Steering Committee members are professionals from key stakeholder organizations representing food industry associations, extension educators and regulators. The Steering Committee helps identify the training needs and commodity -or sector-specific materials and resources that may be adapted or adopted by the Alliance in fulfilling its mission, and in drafting training modules and units.
Committee Members
Robert Ahern, PhD
Manager, Agricultural Health and Food Safety
Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA)
Robert E. Brackett, PhD
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) Vice President,
Director, Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH)
and FSPCA Coordinator
Benjamin Chapman, PhD
Assistant Professor and Food Safety Specialist
North Carolina State University
Claudia Coles
Administrator, Office of Compliance & Outreach,
Food Safety Consumer Services
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Clay Detlefsen
Senior Vice President, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs & Staff Counsel
National Milk Producers Federation
Debra DeVlieger
Consumer Safety Officer
Bainbridge Island Resident Post
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Adam C. Fahrenholz, PhD
Assistant Professor, Feed Manufacturing
North Carolina State University
David Fairfield
Director of Feed Services
National Grain and Feed Association
Jacob Fleig
Program Coordinator
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)
Donna Garren, PhD
Vice President, Regulatory and Technical Affairs
American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI)
David Gombas, PhD
Senior Vice President, Food Safety and Technology
United Fresh Produce Association
Retired
Kathy Gombas
Senior Advisor
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Retired
Cassandra Jones, PhD
Assistant Professor of Feed Technology
Kansas State University
Jennifer McEntire, PhD
VP Food Safety & Technology
United Fresh Produce Association
Dianne Milazzo
Consumer Safety Officer
Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Steven Moris
Program Manager
Food Safety and Lodging Program
Kansas Department of Agriculture
Robert Rankin
Executive Director
International Food Additives Council
Don Schaffner, PhD
Distinguished Professor and Extension Specialist
Rutgers University
Jenny Scott
Senior Advisor
Office of Food Safety
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Juan L. Silva, PhD
Professor, Food Processing and Safety
Mississippi State University
Katherine Simon, R.E.H.S.
Compliance Unit Supervisor, Food & Feed Safety Division
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Warren E. Stone
Senior Director of Science Policy
Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)
Ron Tanner
Vice President Philanthropy, Government and Industry Relations
Specialty Foods Association
Hilary Thesmar
Vice President of Food Safety Programs
Food Marketing Institute (FMI)
Pat Tovey
Director, Technology and Regulatory Compliance
Pet Food Institute (PFI)
Purnendu C. Vasavada, PhD
Professor Emeritus
University of Wisconsin- River Falls
Jason Wan, PhD
Associate Director and Research Professor
Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH)
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
Gerald Wojtala
Executive Director
International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI)
Jon Woody, CAPT, USPHS
Director, Food Defense and Emergency Coordination Staff
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)