemin Health, L.C., where he has worked for over twenty years in a variety of senior
management and sales and marketing positions.  He has been an active, dedicated member of CRN, and was first elected to the association’s Board of Directors in 2000 as treasurer.  He went on to serve as the CRN Chair-elect in 2003-2004 and the CRN Chair in 2005-2006, leading the association during the initiation of many of its current strategic initiatives.  Even after serving as CRN Chair, he continues to serve the association as co-chair of the Membership Committee.  At Kemin Health, L.C., Mr. Brice is responsible for implementing long-term strategies and developing strategic relationships, evaluating new product innovation opportunities, and providing commercial guidance and input for new concept briefs.  In addition, he manages the Kemin Health Industry Advisory Committee. 

Mr. Reinecke is principal of Reinecke Strategic Solutions, Inc., a consulting firm he founded to provide strategic advice and implement creative policy solutions for a wide variety of paid and pro bono clients.  He previously spent over twenty years working for the U.S. Congress as staff to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and as legislative director and chief of staff to Senator Tom
Harkin (R-IA).  Mr. Reinecke helped write many key pieces of health legislation, including the establishment of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health and the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).   Representing various interests in the dietary supplement industry, Mr. Reineke continues to work for reasonable regulation of dietary supplements that balances consumer protection and industry interests.

Mr. Venardos is vice president, worldwide regulatory and government affairs, Herbalife International, where he has worked for over a decade.  He leads a team of professionals who proactively represent the company with regulators and elected officials in over 60 countries.  Mr. Venardos has been active in CRN, having served in various capacities, most recently as a CRN Board member, executive committee member, and chair of CRN’s International Trade and Market Development Committee.  He is also involved with a variety of other organizations, and was a founding board member of the Coalition to Preserve DSHEA, is on the Board of the Natural Products Association, and is active in the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, the U.S. Direct Selling Association, the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations, and the Institute of Food Technologists.

Recent past CRN Apple Award winners include 2008 winners: Adrianne Bendich, Ph.D., of GlaxoSmithKline; and Byron Johnson of Amway/Nutrilite; 2007 winners: Mark Blumenthal of the American Botanical Council; Randi Neiner, Ph.D., of Shaklee Corporation; and Carolyn Sabatini of Pharmavite LLC; 2006 winners: Gail Becker of GBA Health Communications; Patricia Knight, formerly chief of staff to Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT); and Eugene Lambert of the Covington & Burling law firm. 

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.  In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our 70+ manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org.