Armanino Foods Announces Board Transition and Appointment of Richard Armanino and Trish Lukasik to Board of Directors
Rhea-AI Summary
Armanino Foods (OTCQX:AMNF) announced the retirement of Directors Deb Armanino LeBlanc and Albert S. Banisch Jr. and the appointment of Richard Armanino and Trish Lukasik to the Board, effective immediately.
The moves support ongoing board succession, family representation, and expanded financial, operational, and governance expertise.
Positive
- Two new directors appointed with extensive food industry and governance experience
- Board succession plan maintains founding family representation via Richard Armanino
- Added financial, operational, and audit committee expertise from Trish Lukasik
- Leadership changes intended to support long-term growth and shareholder value
Negative
- Retirement of long-serving founding family director Deb Armanino LeBlanc
- Departure of Albert S. Banisch Jr., former chair of key board committees
- Potential short-term transition risk as new directors join the Board
News Market Reaction – AMNF
In the Jun 16 session, AMNF gained 0.46%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
PLEASANTON, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 16, 2026 / Armanino Foods of Distinction, Inc. (OTCQX:AMNF), a leading producer of frozen pesto, sauces, and Italian specialty food products, today announced the retirement of Directors Deb Armanino LeBlanc and Albert S. Banisch Jr. and the appointment of Richard Armanino and Trish Lukasik to its Board of Directors, effective immediately.
The appointments reflect the Company's ongoing board succession and governance planning efforts, adding both continued family representation and expanded financial, operational, and public-company governance expertise to support Armanino Foods' next phase of growth.
Deb Armanino LeBlanc, a founding family member of Armanino Foods, served in leadership roles across the Company from 1986 until her retirement from management in 2016, including as Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Since 2016, she has served on the Board of Directors, providing strategic continuity and helping preserve the values, culture, and vision that have guided the Company for generations. Albert S. Banisch Jr. joined the Board in 2019 and served as Chair of the Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee, bringing valuable expertise in strategy, innovation, organizational leadership, and corporate governance.
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Deb and Al for their years of dedicated service to Armanino Foods," said James Ford, Chairman of the Board. "Deb helped build the foundation of the Company and remained a steadfast steward of its values and culture. Al provided thoughtful leadership and strategic insight during a period of significant growth and transformation. Their contributions have left a lasting impact on Armanino Foods, and we are grateful for their service.
"We are pleased to welcome Richard Armanino and Trish Lukasik to the Board of Directors. Richard brings more than three decades of food industry experience, strong commercial leadership, and a deep appreciation for the heritage and values that have shaped Armanino Foods. Trish brings extensive financial, operational, and governance experience, including current board service and audit committee leadership. Together, they strengthen our Board and position Armanino Foods to support long-term growth and shareholder value creation."
Richard Armanino has served as Director of Sales, Purchasing, and Marketing for Italfoods Inc. since 1993, where he has helped lead business growth through customer development, product portfolio management, and market expansion initiatives. He also serves on numerous civic, industry, and charitable boards and organizations and has been widely recognized for his contributions to the Italian-American community, including being named Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia, Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy, by the President of the Italian Republic in 2022.
Trish Lukasik brings more than 30 years of executive leadership and board experience across consumer products, food and beverage, retail, e-commerce, manufacturing, supply chain, and private equity-backed businesses. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Sargento Foods, where she chairs the Compensation Committee and serves on the Audit Committee, and Gorilla Glue Company, where she chairs the Audit Committee. Her career also includes senior leadership roles at PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, SpotHero, Luxury Garage Sale, and multiple private equity portfolio companies.
"The appointments of Richard and Trish reflect the exciting next chapter of Armanino Foods," said Deanna Jurgens, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Richard brings a deep appreciation for our heritage and values, while Trish adds exceptional financial discipline, operating experience, and governance leadership. Their complementary perspectives will strengthen the Board as we continue executing our growth strategy, investing in operational excellence, and building long-term value for shareholders."
"It has been an honor to serve Armanino Foods throughout my career and as a member of the Board of Directors," said Deb Armanino LeBlanc. "I am proud of what our employees, leadership team, and Board have accomplished together over the years. I am pleased to see Richard continue the family's involvement with the Company and am confident he will be a valuable addition to the Board. I am also pleased to welcome Trish, whose leadership and experience will further strengthen the Board. With the leadership of James, Deanna, and the Board of Directors, I believe Armanino Foods is well-positioned for continued growth and success in the years ahead."
About Armanino Foods of Distinction, Inc.
Armanino Foods of Distinction, Inc. (OTCQX: AMNF) is a leading producer and marketer of premium frozen Italian and specialty foods serving foodservice and industrial customers across North America and select international markets. Best known for its top selling Basil Pesto, the Company's product line spans a wide variety of sauces and stuffed pasta dishes, all produced in a British Retail Consortium Global Standards Grade AA facility with rigorous quality systems and scalable packaging formats to meet customer needs. To learn more, please visit the Company's website at https://armaninofoods.com.
Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Statements in this news release regarding our expectations and beliefs about our future financial performance and trends in our markets are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigations Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often include the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "project," or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may."
The forward-looking statements in this news release regarding our future financial performance are based on current information and because our business is subject to several risks and uncertainties, actual operating results in the future may differ significantly from the future financial performance expected at the current time. Those risks and uncertainties may include, among others: economic factors affecting consumer confidence and discretionary spending and reducing the consumption of food prepared away from home; cost inflation/deflation and commodity volatility; competition; reliance on third party suppliers and interruption of product supply or increases in product costs; changes in the Company's relationships with customers and group purchasing organizations; the Company's ability to increase or maintain the highest margin portions of the Company's business; achievement of expected benefits from cost savings initiatives; increases in fuel costs; changes in consumer eating habits; cost and pricing structures and other governmental regulation. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information and estimates available to the Company at this time. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.
Investor Relations Contact
Lucas A. Zimmerman
Managing Director
MZ Group - MZ North America
(262) 357-2918
AMNF@mzgroup.us
www.mzgroup.us
SOURCE: Armanino Foods of Distinction, Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire