SLIDELL, LA. – Kenneth Downey Sr., director of bakery sales and merchandising for Kings Super Markets, Inc., in Parsippany, N.J., has been named president of the Retail Bakers of America.

Mr. Downey was installed as president March 18 at a banquet during the R.B.A. board of directors spring meeting. The gathering was held in conjunction with the Atlantic Bakery Expo in Atlantic City, N.J.

Mr. Downey’s career in baking dates back a quarter century. He is a 1988 graduate of the American Institute of Baking in Manhattan, Kas., and he has received Certified Baking Technologist accreditation from the AIB and Certified Bakery Specialist accreditation from the Baking Association of Canada.

For a number of years before joining Kings Mr. Downey owned and operated a retail bakery in Secaucus, N.J. He has been director of bakery sales and merchandising for Kings/Balducci’s for the past eight years. During his tenure there, Kings was named “In-Store Bakery of the Year 2010” by inStore Buyer magazine published by Sosland Publishing Co.

Mr. Downey has been an active volunteer in the baking industry serving on the board of directors for the New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade (N.J.B.B.T.). He was president in 2008-10. He served on the R.B.A. board and was elected to 2nd vice-president in 2010 and first vice-president in 2011.

Mr. Downey has made plans to visit all of the affiliate/regional bakery associations during his term.

Also elected officers of the R.B.A. were Marlene Goetzeler, Freeport Bakery, Sacramento, Calif., first vice-president; Ramon Zayas, Donato’s Bakery, Utica, N.Y., second vice-president; Dale Biles, National Bakery Sales Force, Avenel, N.J., treasurer; and Susan Nicolais, CAE, Retail Bakers of America, secretary.