OVERLAND PARK, KAS. — Michael J. Cornelis, vice-president of Sasa-Demarle, has been named chairman of the board for BEMA, the association for bakery equipment manufacturers and allied firms. A member of BEMA since 1985, Mr. Cornelis has been a member of the board for six years and a member of the association’s executive committee for the past four years. He earlier served as chairman of the marketing and trade relations committees.

Additionally, Mr. Cornelis has represented BEMA on the International Baking Industry Exposition committee, and was instrumental in I.B.I.E.’s partnership with the Louis Lesaffre Cup competition and the Retail Bakers Association. He also was a founding trustee of the Grain Foods Foundation, serving as the group’s secretary in 2004 and 2005. He later was BEMA’s representative on the G.F.F.’s marketing committee.

“As BEMA’s chairman, I pledge to stay on plan and keep working to build a better BEMA,” Mr. Cornelis said.
Also joining BEMA’s executive committee was Damian Morabito, president of Topos Mondial Corp. Mr. Morabito was named third vice-chairman. Other individuals named to BEMA’s board of directors were Robert Miller, vice-president of BakeTech Systems, and Bruce Campbell, vice-president of dough processing technologies for AMF Bakery Systems.