MARCH 16, 2021
—Promotions include Holly Vogtman to Director, Communications; Rashidah Denton to Manager, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs; Gretchen Powers’ role expanded to include member experience—
WASHINGTON—The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, today announced promotions and new responsibilities for three key staffers.
Holly Vogtman was promoted to Director, Communications; Rashidah Denton, to Manager, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs; and Gretchen Powers’ role expanded to Senior Director, Marketing & Member Experience.
“We believe in recognizing excellence and promoting talent internally,” said CRN President & CEO Steve Mister. “Holly, Rashidah, and Gretchen have gone above and beyond for our members and made CRN a more productive association.”
Holly Vogtman, who joined CRN in 2016, will continue managing trade media and CRN’s annual survey. She looks forward to exploring new ways to foster relationships with the retailer community through CRN’s industry initiatives. Vogtman will continue to report to Brian Wommack, senior vice president of communications. “When the pandemic hit and CRN simultaneously faced being down a senior staff member, Holly went into overdrive and helped us continue to serve members when they needed us the most,” said Wommack. “She was absolutely essential, and this big promotion—skipping a level entirely—is well deserved.”
Stand-out moments for Vogtman in 2020 include leading CRN’s annual consumer survey and launching its COVID-19 survey that examined supplement usage during the pandemic. Her role in CRN’s proactive and reactive media outreach efforts also increased. Vogtman managed CRN’s annual communications conference—which went virtual—and CRN’s participation in the annual Shopping for Health event.
Rashidah Denton, part of CRN since 2018, manages logistics and operations for member committees, working groups, and task forces. Continuing to report to Andrea Wong, Ph.D., senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, it was Denton who led the department’s quick pivot to video conferencing at the start of the pandemic. Her efforts ensured meeting continuity, and she refined the member experience over video conference as the public health crisis wore on. In her new role as manager, Denton will run logistics for member groups, CRN’s Day of Science, and Senior Scientific Advisory Council (SSAC) events at CRN’s Annual Conference.
“She walks on water for us,” said Wong about Denton. “Rashidah was already working at a higher level, so this promotion recognizes the excellence of her performance. Rashidah is always thinking proactively about how to make experiences better for our members.”
Gretchen Powers’ role has expanded to reflect her leadership in shaping the experience of CRN members. Now Senior Director, Marketing & Member Experience, Powers led the launch of the CRN Daily Supplement newsletter and the “CRN Connect” mobile app in 2020. Also reporting to Wommack, Powers joined CRN in 1999, consulted for CRN between 2007 and 2013, and ultimately returned as a full-time CRN staffer later that year.
“We’re constantly working to upgrade CRN members’ experience,” said Powers. “In my newly expanded role, I look forward to connecting with more of our members to learn about their day-to-day experiences in their jobs so we can provide more valuable ways for them to engage with all CRN has to offer.”
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing 180+ dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and companies providing services to those manufacturers and suppliers. In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements and food in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as to CRN’s Code of Ethics. Visit www.crnusa.org. Follow us on Twitter @CRN_Supplements and LinkedIn.