The Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative announced on 29 April that interim director Marianne LaCroix has been appointed executive director by the board of directors of the organization. The appointment came after the former director, Matt Jacobson, stepped down effective 25 February.
LaCroix has served as the organization’s head of marketing since its creation in 2013, and has been serving as the interim director since Jacobson stepped down in February. She was selected after a formal search process, according to the collaborative.
“Over the past several years, we’ve done important work with chefs and tastemakers across the country, spreading the word about Maine Lobster as a premium product,” LaCroix said in a release. “I’m thrilled the board has placed their faith in me and look forward to moving ahead with our plans for the year, which include broadening our scope to all aspects of the supply chain.”
The collaborative, which promotes the Maine lobster brand, is funded via a fee structure that was approved in April 2018 by the Maine legislature.
In an interview with SeafoodSource during Seafood Expo North America 2019, LaCroix said the collaborative is planning to continue its strategy of targeting end users and trend-setters within the culinary industry.
“That’s still a focus for us, we know that the majority of people that eat seafood are eating it in restaurants, and we know that chefs are very influential,” LaCroix said. “We want to make sure those influencers know all about Maine lobster, and continue to do so.”
Prior to her work with the collaborative, LaCroix was the marketing director for the Maine Lobster Promotion Council, and was briefly interim director before Jacobson’s selection in 2014.
