CRN awards dietary supplement industry executives at annual meeting
WASHINGTON Jon Benninger of Virgo Publishing, Bill Frankos of Herbalife and John Wise, chief science officer emeritus for Natural Alternatives International were each named 2010 recipients of the Council for Responsible Nutrition’s “Apple Awards” in a ceremony held last week at the association’s annual meeting, CRN announced Monday.
The award represents CRN’s highest honor and is given to executives who have shown long-term dedication and who have made considerable contributions to both CRN and the dietary supplement industry.
Benninger is the director of business development at Virgo Publishing where he is responsible for strategic planning, outreach and advocacy, content development and new business development. With 20 years in the natural products industry, he joined Virgo Publishing in 1995, and is an active member in a number of supplement industry organizations, including CRN. Virgo Publishing produces SupplySide trade shows and several publications, including "Natural Products Insider" and "Natural Products Marketplace."
Frankos currently serves as SVP global product science, safety and compliance with Herbalife. Prior to joining Herbalife, he served as director of the division of dietary supplement programs at the center for food safety, and the applied nutrition division of the Food and Drug Administration. At the FDA, Frankos was charged with overseeing policy, budget, personnel and administration in addition to the full implementation of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. Over the course of his tenure, the agency published the final rule for dietary supplement current good manufacturing practices and implemented guidance for reporting serious adverse events related to supplements.
Wise served as chief science officer for Natural Alternatives International from 2001 until his retirement in 2009. Currently, he consults for NAI and recently formed his own company, Collegiate Sports Nutrition. Prior to his work with NAI, Wise was EVP research and development with United Sciences of America. Wise, whose background includes biochemistry and microbiology, has authored and published in peer-reviewed journals on topics that include immunity and nutrition, and he has presented at more than 1,000 scientific lectures and seminars.