Three members of the executive staff received promotions by the Board of Directors of Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida last week.

James M. Shine, Jr. has been promoted to Senior Vice President of the Agricultural Division; Matthew L. Roberts, P.E., as Assistant General Manager in our Executive Office Department and Michael Michuda, P.E., as Engineering Manager in our Executive Office Department.

Shine joined the Cooperative in 1997 as head of the Agricultural Research Department and was named Vice President of the Agricultural Division in 2008. He earned his Masters of Science degree in Horticulture from theUniversity of Florida and his Bachelor's degree from Auburn University. Shine has received numerous awards for his contribution to the Florida sugar industry, Florida agriculture as well as international recognition for his work.

Roberts joined the Cooperative in 2011 as Manager of Special Projects. Prior to joining the Cooperative he had related experience at Westinghouse, Allied Signal Aerospace and U.S. Sugar Corporation. He will receive his MBA from Florida Institute of Technology in October 2016. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Southern University.

Michuda joined the Cooperative in 2014 as Project Engineer. Previous to joining the Cooperative, he provided consulting services to a number of entities including the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida.

"We are fortunate to have such talented professionals on our staff," said Cooperative President and CEO Tony Contreras. "We take great pride in being able to make these internal promotions and recognize the value they bring to the Cooperative's future."

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is comprised of 45 grower-members who produce 3.5 million tons of sugarcane yielding approximately 400,000 tons of raw sugar grown on 72,000 acres of land primarily in Palm Beach County. As partners with Florida Crystals Corporation, they own and operate the world's largest cane sugar refining company ASR Group International, Inc., that owns nine sugar refineries and two raw sugar mills in seven countries with the capacity to produce more than six million tons of refined sugar annually. The company produces a full line of consumer, industrial, specialty and food service products under the prestigious brand names of Domino®, C&H®, Redpath®, Tate & Lyle®, Lyle's® Golden Syrup and Sidul®.