2025 Agenda

John W Spink, Ph.D.
Director, Food Fraud Prevention Academy &
Assistant Professor, Michigan State University

Dr. John W Spink is the Director and Lead Instructor for the Food Fraud Prevention Academy. Also, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management (SCM) in College of Business at Michigan State University (MSU). His food fraud prevention research focus is on policy and strategy to understand and prevent these supply chain disruptions and to implement procurement best practices. He is widely published in leading academic journals and has helped lead national and global regulatory and standards activity. More recently his teaching and research has expanded to supply chain disruption management and procurement best practices. For more: www.FoodFraudMOOC.com

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Roy Fenoff, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice
The Citadel

Roy Fenoff, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at The Military College of South Carolina (The Citadel). He is also a Forensic Handwriting and Document Examiner and an expert in forgery detection. Dr. Fenoff specializes in forgery and document fraud, food fraud and protection, and transnational crime.

Lori Ledenbach
Founder
Ledenbach Food Safety LLC

Loralyn (Lori) Ledenbach is President of Ledenbach Food Safety, LLC, having recently retired as Associate Director for Food Safety at Kraft Heinz North America. Prior to her retirement, she had been with the company for over 43 years. Over this time, Lori had worked on new method development and product category support for: enhancers products, pizza, and natural and pasteurized process cheese. She was one of the internal process authorities for pasteurized process cheese products, and co-developed the Better Process Control School for Process Cheese standard curricula. She led the Kraft Foods global HACCP team, then Kraft Heinz NA HACCP team. She is a Trainer of Trainers for Preventive Controls for Human Foods, a Lead Instructor for Foreign Supplier Verification Program, and a Lead Instructor for Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Assessments. She is a Fellow and Honorary Life Member of the International Association for Food Protection. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Northern Illinois University and a M.S. degree in Food Science from University of Illinois.

Sara Mortimore, MSc, FRSPH, MIFST
Founder
Sara Mortimore LLC

A food scientist and passionate food safety advocate with over 40 years of experience.

From 2019 to 2024 Sara was the Global Vice President of Food Safety for Walmart Inc. This role had enterprise-wide responsibility for the company’s more than 10,500 brick and mortar stores, fast developing ecommerce business, supply chain and private brands supplier food safety program. During this period the company transformed its food safety management system and in doing so focused on leveraging the food safety knowledge and experience from team members around the globe. Under her leadership, the company was the recipient of the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) Black Pearl award, in recognition of food safety excellence.

From 2008 to 2019 she was the Vice President of Product Safety, Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Land O’Lakes, Inc., the second largest agricultural cooperative in the USA, which operates some of the most respected brands in agribusiness and food including dairy foods, animal nutrition (Purina Animal Nutrition), and in agricultural inputs.

Sara started her career with Glaxo SmithKline, working as a Research Technologist in R&D. In 1989 she joined Grand Metropolitan Foods which later became Pillsbury and subsequently was incorporated by General Mills Inc. She stayed there for close to 19 years moving through a series of global assignments all in Food Safety and Quality.

Sara is also the co-author of many successful books and chapters on HACCP and food safety management. She has served on the GFSI Steering Committee and as a trustee of the Royal Society for Public Health, as well as on several editorial boards and technical advisory committees.

Now working as an independent food safety adviser, Sara sits on the Musgrave Group Food Safety Advisory Board and the Campden BRI Advisory Council.

Karleigh Bacon
Director of U.S. Supply Chain Food Safety, Science & Regulatory
McDonald's Corporation

Karleigh Bacon is Director of U.S. Supply Chain Food Safety, Science & Regulatory at McDonald’s. Within food safety, Karleigh’s key areas of work include anticipatory issues management, supply chain strategy, data excellence, external relationship development, and providing internal technical expertise. Prior to joining McDonald’s, Karleigh worked in the food manufacturing industry leading regulatory compliance for both FDA and USDA products as well as food safety during manufacturing, packaging, and holding. Karleigh holds a PhD in Food Science and Technology from Virginia Tech, as well as a B.S. in Biological Sciences and M.S. in Food Science from Purdue University. She enjoys biking and museum hopping in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons.

Tim Jackson
Regulatory, Sr. Science Advisor
FDA

Dr. Jackson is a Senior Science Advisor for Food Safety with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, joining in 2022. In this role, he supports programs in outbreak investigations, root cause analysis, and prevention strategies.

From 2017–2021, Dr. Jackson served as Vice President of Food Safety, Regulatory, and Social Compliance for Driscoll’s team in North America and South America. He previously served as the Director of Food Safety for Nestlé US and Nestlé Canada from 2009–2017. From 1998–2003, he headed the Microbiology Laboratories at the Nestlé Quality Assurance Laboratory for the U.S. and Canada. From 2004–2008, he was Chief Industrial Microbiologist for Nestlé’s global operations in Vevey, Switzerland.

Dr. Jackson received his B.S. in Biology from Abilene Christian University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from Texas A&M University.

Melissa Vaccaro
Senior Food Safety Program Specialist
NEHA

Melissa Vaccaro is the Senior Food Safety Program Specialist for the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), where she is the SME in the development and delivery of food safety education, focusing on retail food safety and manufactured/processed foods. As an instructor, Melissa teaches the Plan Review, Special Process in Retail, Food Safety in the Event of a Disaster, Food Code, and Temporary Food Establishments courses for NEHA/FDA. She is a CP-FS, CPFM, PCQI and Lead Instructor for the FSPCA courses on Human Food. Additionally, Melissa is an FDA Certified Retail Food Standardization Officer and Certified Health Officer.

Joetta DeFrancesco
Retail Program Standards Coordinator
NEHA

Joetta DeFrancesco is the Retail Program Standards Coordinator for the National Environmental Health Association. Prior to NEHA, she worked as an inspector with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food Safety, and later as the Environmental Manager for Quality Assurance and Training, where she oversaw the training and certification of the Retail Food Inspection staff. Joetta holds an M.A. in Teaching, has written curriculum and taught, culinary, food safety, and food service courses. She is an active member of the Conference for Food Protection, where she served on the Executive Board, and as a Council Chair.

Carrie Rigdon, Ph.D.
Research Director
Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
Carrie Rigdon is the Research Director at the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Dr. Rigdon leads and assists several projects in research question development, effective data collection, detailed data analysis, and the publication of findings. Prior to joining AFDO, Dr. Rigdon worked at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, initially in helping develop Minnesota’s Food Emergency Rapid Response Team, and more recently as Operations Manager and Interim Assistant Division Director for Food and Feed Safety. Carrie earned her MPH in Epidemiology from San Diego State University and her PhD in Environmental Health from the University of Minnesota with a focus on foodborne illness.

Deanna Copeland
Retail Food Safety Director
AFDO

Deanna joined AFDO at the beginning of 2023 to lead AFDO’s projects for the Retail Food Safety Regulatory Association Collaborative and has worked in Retail Food Safety for over 25 years. Before joining AFDO, she managed the retail food safety program in Harris County, Texas that regulated retail food establishments around the Houston metro area where she implemented FDA Standards and led multiple process improvement & data projects.

Autumn Schuck
Assistant Program Director
AFDO

Autumn joined the AFDO team in 2022 as an Assistant Program Director assisting in teaching various retail and manufactured food courses, leading Inspector Boot Camp and helping to support the Integrated Food Safety Systems team. Schuck served as Inspection Manager for the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety program from 2016-2022. Earlier in her food safety career she held positions within the Food Safety Program as an inspector, Field Supervisor, Contract Supervisor, and beyond as a third-party auditor with over 20 years in the food safety field.

Claudia Coles
President
Seafood Products Association (SPA)

Claudia Coles joined SPA in 2019 after 35 years of service with the Washington State Department of Agriculture. She is a member of the FSPCA Executive Advisory Board, co-chair of the FSPCA PCHF Trainer of Trainers Work Group and is a FSPCA Trainer of Trainers and Lead Instructor for the FSVP and PCHF curricula.

Claudia is a Past President of the Association of Food and Drug Officials and received five awards from the FDA for leadership in food safety, Seafood HACCP, Interstate Milk Shippers, training teams, and promoting state/federal partnerships.

Claudia is a North Dakota State University graduate.

Tim Jackson
Regulatory, Sr. Science Advisor
FDA

Dr. Jackson is a Senior Science Advisor for Food Safety with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, joining in 2022. In this role, he supports programs in outbreak investigations, root cause analysis, and prevention strategies.

From 2017–2021, Dr. Jackson served as Vice President of Food Safety, Regulatory, and Social Compliance for Driscoll’s team in North America and South America. He previously served as the Director of Food Safety for Nestlé US and Nestlé Canada from 2009–2017. From 1998–2003, he headed the Microbiology Laboratories at the Nestlé Quality Assurance Laboratory for the U.S. and Canada. From 2004–2008, he was Chief Industrial Microbiologist for Nestlé’s global operations in Vevey, Switzerland.

Dr. Jackson received his B.S. in Biology from Abilene Christian University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from Texas A&M University.

Kathleen O'Donnell
Chief Scientist
Wegmans

Kathleen O'Donnell started her career at Wegmans as a part-time employee in the bakery. Following her graduation from Cornell University (B.S., M.S.), she became a member of the quality assurance team at Wegmans Meat Center, focusing on product quality assurance, environmental monitoring programs and product development. She developed the first HACCP program for the Wegmans Meat Center. Kathleen is now Chief Food Scientist and addresses issues of a regulatory, technical or scientific nature for food and non-food products.

Christopher Waldrop, M.P.H.
Senior Health Scientist
Office of Surveillance Strategy & Risk Prioritization, Human Foods Program, Food and Drug Administration

Christopher Waldrop is a Senior Health Scientist in the Office of Surveillance Strategy & Risk Prioritization in the Human Foods Program at the Food and Drug Administration. In this role, he leads cross-agency workgroups to advance agency priorities on nutrition, food safety and biotechnology issues. He was part of the rule-writing team for the Food Traceability Rule, and helps lead the communications and outreach for the rule.

Previously, he directed the work of the Food Policy Institute at the Consumer Federation of America for 12 years, where he oversaw the Institute’s research, analysis, advocacy and media outreach on a range of food policy issues. Mr. Waldrop has an advertising degree from Texas Tech University and a Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University. Early in his career, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana, West Africa as a community health educator.

Michael Lookup
Traceability Lead
Wegmans Food Markets

Michael Lookup is the Traceability Lead for Wegmans Food Markets. He is responsible for leading the creation of traceability strategy and solutions. Michael has 18+ year’s experience at Wegmans Food Markets across Store Operations, Supply Chain, Manufacturing and FS/QA.

Patrick Guzzle
Vice President of Food Science and Industry
National Restaurant Association

Patrick Guzzle is the Vice President of Food Science for the National Restaurant Association. He has been involved in retail food safety for over 20 years after his wife contracted E. coli O157:H7. His career in food safety began as an Environmental Health Specialist in Southeastern Idaho Public Health District. He later became the Environmental Health Supervisor and was involved in all aspects of environmental health. In 2004, Patrick was hired as the Idaho Food Protection Program Manager with the State's Division of Public Health. During that time, he served as President of the Idaho Environmental Health Association. In 2018, Patrick started Mountain West Food Safety LLC and was the Principal Consultant. In addition to helping several clients strengthen their own food safety efforts, Patrick regularly taught ServSafe® courses throughout Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Patrick has been an active participant in the Conference for Food Protection (CFP) and has served on several Committees, as well as Chairing Council II within the CFP. He served as Chair of the CFP from 2016–2018. He has received several commendations for his collaborative efforts with other organizations over the years. Patrick is an active member of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, the National Environmental Health Association, and the Western Association of Food and Drug Officials. He is also an adjunct professor of Public Health at Boise State University. Patrick holds an M.P.H., an M.A. degree in Anthropology, and a B.A. degree in Spanish, all from Idaho State University.

Drew McDonald
Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety
Taylor Fresh Foods

Drew is the Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety at Taylor Fresh Foods, Salinas CA. He has over 30 years experience in Fresh Produce and Fresh Foods. He oversees the quality and food safety programs across the food service, retail, and deli operations under both FDA and USDA jurisdictions. Drew works with an impressive team developing and managing appropriate and practical quality and food safety programs for fresh food and produce products. Over the course of his career he has worked with growers and processors of fresh food and produce items all over the world. He currently serves on numerous food safety-related technical committees and has participated in the authorship of many produce food safety articles and guidelines. He is the out-going chairman of the Center for Produce Food Safety’s Technical Committee and on the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board and former Chairman of United Fresh’s Technical Council. Drew received his education from Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

Hilary Thesmar
Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice President of Food and Product Safety
FMI

With over 20 years of experience in food science, food safety, and food and agriculture policy, Dr. Hilary Thesmar provides leadership for FMI’s retail, wholesale and product supplier members on scientific and technical issues related to food safety, food science and human nutrition.

Dr. Thesmar earned a Ph.D. in Food Technology from Clemson University, a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University, a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Clemson, and she is a Registered Dietitian. Dr. Thesmar is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, an active member of the International Food Protection Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Roberta Wagner
Senior Vice President, Regulatory and Scientific Affairs International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)

Rosalind Zils
Vice President, Quality
Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition

Rosalind is a recognized quality, food safety and regulatory leader with in-depth experience transforming programs in companies that are less mature in their food safety culture journey and deploying enterprise-wide food safety and quality initiatives in very large organizations. She has extensive experience in ensuring a safe, quality, and regulatory compliant raw material and finished product supply. During her career with Cargill, Land O’Lakes, 8th Ave Food & Provisions, and now Reckitt, she has gained significant change management skills and experience in quality, food safety and regulatory activities at the corporate, enterprise and business unit level, including customer focus, building trust, influencing internally and externally to company, driving results, and enabling a global perspective that ensures the business operating principles of organization are met. Rosalind is an engaging leader known for employee loyalty and leading high performing teams. Her interests outside of her work place are supporting her son’s competitive sailing endeavors, gardening, and boating on the lake.

Lone Jespersen, Ph.D
Principal and Founder
Cultivate

Lone Jespersen is published author, speaker, and the principal and founder of Cultivate SA, a Swiss-based organization dedicated to help organizations in the global supply chain make safe, great tasting food through cultural effectiveness.
Lone has worked with improving food safety through organizational culture improvements for 18 years since she started at Maple Leaf Foods in 2004. Lone chaired the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) technical working group “A Culture of Food Safety”, chaired, the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) professional development group “Food Safety Culture”, and currently the technical author on the BSI PAS320 “Practical Guide to Food Safety Culture.” Lone holds a Ph.D. in Culture Enabled Food Safety from the University of Guelph, Canada and a Master in Mechanical Engineering from Syd Dansk University, Denmark. Lone serves as vice-chair of the IFPTI board and as director on the STOP Foodborne Illness board.

Shawn Stevens
National Food Industry Lawyer
Food Industry Counsel LLC

Shawn Stevens is the founding member of Food Industry Counsel LLC, the only law firm in the United States that represents the food industry exclusively. As a food industry consultant and lawyer, Mr. Stevens works with food industry clients (including the world’s largest growers, processors, restaurant chains, distributors and grocers) helping them protect their brand by complying with FDA and USDA regulations, reducing risk, managing recalls, and defending high-profile foodborne illness claims. Mr. Stevens also speaks regularly to national and international audiences on a wide variety of emerging scientific, regulatory and food safety legal trends. Additional information about his practice can be found at www.foodindustrycounsel.com

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Steven Lyon, PhD
Director, Food Safety – Field Operations
Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Dr. Steven A. Lyon has been with Chick-fil-A, Inc. since 2009 leading various food safety and animal welfare initiatives. His primary role today is centered around control of foodborne diseases and respiratory diseases within the enterprise. He has held several roles ranging from leading Supply Chain food safety, product safety, restaurant procedure/kitchen design reviews, solutions/innovations, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance. Prior to Chick-fil-A, Inc., he was with the USDA for 7 years. His work has been published in peer reviewed scientific journals and also in magazines associated with poultry production. At the USDA, he worked on several projects involving antibiotic resistance and surveillance programs aimed at protecting public health from emerging foodborne pathogens. Steven holds 3 degrees from the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Poultry Science, Masters of Science degree in microbiology, and doctorate (Ph.D.) in food microbiology.

Jorge Hernandez
Vice President of Quality Assurance
The Wendy’s Company

Jorge is responsible for food safety and quality in all Wendy’s restaurants and its suppliers in 31 countries. His responsibilities include ensuring brand compliance with nutritional and allergen information, menu labeling and any other state and federal regulations. Previously, Jorge was Chief Food Safety Officer at Wholesome International; Senior VP for Food Safety and Quality Assurance at US FOODS; VP of Food Safety at the National Restaurant Association; Food Program Manager at Illinois Department of Public Health and Sanitarian at Winnebago County Health Department in Illinois.

Jorge has Degrees in Biology from Rockford University, USA; Microbiology from El Centro de Estudios Medico-Biologicos in Mexico City, Mexico; and Languages and Literature from la Universite de la Sorbonne, Paris, France. Jorge belongs to several national and international organizations and boards including STOP Foodborne Illness, IFPTI, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and other.

Dr. Philip Bronstein
Senior Vice President of Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance
OSI Group

Dr. Philip Bronstein is the Senior Vice President of Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance at the OSI Group. In this role he is responsible for the advancement of the FSQA mission in over 65 OSI locations to protect industry leading global and regional customers by utilizing best-in-class food safety and quality systems with an approach of excellence and relentless improvement.

Prior to this position, Dr Bronstein spent over 19 years with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He led a research group in the Agricultural Research Service for six years before joining the Food Safety and Inspection Service. His last position with FSIS was as Assistant Administrator of Field Operations where he led operations and inspection services for the regulatory agency.

Dr. Bronstein holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology from Texas A&M University and a Doctorate in Microbiology from the University of Washington.

Sharon Birkett
Vice President, Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance
OSI Group, LLC

Sharon Birkett is Vice President of Quality and Food Safety for OSI Group, LLC., a global leader in supplying value-added protein items and other food products to leading foodservice and retail brands. Sharon is a leader in the food industry demonstrated by more than 25 years’ experience and expertise in the areas of food safety, quality assurance and operations management. She leads the team in raising the awareness and expectations of food safety through participating on the Food Safety Culture committee with Global Food Safety Initiative, the OSI facilities certified to GFSI recognized schemes, and best practices in listeria control. Sharon is a member of professional organizations including the International Association of Food Protection, American Society for Quality, and North American Meat Institute.

James Davis
Senior Director, Global Sanitation
OSI Group

James T. Davis is the Senior Director, Global Sanitation at OSI Group, leading the company efforts in sanitation and hygienic design of equipment and facilities, with emphasis on food safety risk management. In this role, he develops and implements standards, training and policies to drive consistency in sanitation and hygienic design ensuring a high level of food safety for the organization. James collaborates and participates in industry associations to develop and implement best-practices and new standards.

Matt Stasiewicz, PhD
Associate Professor of Applied Food Safety
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Matthew Stasiewicz is an Associate Professor of Applied Food Safety in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His work uses risk assessment and improved data analytics to advance food safety microbiology.

At Michigan State University he earned both a B.S. in Biosystems Engineering, focusing on food process engineering, and a B.A. in Philosophy, focusing on ethics. At Cornell he earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in food microbiology, working on risk analysis. The lab has many projects using simulation and risk assessment to improve sampling and testing for, and management of, foodborne pathogens in large-scale food productions environments.

Alvin Lee, PhD, MASM
Director of the Center for Processing Innovation, Institute for Food Safety and Health
Associate Professor of Food Science and Nutrition, Illinois Institute of Technology
Dr. Alvin Lee is a microbiologist and virologist with more than 15 years research experience. He currently leads IFSH Center for Processing Innovation and co-leads the joint IFSH/FDA Microbiology Research Platform on food safety and defense related projects. He is a member of the Executive Board of NoroCORE, a USDA-NIFA Food Virology Collaborative based at North Carolina State University, and leads the Prevention and Control CORE. Current research support includes funding from USDA, US FDA and various industry contracts. Dr. Lee is currently a Section Editor on Elsevier’s Reference Module in Food Science and scientific reviewer on a number of scientific journals. He teaches food microbiology in the IIT’s Masters of Science program, has mentored more than 30 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows and a Lead Instructor for Food Safety Preventive Controls for Human Foods. He is a current active member of the International Association for Food Protection and a Professional Member of the Institute of Food Technologists.

Brendan Niemira, Ph.D.
Research Leader
USDA-ARS

Dr. Brendan A. Niemira is a research microbiologist and Lead Scientist with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Wyndmoor, PA. His research develops and validates cold plasma, pulsed light, radiofrequency energy and other nonthermal food processing technologies. He has published more than 190 peer-reviewed research articles, book chapters, and critical reviews. Dr. Niemira is a Fellow of IFT and a past member of the IFT Board of Directors. He serves on the Educational Advisory Board for the Food Safety Summit. A member of IFT, IAFP and ASM for 20+ years, he is on the editorial boards for "Journal of Food Protection" and "Applied and Environmental Microbiology".

Al Baroudi, Ph.D.
VP, Quality Assurance & Food Safety
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated

Dr. Ata (Al) Baroudi joined The Cheesecake Factory in 2008 with broad experience in the food industry as a quality assurance executive. He is an agricultural engineer with a MS degree in Food Science and Technology / Microbiology from the University of California at Davis, CA. He received his Ph.D. in Food Processing and Technology / Regulatory Affairs from The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. He served as the head of QA and Food Safety (Snacks and Dairy) for Borden Foods Company in Columbus, OH, before moving to the west coast as Vice President, Corporate QA/Food Safety and Regulatory/Environmental Affairs for the Vons/Safeway Supermarkets, Arcadia, CA. Dr. Baroudi then served as Vice President of QA and Technical Services, Harry & David Corporation, Medford, OR., before becoming the Chief Scientific, Health and Regulatory Affairs Officer at Yum! Brands in Louisville, KY.

Mike Learakos
CEO
Abound Food Care

Mike has a 30+ year career across all spectrums of the food industry. In addition to being the President of Foodservice company since 1993, Mike also has extensive experience in food processing, procurement, facility design and distribution. Beyond the food industry, Mike has a long history of community involvement supporting a wide variety of non-profit organizations. Starting as a volunteer with Waste Not OC in 2013, Mike used his experience to develop an effective food recovery model recognized nationally for its innovation and effectiveness. Under Mike's guidance, the organization became known as Abound Food Care working to develop food insecurity and food waste reduction solutions that brings together the public, private and non-profit sectors with a focus on the positive impact excess edible food can have on people and our environment.

Regina Harmon
Executive Director
Food Recovery Network

Regina Harmon, Executive Director of Food Recovery Network, plays a significant role in raising awareness about the impact of food waste on the environment and the opportunity to address hunger through recovering surplus food. She is a current board member of Food Tank and Earth Island Institute and sits on ReFED’s Advisory Council. Regina emphasizes the need to address racial disparities in the food system disproportionately affecting health and economic outcomes, highlighting the importance of working together to enact change. She’s been recognized as one of the most influential leaders in the food industry by SELF magazine and Food Tank.

Monica Khoury
Senior Quality Expert
Nestle

Monica is a dedicated professional with a strong background in quality and regulatory affairs. As a Senior Quality Expert at Nestle USA, Monica spearheads the food safety culture workstream and supports the Nestle Professional business and factories. She also provides coaching and expertise on allergen management to various departments including product development, regulatory affairs, and marketing. From ingredient selection to commercialization, Monica ensures that allergen management is prioritized throughout the entire process. Her multifaceted role showcases her expertise in ensuring the highest standards of food safety and quality throughout the organization.

Monica's experience in quality and regulatory affairs has given her exposure to many product categories, having worked at meat, ready to eat desserts, and sugar confections manufacturing facilities. Through her corporate quality and regulatory roles, she has supported a wide range of businesses, gaining valuable experience and knowledge along the way. Monica holds a Master of Science degree in Food Safety and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science, both from Michigan State University.

Larry Ball
Manager, Food Safety Quality Regulatory Affairs
Conagra Brands

Larry is currently a Manager in Conagra Brands’ Food Safety Quality Regulatory Affairs (FSQRA) department with primary responsibility for leading Conagra’s Food Safety Culture, including their enterprise food safety quality training and communications.

Larry joined Conagra Brands in 2007, as Customer Marketing Manager then Category Marketing Manager in their Foodservice division. In 2016, he moved to Conagra’s FSQRA department as Customer Facing Quality Manager before his current role.

Larry has worked in the food industry for over 25 years. Prior to joining Conagra Brands, he worked in operations at a large specialty coffee retailer.

Lily Yasuda
Program Manager
Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness

Lily Yasuda is the Manager of the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness. Alongside the Alliance Director, she leads a series of educational working groups that bring together industry leaders to create affordable, accessible tools to share best practices and bolster food safety culture. She had led numerous nonprofit programs, and previously served as the Festival Director for Slamdance Film Festival and the Program Manager at the Alexa Rose Foundation for the Arts. She proudly applies her passion for creative storytelling to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and spearhead innovative ways of connecting with new audiences.

Sharon Beals
Founder
SKKB

Sharon brings 40+ years’ experience in food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance, most recently serving as the Chief Food Safety Officer at CTI Foods. Prior to joining CTI, Sharon held senior level Food Safety/Quality/Regulatory Compliance/Technical Services at US Foods. Maple Leaf Foods, Smithfield Packing, Tyson Foods/IBP, Orval Kent Food, Arby’s, and Land O’Frost.

Sharon is actively engaged in the industry and is past Chair for the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo), has served on the American Meat Science Association Board of Directors (AMSA), was the 2017 Reciprocal Meat Conference chair, currently serves on the AMSA Development Council, the Board of Directors for Women in Agribusiness (WIA), and shows up every now and again as a speaker for WIA, the Food Safety Summit, and the Reciprocal Meat Conference. In addition to being named a Top Nominee for the Most Impactful Woman of the Year by the Women in Meat Industry Network for 2022 and 2023, she was named a Fellow of the AMSA in 2021 and awarded the Signal Service Award by that organization.

Sharon studied at Cornell University in New York where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Foods. Free time is spent enjoying the empty nest with husband Don, hanging with the pups, Juno and Roxy, gardening and encouraging everyone to be civil in their discourse.

Donna F. Schaffner
(Retired from Rutgers University)
Food Safety & Training Consultant

With 30+ years as a Food Safety consultant for both USDA and FDA plants, Ms. Schaffner has taught in the US and abroad. She holds Lead instructor certificates for HACCP (USDA, FDA, Seafood & Juice), Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF), PC for Animal Food, FSVP, Food Defense and Food Microbiology and more. Donna develops customized training programs for processing facilities to implement regulatory requirements, improve audit scores or correct deficiencies in Food Safety or Quality programs. Having served on the FDA’s FSPCA, CASE curriculum committee for High Schools & numerous local, state and higher education Advisory Boards, she currently serves on the FSS EAB.

Jason Evans, Ph.D.
Dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology (CFIT)
Johnson & Wales University

Jason Evans is the Dean of the College of Food Innovation and Technology (CFIT) at Johnson & Wales University, which offers baccalaureate and graduate programming in Culinary Arts, Culinary Science, Culinary Nutrition, Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Food Systems.

Formerly, Dr. Evans was an Associate Professor of Agricultural Business Management at the State University of New York’s College of Agriculture and Technology, Cobleskill (SUNY Cobleskill), where he also served as the Director of the Institute for Rural Vitality and Chair of the Department of Agriculture & Food Management. Before joining the SUNY Cobleskill faculty in 2009, Dr. Evans was an Assistant Research Professor at West Virginia University, where he earned a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Economics in 2007.

Vanessa Coffman, Ph.D.
Director
Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness

With a deep commitment to public health and food safety, Vanessa Coffman has worked on diverse food systems projects ranging from evaluating post-war farming practices in Sierra Leone for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (UN-FAO) to investigating occupational and residential exposures associated with large-scale pork production facilities in North Carolina.

Her research has also explored the link between nitrate-contaminated drinking water—primarily from food animal operations—and fetal health outcomes in Denmark. Prior to earning her PhD in Environmental Epidemiology from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Vanessa served as a policy analyst at Stop Foodborne Illness, focusing on the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Since returning to STOP in 2021, she has expanded the organization’s Alliance membership, staff, and programs, driving a systemic shift toward a stronger food safety culture across the entire food system.

Michael Wood, Ph.D.
Manager, Food Safety & Quality
Kroger

Dr. Wood is a Food Safety Leader with the Kroger Company, joining in 2021. In this role, he supports the Fresh Kitchen Program, produce safety and In-Store Fresh-Cut Produce Program.

Dr. Wood has held positions as the Market Microbiologist with Nestle USA, New Product Development Manager with Del Monte Fresh Produce and Research Manager with Analytical Food Laboratories.

Dr. Wood received his B.S. in Microbiology, his M.S., and Ph.D. in Food Microbiology, all from the University of Florida.

Adrienne Blume, M.A
Editorial Director
Food Safety Magazine

Adrienne Blume is Editorial Director of Food Safety Magazine, a BNP Media brand. She has 18 years of experience in B2B technical media, including the food safety and quality (FSQ) and energy technology sectors. She manages the editorial content for Food Safety Magazine and its podcast, Food Safety Matters, and also serves on the Educational Advisory Board for the annual Food Safety Summit. She keeps a pulse on trends, issues, and regulatory developments in FSQA by attending and moderating sessions at food industry and food safety conferences worldwide.
Ms. Blume holds an M.A. degree in English and Publishing from Rosemont College in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, as well as B.A. degrees (hons) in English and Anthropology from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.

James (Jim) W. Arbogast, Ph.D.
Principal Consultant
JW Arbogast Advanced Science Consulting LLC

James (Jim) W. Arbogast, Ph.D., is a technical leader of R&D, product development, and science/innovation in the hygiene science, sanitizer, food safety, public health, healthcare, and consumer goods spaces. He is the Principal Consultant at JW Arbogast Advanced Science Consulting LLC. Over his career, previously with Clorox, Dial, and GOJO/Purell, he has developed human, clinical, methodological, and technological research capabilities that resulted in the validation and successful commercialization of many hygiene and sanitation products. He is an experienced science leader and influencer in the hygiene and skincare marketplace, setting standards in public health and hygiene driven by intervention studies, solid evidence, and peer-reviewed journal publications. Dr. Arbogast holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of California–Los Angeles and a B.A. degree in Chemistry from Carleton College.

Dale Grinstead, Ph.D.
Microbiologist and Consultant
Mountain Top Microbiology

Dale Grinstead is a Microbiologist with over 30 years of industrial R&D experience. Dale spent his career with Unilever and Diversey where he advanced to the position of Sr. Technology Fellow. During his career, Dale’s responsibilities included providing technical input and guidance on Diversey’s food safety programs, serving on the Diversey R&D leadership team, leading the Diversey Technology Council, assisting customers with technical issues, and participating in new product development projects. Over his time with Diversey, Dale has supported virtually all sectors of Diversey’s business. Dale retired from Diversey in June of 2021. Although nominally retired, Dale continues to stay active in food safety through various professional associations and serving as Adjunct Faculty in food science departments at several universities. Dale received his BS and MS degrees from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. from Clemson University.

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Steven Lyon, PhD
Director, Food Safety – Field Operations
Chick-fil-A, Inc.

Dr. Steven A. Lyon has been with Chick-fil-A, Inc. since 2009 leading various food safety and animal welfare initiatives. His primary role today is centered around control of foodborne diseases and respiratory diseases within the enterprise. He has held several roles ranging from leading Supply Chain food safety, product safety, restaurant procedure/kitchen design reviews, solutions/innovations, animal welfare, and regulatory compliance. Prior to Chick-fil-A, Inc., he was with the USDA for 7 years. His work has been published in peer reviewed scientific journals and also in magazines associated with poultry production. At the USDA, he worked on several projects involving antibiotic resistance and surveillance programs aimed at protecting public health from emerging foodborne pathogens. Steven holds 3 degrees from the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Poultry Science, Masters of Science degree in microbiology, and doctorate (Ph.D.) in food microbiology.

Drew McDonald
Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety
Taylor Fresh Foods

Drew is the Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety at Taylor Fresh Foods, Salinas CA. He has over 30 years experience in Fresh Produce and Fresh Foods. He oversees the quality and food safety programs across the food service, retail, and deli operations under both FDA and USDA jurisdictions. Drew works with an impressive team developing and managing appropriate and practical quality and food safety programs for fresh food and produce products. Over the course of his career he has worked with growers and processors of fresh food and produce items all over the world. He currently serves on numerous food safety-related technical committees and has participated in the authorship of many produce food safety articles and guidelines. He is the out-going chairman of the Center for Produce Food Safety’s Technical Committee and on the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board and former Chairman of United Fresh’s Technical Council. Drew received his education from Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

Hilary Thesmar
Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice President of Food and Product Safety
FMI

With over 20 years of experience in food science, food safety, and food and agriculture policy, Dr. Hilary Thesmar provides leadership for FMI’s retail, wholesale and product supplier members on scientific and technical issues related to food safety, food science and human nutrition.

Dr. Thesmar earned a Ph.D. in Food Technology from Clemson University, a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University, a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Clemson, and she is a Registered Dietitian. Dr. Thesmar is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, an active member of the International Food Protection Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Dr. Darin Detwiler, LP.D, M.A.Ed.
Founder/CEO
Detwiler Consulting Group LLC

Dr. Darin Detwiler, food safety academic, advisor and advocate has committed his career to controlling foodborne illness. His leadership roles include the USDA’s Advisory Board and support for the FDA’s implementation of FSMA. Detwiler is a Professor of food policy and corporate social responsibility, and recently appeared in Netflix's 2023 documentary "Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food”.

Donald A. Prater, D.V.M.
Acting Director of the Office of Food Policy and Response
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Dr. Donald A. Prater is Acting Director of the Office of Food Policy and Response (OFPR). Since 2019, he has been the Associate Commissioner for Imported Food Safety in OFPR, providing direction to and management of imported food safety programs. In addition, he served as a senior scientific advisor and technical expert on matters related to human and animal food safety and the implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act.

Before joining OFPR, Dr. Prater was the Assistant Commissioner for Food Safety Integration, serving as the principal spokesperson on behalf of FDA’s Foods and Veterinary Medicine Program for imports discussions with external stakeholders, including foreign governments, as well as being responsible for import-related strategic resource planning activities. Earlier in his FDA tenure, Dr. Prater was Director of FDA’s Europe Office in Brussels, Belgium and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Country Representative to the European Union.

Dr. Prater received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (Government and Corporate track) in 1996. Following a three-year residency in anatomic pathology, he joined FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) in 1999 as a Veterinary Medical Officer. He served in several roles including Leader of the Aquaculture Drugs Team, CVM Pathologist, and Director of the Division of Scientific Support.

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Mitzi Baum
Former CEO
Stop Foodborne Illness

As former Chief Executive Officer, Mitzi Baum was focused on expanding the impact of Stop Foodborne Illness (STOP) by concentrating on STOP’s three strategic areas: families and individuals impacted by foodborne disease; company culture and practice; and food safety policy. By instituting a collaborative, consumer-centric operating model, STOP engages stakeholders across the food system to develop and advance solutions to food safety.

Prior to her tenure at STOP, Mitzi cultivated a 23-year career at Feeding America rising to the senior level position of managing director of food safety. Ms. Baum earned a Master of Science in Food Safety and a certificate in Food Law from Michigan State University. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Bowling Green State University and has obtained certificates in Non-Profit Management from the University of Chicago, Quality Management from DePaul University, and Food Safety Management from Cornell University.

Mitzi is the 2021 Joseph Leiter Lecturer of the Medical Library Association and National Library of Medicine, an adjunct faculty for Michigan State University’s Online Food Safety Program, a certified seafood HACCP instructor, a PCQI, serves as the consumer representative on Council I for the Conference for Food Protection, and is a member of the National Restaurant Association’s Food Safety Advisory Council.

Stop Foodborne Illness is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Monica Khoury
Senior Quality Expert
Nestle

Monica is a dedicated professional with a strong background in quality and regulatory affairs. As a Senior Quality Expert at Nestle USA, Monica spearheads the food safety culture workstream and supports the Nestle Professional business and factories. She also provides coaching and expertise on allergen management to various departments including product development, regulatory affairs, and marketing. From ingredient selection to commercialization, Monica ensures that allergen management is prioritized throughout the entire process. Her multifaceted role showcases her expertise in ensuring the highest standards of food safety and quality throughout the organization.

Monica's experience in quality and regulatory affairs has given her exposure to many product categories, having worked at meat, ready to eat desserts, and sugar confections manufacturing facilities. Through her corporate quality and regulatory roles, she has supported a wide range of businesses, gaining valuable experience and knowledge along the way. Monica holds a Master of Science degree in Food Safety and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science, both from Michigan State University.

Scott Hegenbart
Manager, Regulatory Affairs
Conagra Brands, Inc.

Scott Hegenbart is Manager of Regulatory Affairs for Conagra Brands, Inc. where he leads corporate food safety programs for food allergens and other chemical hazards. With degrees in both Chemistry and Speech Communication from Iowa State University, Scott has held several quality assurance, food safety and product development positions over more than 40 years in the food industry. He also has extensive experience in the food industry media where he has authored more than 200 articles about product development, ingredient technology and food safety. Scott is a lead instructor both for Preventive Controls Qualified Individual training and HACCP training.

Gillian Kelleher
CEO
Kelleher Consultants LLC

Gillian Kelleher, President and CEO of Kelleher Consultants LLC, will serve as Chairperson for the Educational Advisory Board (EAB) for the 2025 Food Safety Summit.

Kelleher brings to the 2025 Food Safety Summit her vast, global leadership experience in the food industry and in food safety and quality, having lived and worked in Ireland, the UK, France, and the U.S. She has worked in diverse sectors including manufacturing, foodservice, retail, and distribution.

Kelleher was formerly Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Wegmans Food Markets, a major U.S. regional supermarket chain and one of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For." Her scope of responsibility included all aspects of food safety and quality for stores, self-manufacturing, distribution, and Wegmans' private-label program. Prior to her tenure at Wegmans, Kelleher also worked at Häagen Dazs, Burger King, Express Foods, and Pillsbury. In addition, she has led the development of food safety and quality programs for many large and small private-label suppliers and distributors.

Kelleher earned her B.S. degree in Dairy and Food Science from University College Cork in Ireland. She is also a member of several professional organizations, including the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), and the American Society for Quality (ASQ). She is a past co-Vice Chair of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Board of Directors, a member of the Board of Directors of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a member of the Board of Directors of Stop Foodborne Illness, a longstanding member of Harvard's Private and Public Scientific, Academic, and Consumer Food Policy Committee (PAPSAC), and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine. Kelleher is also actively involved in the Leafy Greens Safety Coalition (LGSC).

With her significant industry experience and dedication to food safety and quality, Kelleher will work with the esteemed Food Safety Summit EAB and the Summit planning team to shape the educational agenda for the 2023 Food Safety Summit, which will be held May 8–11 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

Robin Forgey
AGMM, Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Costco Wholesale

In her role as AGMM of Global Food Safety and Quality for Costco Wholesale Robin establishes product quality and safety policies and practices and assures Vendor compliance to these policies and practices. Robin develops regulatory compliance programs for company facilities and the tracking of Vendor programs to assure compliance. Robin also oversees routine product quality and safety testing and Vendor and Facility Auditing. Prior to joining Costco, Robin worked as a research scientist for BioControl Systems developing assays to detect foodborne pathogens and as the Director of Microbiology for an independent testing lab.

Robin holds a BS in Biology and a Masters Degree in Food Science.

Glenn Stolowski
Director Retail Food Safety
H-E-B

Glenn Stolowski has been with H-E-B since 2000 leading several QA teams. For 16 years he worked in Own Brand QA managing the safety and quality of private label food and non-food products. In his current role the focus is on ensuring the safety and quality of products at Retail stores. Prior to H-E-B he was with Sealed Air-Cryovac for 4 years focusing on meat packaging R&D. Glenn received a B.S and M.S. in Food Science from Texas A&M University.

Drew McDonald
Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety
Taylor Fresh Foods

Drew is the Senior Vice President Quality & Food Safety at Taylor Fresh Foods, Salinas CA. He has over 30 years experience in Fresh Produce and Fresh Foods. He oversees the quality and food safety programs across the food service, retail, and deli operations under both FDA and USDA jurisdictions. Drew works with an impressive team developing and managing appropriate and practical quality and food safety programs for fresh food and produce products. Over the course of his career he has worked with growers and processors of fresh food and produce items all over the world. He currently serves on numerous food safety-related technical committees and has participated in the authorship of many produce food safety articles and guidelines. He is the out-going chairman of the Center for Produce Food Safety’s Technical Committee and on the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board and former Chairman of United Fresh’s Technical Council. Drew received his education from Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

Nickolas Waters
Senior Director, Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Sysco

Nick Waters is a Senior Director, Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Sysco that is responsible for the design, development, training, implementation and execution of risk-based food safety programs for the distribution segment of Sysco’s business. He works closely with internal and external stakeholders on new initiatives that differentiate Sysco. Prior to this, Nick held various food safety and quality assurance positions and served honorably in the United States Army. He received his undergraduate degree in Food Science and Nutrition from the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Charles Leftwich
Vice President, Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Sysco Corporation

Charles Leftwich serves as the Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Sysco Corporation, the world’s largest foodservice distributor. In this role he supports Sysco’s Purpose of “Connecting the World to Share Food and Care for One Another” by establishing food safety, product quality, sustainability, and regulatory compliance strategies across the Sysco enterprise. To implement these strategies, Charles leads a team of talented food safety professionals across Sysco’s broadline distribution services, specialty manufacturing locations, and Sysco’s industry leading private label brand program which is renowned for its commitment to the highest product quality and food safety standards.

Charles is a highly-experienced professional in the food safety, quality assurance and regulatory field with expertise in the harvest, manufacturing, distribution, and foodservice industries. He has served on various industry associations’ boards of directors, committees and working groups. He has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career and prior to Sysco, Charles led teams in Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Operations and Environmental Health and Safety at Cargill Meat Solutions and Kane Beef. Charles graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science, and a Master of Business Administration from West Texas A&M University.

Oscar Garrison
Senior Vice President Food Safety Regulatory Affairs
United Egg Producers

Oscar Garrison is Senior VP of Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs for United Egg Producers (UEP) Prior to this, Oscar had a broad regulatory based career for over 19 years at the Georgia Department of Agriculture where he held the executive positions of Division Director Food Safety and Assistant Commissioner of Consumer Protection. Additionally, Oscar is the Past President of the Association of Food and Drug Officials where he led the national organizations efforts to promote an Integrated Food Safety System. Mr. Garrison was also the Past President of the Georgia Association of Food Protection, an Executive Committee member of the Partnership for Food Protection, Food Safety Liaison to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, and a member of the National Integrated Food Safety System Task Force.

Spir Marinakis
VP Food Safety, Quality and Technical Services
Maple Leaf Foods

Spir is currently serving as Vice President, Food Safety, Quality and Technical Services for processed meats, further processed poultry, fresh poultry, fresh pork at Maple Leaf Foods (MLF). As overall leader of this function Spir is accountable for the strategic direction to deliver on MLF’s Food Safety & Quality (FS&Q) strategy, Food Safety Promise, Quality Vision, day-to-day operations of the FS&Q Management Systems and Microbiology and Chemistry labs that service all MLF’s plants.

Spir began her professional career at Unilever Canada, one of the world’s largest CPG company. She progressed through various roles that included food scientist, sales representative, brand manager, innovation manager, R&D/QA manager, Canada and customer activation manager, North America. During this time, Spir achieved two prestigious Global Innovation Awards for innovative concepts and successful execution. Throughout this time her efforts on the commercial side of the business enhanced her appreciation of the importance of innovation, and customer-centric focus.

In 2004, Spir joined Maple Leaf Foods as Director FS&Q for the poultry division. During this time, Spir was awarded the President’s Award. In 2007, she moved into Six Sigma. During her tenure in Six Sigma, she was responsible for critical projects within marketing and food safety. In 2013, Spir moved into the Director, FS&Q systems role where she took over leadership and execution of the company’s quality strategy, performance metrics, FS&Q Pillar of the Operational Excellence, complaint management, and control of the FS&Q Management System.

Ben Chapman, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Department Head of Agricultural and Human Sciences
North Carolina State University

Donna F. Schaffner
(Retired from Rutgers University)
Food Safety & Training Consultant

With 30+ years as a Food Safety consultant for both USDA and FDA plants, Ms. Schaffner has taught in the US and abroad. She holds Lead instructor certificates for HACCP (USDA, FDA, Seafood & Juice), Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF), PC for Animal Food, FSVP, Food Defense and Food Microbiology and more. Donna develops customized training programs for processing facilities to implement regulatory requirements, improve audit scores or correct deficiencies in Food Safety or Quality programs. Having served on the FDA’s FSPCA, CASE curriculum committee for High Schools & numerous local, state and higher education Advisory Boards, she currently serves on the FSS EAB.

Ola Afolayan
Director of Global Food Safety and Regulatory
Kellanova

Olamide (Ola) Afolayan is a dynamic professional dedicated to ensuring food safety. She holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Food Science from the University of Georgia, and a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Botswana.

She is currently the Director of Global Food Safety and Regulatory at Kellanova (formerly Kellogg Company), where she has spent the last decade. In this role, she oversees food safety assurance, policy development and regulatory compliance. Her career has been marked by roles of increasing responsibility, demonstrating her commitment to excellence and problem-solving. Prior to Kellogg, Dr. Afolayan honed her expertise as a food safety research assistant at the Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia and as a Microbiologist at a MillerCoors brewing facility. Ola is driven by small victories that cumulatively impact food safety, and she finds joy in sharing her knowledge and experience. Outside of work, she enjoys being a food critic and traveling with her family.

Andrea Hines, M.S.
Project Manager, Food & Beverage
Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP)

Andrea holds an M.S. in Food Safety from the University of Arkansas and is currently part of the extension faculty at the Georgia Manufacturing Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech. In this role, she supports food safety, quality, regulatory, third-party certifications (GFSI), and operational excellence at food manufacturers across the state. Before joining GaMEP in 2023, she spent 17 years in industry at Red Bull North America, Smithfield Foods, and FSNS Certification & Audit. Outside of work, Andrea enjoys traveling abroad with her husband, beekeeping, and volunteering with the Marigold Collective.

Nolan Lewin
Director
Rutgers Food Innovation Center

Nolan Lewin is the Executive Director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center (FIC), a specialized food business incubator with FDA- and USDA-certified facilities. RFIC is part of the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and affiliated with the School of Environmental and Biological Science. The Rutgers Food Innovation Center (RFIC) is an internationally recognized unique food business incubator and accelerator. Established in 2000, the RFIC has been supporting food entrepreneurs and companies for over two decades.

Gillian Kelleher
CEO
Kelleher Consultants LLC

Gillian Kelleher, President and CEO of Kelleher Consultants LLC, will serve as Chairperson for the Educational Advisory Board (EAB) for the 2025 Food Safety Summit.

Kelleher brings to the 2025 Food Safety Summit her vast, global leadership experience in the food industry and in food safety and quality, having lived and worked in Ireland, the UK, France, and the U.S. She has worked in diverse sectors including manufacturing, foodservice, retail, and distribution.

Kelleher was formerly Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Wegmans Food Markets, a major U.S. regional supermarket chain and one of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For." Her scope of responsibility included all aspects of food safety and quality for stores, self-manufacturing, distribution, and Wegmans' private-label program. Prior to her tenure at Wegmans, Kelleher also worked at Häagen Dazs, Burger King, Express Foods, and Pillsbury. In addition, she has led the development of food safety and quality programs for many large and small private-label suppliers and distributors.

Kelleher earned her B.S. degree in Dairy and Food Science from University College Cork in Ireland. She is also a member of several professional organizations, including the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), and the American Society for Quality (ASQ). She is a past co-Vice Chair of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) Board of Directors, a member of the Board of Directors of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a member of the Board of Directors of Stop Foodborne Illness, a longstanding member of Harvard's Private and Public Scientific, Academic, and Consumer Food Policy Committee (PAPSAC), and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine. Kelleher is also actively involved in the Leafy Greens Safety Coalition (LGSC).

With her significant industry experience and dedication to food safety and quality, Kelleher will work with the esteemed Food Safety Summit EAB and the Summit planning team to shape the educational agenda for the 2023 Food Safety Summit, which will be held May 8–11 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

Steven Mandernach, J.D.
Executive Director
Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)

Steven Mandernach (MAWN-dur-knock) is the executive director of the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO). Prior to becoming executive director in 2018, he was the bureau chief for food and consumer safety at the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. Mandernach is a past president of AFDO. He has also served as the chair and co-chair for the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance. Mandernach has co-authored many articles related to retail food safety, foodborne illness detection, and the integrated food safety system, and he’s a frequent contributor to many food trade publications such as Food Safety Magazine, New Food Magazine, and Quality Assurance and Food Safety Magazine.

Mandernach has a J.D. from Drake University Law School. He has completed graduate work in Food Safety at Michigan State University.

Larry Keener
President and CEO
International Product Safety Consultants

Larry Keener is president and chief executive officer of International Product Safety Consultants, Inc. (IPSC) based in Seattle, Washington. IPSC is a global leader in providing food safety and food technology solutions to the food processing industry for a broad client base of Fortune 500 food companies, academic research institutes and government agencies. IPSC is engaged in the conformity, risk assessment and food safety verification business.
Larry is an internationally regarded microbiologist and process authority in the food industry. As such, his areas of expertise range from applied food microbiology, and the development and application of novel preservation technologies including: high pressure processing (HPP), microwave, pulsed electric field (PEF), high powered ultrasound, atmospheric plasma and low energy electron beam technology.
Mr. Keener is a 2013 Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT); Board Certified Food Scientist (International Food Science Certification Commission); and a 2018 recipient of an International Union of Food Science and Technology’s (IUFoST) life time achievement award for his work in microbiology and food safety. He is a past president of IFT’s Nonthermal Processing Division and also a two term past president of Tuskegee University’s Food and Nutrition Sciences Advisory Board. He is the past co-chair and founding member of GHI. Larry is a 2022 inductee to the George Washington Carver Society. He has received numerous other awards and honors.

Hilary Thesmar
Chief Science Officer and Senior Vice President of Food and Product Safety
FMI

With over 20 years of experience in food science, food safety, and food and agriculture policy, Dr. Hilary Thesmar provides leadership for FMI’s retail, wholesale and product supplier members on scientific and technical issues related to food safety, food science and human nutrition.

Dr. Thesmar earned a Ph.D. in Food Technology from Clemson University, a Master of Science degree in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University, a bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Clemson, and she is a Registered Dietitian. Dr. Thesmar is a Fellow of the Institute of Food Technologists, an active member of the International Food Protection Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

William Lachowsky
Food Safety & Education Consultant
WML Consultants

Delivering thirty-five years of food safety education and training for governments, universities, colleges, food processors and international organisations.

Collaborated on the development of the Intentional Adulteration Rule Food Defense Awareness and the Preventive Controls for Human Food courses.

Project Manager of the food safety eLearning courses and Lead Instructor for the Food Processing Skills Canada’s Succeeding at Work and Food & Beverage Accelerated Skills Training programs. Food Safety Education Coordinator for the global eLearning Loblaw Academy. Community Representative for the Sanofi-Pasteur Animal Care Committee.

Promoted food safety, traceability and quality standards to producers and processors for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Jeremy Zenlea
Director, Head of Health and Safety
EG America

Jeremy Zenlea is the Director, Head of Health and Safety at EG America. In this role, Jeremy oversees all aspects of Food and occupational Safety, including regulatory (OSHA, USDA, FDA, State, Local) compliance, retail and commissary food safety operations, and supply chain integrity. Jeremy has worked with a variety of different product categories, including Refrigerated, High Risk RTE Foods (meat, poultry, pork, fresh cut fruit and produce), chocolate and confectionary. Due to his diverse background, Jeremy has gained a wide range of knowledge of different food products and has become an expert in setting-up, executing and managing complex food safety and food defense systems for large domestic and international food manufacturers. He is an active member of the International Association for Food Protection and enjoys lecturing on food safety at Northeastern University and mentoring other food safety professionals in his spare time. Jeremy received a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and an M.B.A from Northeastern University.