Retail Bakers of America

JOEL GREENSPAN
New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade

Joel has serviced the baking industry for over 50 years from the allied side of the business. He graduated from Syracuse University, majoring in marketing, and began his career in the food industry working in the family business, Flagstaff Frozen Foods.  After the business was sold, Joel again found his way back to the food industry working for Metzendorf Brothers Bakery Supplies as an assistant buyer in 1958.  He progressed to buyer and remained through a sale to Nutmeg Bakers Supply.  His next progression was to sales manager and commodity buyer after a Dawn acquisition of Nutmeg in 1990.  Joel retired from Dawn in 1997. He can still be found in many of the bakeries and bagel shops of New Jersey helping solve problems or as an unpaid baker just helping out his friends.

Joel has been a member of the NJBBT for over 40 years, holding several offices. He was awarded their Lifetime Achievement Award. Joel has been a driving force and a true leader in their organization. He was instrumental in getting supermarket bakeries integrated into the organization. He serves the organization as their Treasurer.

HANS AND MINERVA NADLER
Greater Southwest Retail Bakers Association

It is out of respect for the combined efforts of Hans and Min that these two awards be presented together. Each one can stand on their own merits as life-long contributors to the baking industry, but it is together that they have achieved so much than they could have alone.

Hans began his baking apprenticeship in Switzerland at the age of 16 when his father had to pay a Master Baker chef to train Hans as a Konditor. Hans originally wanted to become a Chef but the training as a pastry chef had to be completed first. He found his first love, baking.

The goal of America was never far from his mind and he landed in New York in 1953, finally an "American Baker". He found a job as a dishwasher and worked his way to Pastry Chef in a short time. He was drafted to the Army in 1954.  He was sent to San Antonio, where he met Minerva, marrying her in 1957.  After a four year stay in New York, they were back in San Antonio with the goal of someday opening their own bakery. Forty-six year later, Hans and Min, with their three children, run a family business. Hans was one of the founders of the Greater Southwest Bakers Association, serving as President for three years and currently as Director.

Since the mid-90s, Hans and Min have been nurturing a relationship with CANAINPA, the Mexican counterpart to the RBA.  Their efforts resulted in the signing of an agreement to pledge assistance between the two organizations. CANAINPA used the expertise of Hans and Min to help bring about their first show in Mexico City in 1998.  The RBA also joined the European Association of Retail Bakers (UIB) in 1982. Hans served the organizations as Secretary and twice was elected as their President. Hans currently is the Vice President of CIPAN, the South American Retail Bakers Association.  Together Hans and Min have single handedly represented the RBA worldwide, often at their own expense.  They have been active, hard-working members of the RBA since 1972, serving in many capacities, including President in 1987.

Min has been the RBA delegate to the Puerto Rican Bakers Association. She was also the driving force in getting a 14 booth Mexican Pavilion to the Chicago RBA convention. This was a large undertaking. She has also worked with Baking Buyer magazine to facilitate their Panaderias magazine, now distributed quarterly in Mexico and parts of the USA.

Min has been a Republican Delegate to the Texas GOP convention and she frequently hosts GOP meetings and receptions at their business. In 1989, Min was presented with the "Alcalade of the City of San Antonio Award" for her community service.

In 1981, the Nadlers opened their second location, and a third in 2004. Their business continues to grow. Hans and Min are also very involved in the Restaurant Association as they have combined the bakery and delicatessen businesses.  Min received the San Antonio Restaurateur of the year and was awarded the 2008 Grassroots Patriot of the Year Award by the National Restaurant Association.

LARRY POWELL
received posthumously

In January of 2009, the Board of Directors announced that Larry Powell was to receive a much deserved Emeritus Award from RBA. There truly could be no one more deserving. Larry mentioned that he was humbled and honored to receive this lifetime achievement recognition. His exact words, ever so fitting, were "this is really the icing on the cake". He also mentioned that he would be unable to attend RBA's convention that year due to health issues. It was with great sadness that we all learned of his passing.

Few people ever have the ability, the desire and the determination to change an industry. Larry was one of those few chosen people. It could be said that Larry was not a cake decorator, but rather cake decorating became Larry. He was an author, an instructor, but most of all an artist that used the medium of cake and icing as his brush and canvass. So spectacular, so innovative, so creative, so sharing that he literally changed the direction of cake decorating. He pushed the envelope for an entire industry, as many blessed with such talent often do.

Larry first attended an RBA convention in the 1960's in San Francisco. He said he was overwhelmed in what he learned in those few days.  Yet it was juat 1970 when he was already recognized for his unique talent, that he was a cake decorating demonstrator in Anaheim. Larry was always invited to create something special for subsequent conventions in Seattle, Dallas and St. Louis.

The list of accomplishments is many:

- Innovator of sculpted cakes changing the face of cake decorating forever
- Contributing editor for bakery magazine for more that 14 years
- Taught cake decorating seminars in America
- Elected to the International Cake Exploration Societe Hall of Fame
- Wrote and published "Larry Powell's Big Book of Decorating"
- Created "Cake Toppers" and distributed them to retail bakeries in Washington and Oregon
- Sculpted a moving, talking, life-size Mark Twain cake for the RBA convention in St. Louis

For Larry, it was more than all this though. It was about who he was, who he taught, how he inspired so many to challenge themselves to new heights. He made dreams reality, and changed the world of cake decorating. His work and memory will live forever in the hearts of those in the baking industry.

KARL RIESTERER, CMB
New York State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers (NYSAMRB)

Karl was born above the bakery his father started in 1931 after immigrating to the Long Island, NY. Not only did he grow up in the bakery, but when he married, the new couple moved into a second apartment above the bakery. Karl learned his trade well and assumed management of the family bakeries, numbering four at a time, from the late 1970's to the early 1980's. Karl officially retired in 2001, and passed on the reins to the third generation of Riesters, although if you want to find Karl, the first place to look is the bakery.

Karl is a Past President (1980-1981) of the Master Bakers Association of Nassau & Suffolk counties (representing Long Island). He is also Past President (1986-1988) of the NY State Association of Manufacturing Retail Bakers. While on the Executive Board, Karl created the Atlantic Bakery Expo (ABE) held in Atlantic City. He is also Past President of the RBA (2000-2001).

His family bakery was Bakery Production and Marketing Retail Bakery of the year (1996) and they recently celebrated their 75th anniversary. Karl was active in his community as fire chief (1970-1972) as as fire commissioner for 15 years. He was a visionary and is always willing to share his marketing ideas, baking knowledge and business advice to anyone in need.

EUGENE WILSON
Southeastern Retail Bakers Association
 
It started in Gastonia, NC, in a bakery called Patty Cake Bakery. Gene got his first job washing pots and pans and learning a little more each day. Then they let him fill and make pies, then coffee cakes, and the learning went on. Gene was able to attend the Carolina Bakery Show in Ashville, meeting bakers and seeing new equipment; thus he became hooked for life. After a short stint at Federal Bakery in CT, Gene joined the Navy where he continued his baking career on the USS Sanborn as a ship baker.

After returning from the Navy, Gene went back to work for Federal Bakery in Charlotte, NC. There he learned the art of merchandising and developed his management skills. His big break came when he was offered a job in Valdosta, Ga. as a bakery manager for Harvey's Supermarket. Harvey's made it possible for him to own and operate his own bakery in their store for the next 35 years. It is in Georgia where he also became interested in farming pecans. In 1992, he sold his bakery and worked full-time farming his pecan orchard in Hahria, Ga.

Gene is a Past President of RBA. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Southeastern Retail Bakers Association. Knowing that they would never get a convention in the area without a regional association, Gene called the retailers from the southeast and they met in Atlanta to form the SRBA. They then ran a successful convention.

After the passing of his wife, Gene later married Marge Winters. She owns and operates Marge's Donut Shop in Michigan. Gene is now blessed with a total of 16 grandchildren and still helps bakers nationwide. He certainly is a friend to everyone he meets.