WFF President Fritzi Woods Passes Away

Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF) President/CEO Fritzi Woods passed away unexpectedly on September 18. Woods had led the organization for the past three years after serving as executive chairman of PrimeSource Foodservice Equipment. Before that she was executive vice president of the Dallas Morning News.

"All of us at the Women's Foodservice Forum are heartbroken over the loss of our dear friend and leader Fritzi Woods," says Laurie Burns, WFF chairperson and Darden Restaurants senior vice president for specialty restaurant group strategic platform and development.

"She was an inspirational leader and mentor and a powerful voice for growing the opportunities available to women in the foodservice industry. We will miss her immensely."

Woods was most recently profiled in Food Management's July issue. 

UPDATE: On Sept. 20, WFF announced that organization chair Laurie Burns will lead the strategic direction and guide WFF's overall operations while a formal search for a new president/CEO is undertaken.

Burns, a longtime member of the WFF, joined the Board of Directors in 2008 and was named chair this past April. She is currently senior vice president, SRG strategic platform and development at Darden Restaurants and leads all development initiatives across Darden’s Specialty Restaurant Group brands, which include Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood and Yard House. She previously was president of Bahama Breeze.