The founding director of Zespri is stepping down from the board after 15 years' service to the kiwifruit industry.

Craig Greenlees will not seek re-election as a grower-director at Zespri's annual general meeting in Tauranga on Wednesday, July 23.

He was a founding member of Zespri Group and has served on the Zespri board since it was incorporated in 2000 and was chairman of the Zespri board between 2002 and 2008.

Prior to Zespri being corporatised, Craig was a director of Kiwifruit New Zealand and is also a past vice-president of New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Inc.

His position on the board is being contested by Paul Jones and Doug Voss. Doug is a former Zespri chairman and organic kiwifruit grower. Paul is a director of post-harvest and kiwifruit management company DMS.

Also seeking places on the board are Hillary Brick, a grower and international produce marketing specialist, and sitting director and grower Nathan Flowerday, who at 35 is the youngest director elected to the board.

David Pilkington has been a Zespri Group Ltd Independent Director since 2005 and is the only candidate for a third vacancy on the board.

The Zespri AGM starts at 1pm on Wednesday July 23 at Baycourt Theatre.