The Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board (EAB), comprising industry-leading experts across the entire food industry, is working collectively to develop the education program for the 2023 event, scheduled for May 8-11 at the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. The EAB consists of leaders across the supply chain from food manufacturing, retail, distribution, regulators, produce, and academia. The group conducted its first meeting in July to determine the educational direction of the program and is working to develop the best possible education plan to match the needs of the evolving industry.

“I’m thrilled to be leading this incredible advisory board to help set the direction for one of the leading food safety conferences,” said Gillian Kelleher, CEO, Kelleher Consultants LLC, Chair of the FSS EAB. “We have added some of the best and brightest minds to the Educational Advisory Board. We have been working collaboratively to share innovative and timely ideas on ways to present the most up-to-date content focused on important issues.” The Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board is broken down into the following eight sectors:

Foodservice

• Ata (Al) Baroudi, Ph.D., Vice President, Quality Assurance and Food Safety, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
• Kerry Bridges, Vice President, Food Safety, Chipotle Mexican Grill
• Cindy Jiang, Senior Director of Global Food Safety Risk Management, McDonald's
• Jorge Hernandez, Vice President, Quality Assurance, The Wendy's Company
• Robert Prevendar, Director of Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Yum! Brands

Retailers

• Lance Jensen, Senior Director Food Safety and Health Operations, Walmart
• Mahipal Kunduru, Vice President, Quality Assurance, Topco Associates
• Brian Olney, Vice President of Quality Assurance, Food Safety, and Manufacturing, Wegmans Food Markets
• Glenn Stolowski, Manager Retail Quality Assurance, HEB
• Michael Wood, Ph.D., Manager, Food Safety and Quality, Kroger
• Jeremy Zenlea, Head Health and Safety, Office of General Council, Eg America

Manufacturing

• Sharon Beals, Senior VP, Food Safety and Quality, CTI Foods
• Chitsanzo Chiko Kachaje, Director of QA and Food Safety, Home Market Foods
• Oscar Garrison, Senior Vice President of Food Safety, United Egg Producers
• Rebecca Guzy, Director of Research, Frick's Quality Meats
• Deb Kane, MS, Vice President, Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory, J&J Snack Foods Corp.
• Spir Marinakis, Vice President of Food Safety, Quality, and Technical Services, Maple Leaf Foods
• Joan Menke-Schaenzer, Chief Quality Officer, Van Drunen Farms/FutureCeuticals
• Eric Moorman, Ph.D., Quality Assurance Laboratory Manager, Butterball LLC

 Produce

• Natalie Dyenson, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality, Dole
• Will Daniels, President, AgroThrive Incorporated
• Drew McDonald, Vice President, Quality and Food Safety, Taylor Farms

 Distribution

• Ann Marie McNamara, Vice President, Food Safety and Quality for Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Commercialization, US Foods
• Nicholas Waters, Market Director, Food Safety, Sysco

 Regulatory

• Joseph Corby, Senior Advisor, Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
• Tim Jackson, Senior Science Advisor for Food Safety, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, FDA
• Glenda Lewis, M.S.P.H., Director, Retail Food Protection Staff, FDA
• Art Liang, M.D., M.P.H., Senior Advisor for Food Safety, CDC
• Steven Mandernach, Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
• Brendan Niemira, Ph.D., Research Leader, USDA

 Academia

• Lee-Ann Jaykus, Ph.D., William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and NoroCORE Scientific Director, North Carolina State University
• William Lachowsky, Food Safety and Education Consultant, formerly with University of Guelph
• Alvin Lee, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Processing Innovation, Institute for Food Safety and Health
• Donna Schaffner, M.S., Associate Director Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and Training, Rutgers University, Food Innovation Center
• John Spink, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Director, Food Fraud Initiative, Michigan State University

 General

• Chirag Bhatt, R.S., C.C.F.S., Director, Regulatory Affairs (Environmental Health), HS GovTech
• Adrienne Blume, Editorial Director, Food Safety Magazine 
• Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Principal, Cultivate SA
• Hal King, Ph.D., Managing Partner, Active Food Safety
• Shawn Stevens, Founder, Food Industry Consultant and Lawyer, Food Industry Counsel LLC

 Plans are already being made for the 25th Annual Food Safety Summit, which will be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL from Monday, May 8, through Thursday, May 11, 2023. For more information on sponsorship or exhibiting opportunities, contact Kim Hansen at hansenk@bnpmedia.com or Adam Haas at haasa@bnpmedia.com. For more information and updates for the 2023 event, visit www.foodsafetysummit.com.

 The Food Safety Summit is owned and produced by Food Safety Magazine (www.food-safety.com) and BNP Media (www.bnpmedia.com), one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving industry professionals across 60+ industries through magazines, custom media, e-newsletters, webinars, events, and market research.