ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 10, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP International) announced today the new members of its 2013 Board of Directors. 

The 2013 Board Officers whose terms are effective January 1 are:

Chair of the Board– Linnea Johnson, Director, Consumer Services, Unilever

Chair-Elect – Kim McMiller, Associate Director, Consumer Relations, Kraft Foods

Past Chairman – Cheryl Duwve, Vice President, Customer Support, Roche Diagnostics

Treasurer – Marie Shubin, Director, Global Consumer Relations, E&J Gallo Winery

Secretary – Celine Dumais, Vice President, L'Oreal USA

In addition, SOCAP welcomes five new directors and a special advisor to its Board:

Michael Boudreau, Manager, Workforce & Information Management, Eli Lilly & Company - Director
Jeanne Jones, Director, Consumer Affairs, ConAgra Foods - Director
Matt Sanders, Assistant Director of Operations, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts - Director
Thomas Siebert, Senior Director of Customer Service, Expedia - Director
Chris Wallace, Vice President of Sales, 24-7 Intouch - Director
Melanie Neumann, Leavitt Partners – Special Advisor to the Board

"I am honored to work with such an outstanding group of business leaders on the SOCAP Board of Directors," said SOCAP's new Board Chair, Linnea Johnson of Unilever. "Our Board members bring a powerful blend of industry experience, customer care expertise and strategic vision to the organization, which will enable SOCAP to continue to offer effective solutions and professional resources to our members as well as increase our overall membership."

The Board Officers were approved at SOCAP's Annual Business Meeting during the Association's 2012 Annual Conference in San Diego, California.

"The talent represented on the SOCAP Board ensures that the organization is well positioned to lead and advance the important role of customer care in successful business strategy," said Matthew D'Uva, SOCAP's President & CEO. "The Board's leadership will allow SOCAP to have a critical voice in supporting consumers, improving interactions and advancing product innovation."

The new Board members will join these current members of the SOCAP Board:

Lorraine Avery, Senior Vice President & Director of Customer Services, Associated Bank
Michael Biondo, Vice President, Customer Operations, Clear Channel Radio
Frank Eliason, Senior Vice President, Social Media, Citibank
Patrice Fehl, Senior Manager, Consumer Relations, The Hershey Company
Mark Hamilton, Vice President, Business Development, Inktel Direct
Helen Horsham-Bertels, Director, Consumer Affairs, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Chris Irving, Assistant Vice President, Consumer, Government & Legal Affairs, Publishers Clearing House
Rosemary O'Malley, Manager, Consumer Affairs, Ford Motor Company
Iasha Rivers, Director, External Affairs, Macy's/Federated Department Stores
Jason Rosser, Manager, eCommerce Contact Center Operations & Consumer Services, Abercrombie & Fitch

About SOCAP
Founded in 1973, SOCAP International represents a thriving global profession of best-in-class customer care experts across all industries. SOCAP is a member-driven organization committed to promoting customer care and customer engagement as a competitive advantage in business. The Association's members include vice presidents, directors, managers and supervisors of customer care and consumer affairs from top Fortune/Forbes 1000 companies as well as hundreds of business partner organizations.

SOCAP provides the educational tools and professional resources to help its members to drive business transformation within their companies. Additionally, SOCAP's exclusive network gives members access to thousands of customer care experts across the globe.  Visit www.socap.org for complete SOCAP information.

Contact:
Marjorie Bynum, Vice President, Education & Communications
(703) 910-2473; marjorie@socap.org

SOURCE SOCAP International