James Beard Foundation President Susan Ungaro has announced that Frederic M. Seegal, a Senior Advisor at Peter J. Solomon Company, has been elected as Chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

Seegal, who has been on the JBF board for a decade including the last five years as Vice Chair, will assume the role from Emily Luchetti, effective immediately. Luchetti was a two-time JBF Award-winning pastry chef who was elected as Chair of the JBF board in 2012.

Seegal has worked with several non-profits in addition to his time with the James Beard Foundation. He has been Chairman of the Parrish Art Museum, as well as Trustee of the New York City Center, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Neuberger Museum. He was also President of the American Ballet Theater.

“In my time serving on the board under Susan and Emily’s leadership, the Foundation has done an extraordinary job of becoming both a global brand and an indispensable organization for chefs and other culinary leaders on food policy–related issues,” says Seegal. “My goal is to leverage our position as the most prestigious culinary arts nonprofit in the world and to continue expanding the progress we have made in all areas of thought leadership.”