The United States Olympic Committee has appointed Manuel Laborde Chef de Mission for the 2007 U.S. Team at the XV Pan American Games, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13-29. Laborde is president/co-owner of Chicago-based beverage distributor Synergia Corp. Until this past January, he was vice president of sales for the Loders Croklaan Division of Unilever Best Foods.