Arlington, VA (April 16, 2019) – The World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), a Core Partner of the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) is proud to announce the recipient of the 2019 Don Schlimme Future Leader Award – Michael Fischer, General Manager, RLS Logistics. The award was presented by Paul Henningsen, President, Henningsen Cold Storage/Immediate Past Chair, WFLO and Corey Rosenbusch, President and CEO of GCCA during the 128^th IARW-WFLO Convention where 400 temperature-controlled logistics executives gathered together to share experiences and best practices, build relationships and meet with industry suppliers.

"Being able to attend the IARW-WFLO Convention and compete with my fellow future leaders for this award was a fantastic experience,” stated Fischer. “I am really honored to receive this award and grateful to RLS for supporting me in this endeavor.”

Bestowed by WFLO, the Don Schlimme Future Leader Award recognizes talented young professionals in North America, 35 years of age and under, who have the potential to become future leaders and make a positive contribution to the development of the temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics industry. Nominees must have had to demonstrate excellence in their work, the potential to excel further in the many facets within the industry and possess insight into their organization’s strategic values and direction, policies and ways of working.

The award is named in honor of Donald V. Schlimme, Ph.D, who passed away in 2012 and was a longtime member of the WFLO Scientific Advisory Committee (1983-2012) and a WFLO Staff Advisor for many of those years. He was an expert in food science and cold storage and was committed to sharing his extensive knowledge.

Fischer competed for the award with the following finalists from an initial list of twelve nominees: Kyle Browning, Operations Manager, Americold Logistics; Seth Cross, Operations Supervisor, AGRO Merchants;  Megan Hendricksen, Director of Communications, Lineage Logistics; Brittany Jacobs, Health and Safety Specialist, United States Cold Storage; Dean Stahley, Facility Manager, Interstate Warehousing; Jonathan Szabo, Chief Operating Engineer, Congebec Logistics; John Tippmann III, Operations Manager, Interstate Warehousing. As part of the selection process, each finalist was interviewed by a panel of judges made up of industry leaders. The field was narrowed down to three and each of those candidates delivered a short presentation to the panel of judges and the Convention attendees. A final recipient was selected after their presentations to the Convention attendees.

Additionally, the finalist experience included a recognition luncheon where they were honored by executives from their company as well as a leadership development workshop to complete their Convention experience.

“The dedication and quality of the emerging leaders within the cold chain continues to be so impressive,” GCCA President & CEO Corey Rosenbusch said. “Mike and his fellow competitors are excellent examples of how bright the future is for the cold chain with talented individuals such as these coming up through the ranks.”

Fischer will compete with other young leaders from around the world for the global GCCA NextGen Award at the Global Cold Chain Expo, taking place 10-12 June 2019 in Chicago IL.

Contact: Grace Lynch, Coordinator of Marketing & Communications, GCCA at +1 703 373 4300 or glynch@gcca.org

About the Global Cold Chain Alliance
Comprised of its Core Partners, including the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), the World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), the International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA), and the Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA.) The Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) represents all major industries engaged in temperature-controlled logistics. GCCA unites all partners to be innovative leaders in the temperature-controlled products industry.