PETALUMA, CALIF. — The board of directors for the American Society of Baking has named Kerwin Brown as executive director, effective immediately. Mr. Brown has been interim manager for the past year.

According to the A.S.B., the announcement followed several meetings of past A.S.B. chairmen to discuss executive director options.

"There was clear consensus from the past chairmen assembled as well as the current A.S.B. officers and board members that Mr. Brown’s excellent leadership skills are what A.S.B. needed moving forward," said John Khoury, chairman of the A.S.B. "He did a great job as interim manger updating our financial systems and bringing the society’s by-laws into compliance. In addition, he has an outstanding team surrounding him that is committed to A.S.B. and the growth of the society. We congratulate him on his success so far and look forward to continued accomplishments in the future."

In addition to his new role at the A.S.B., Mr. Brown is president and chief executive officer of BEMA, the baking industry suppliers association. He also is a member of the board of directors for the Midwest Allied Trades of the Baking Industry and the Wheat Foods Council, as well as a member of the marketing committee for the Grain Foods Foundation.

He received a bachelor’s degree in marketing/information systems from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and a master’s degree in marketing and database management from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.