2026 Educational Advisory Board (EAB)
FOODSERVICE
Ata (Al) Baroudi, Ph.D.
VP, QA & Food Safety
The Cheesecake Factory Inc.
Jorge Hernandez
VP, Quality Assurance
The Wendy's Company
Matt Jenkins
Director, U.S. Food Safety & Quality Systems
McDonald's Corporation
Steven Lyon, Ph.D.
Director, Food Safety - Field Operations
Chick-fil-A, Inc.
Sabrina Terada
Manager, Food Safety Risk Management and Measurement
Yum! Brands
RETAILERS
Liz Duffy
VP, Global Food Safety and Compliance
Walmart
Robin Forgey, M.S.
AGMM, Food Safety and Quality Assurance
Costco Wholesale
Kathleen O'Donnell, M.S.
Chief Scientist
Wegmans
Suzette Stalker
Director of Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory Compliance
Target Corporation
Glenn Stolowski, M.S.
Manager Retail Quality Assurance
HEB
Michael Wood, Ph.D.
Manager, Food Safety & Quality
Kroger
Jeremy Zenlea, M.B.A.
Head Health and Safety, Office of General Council
Eg America
MANUFACTURING/DISTRIBUTION/PRODUCE
Ola Afolayan, M.S.
Director of Global Food Safety and Regulatory
Kellanova
Sharon Birkett, M.B.A
Vice President, Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance
OSI Group, LLC
Caitlin Boon
Senior Director - Health & Nutrition Policy, U.S. Public Affairs
Mars
Chitsanzo Chiko Kachaje, M.B.A.
Director of Quality Assurance and Food Safety ·
Home Market Foods
Julie Kuruc, Ph.D.
Director, Food Safety Center of Excellence Food Safety Continuous Improvement Team
PepsiCo
Deb Kane, MS
VP, Food Safety, Quality, EHSS & Regulatory
J&J Snack Foods Corp.
Monica Khoury
Senior Quality Expert
Nestle
Spir Marinakis
VP of Food Safety, Quality and Technical Services
Maple Leaf Foods
Drew McDonald
VP, Quality and Food Safety
Taylor Farms
Joan Menke-Schaenzer
Chief Quality Officer
Van Drunen Farms and FutureCeuticals
Nickolas Waters
Market Director, Food Safety
Sysco
REGULATORY
Laurie Farmer
Office of Retail Food Protection Director
FDA
Laura Gieraltowski, Ph.D., MPH
Foodborne Outbreak Response Team Lead
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tim Jackson, Ph.D.
Regulatory, Sr. Science Advisor
FDA
Steven Mandernach, J.D.
Executive Director
Association of Food & Drug Officials (AFDO)
ACADEMIA
Ben Chapman, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, Department Head of Agricultural and Human Sciences
North Carolina State University
Alvin Lee, Ph.D.
Director of the Center for Processing Innovation
Institute for Food Safety and Health
John W Spink, Ph.D.
Director, Food Fraud Prevention Academy & Assistant Professor
MSU
Matt Stasiewicz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Applied Food Safety
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
GENERAL/ADVISORY
Sharon K. K. Beals
Founder
SKKB-LLC
Adrienne Blume, M.A.
Editorial Director
Food Safety Magazine
Oscar Garrison
SVP of Food Safety
United Egg Producers
Lee-Ann Jaykus, Ph.D.
William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor & NoroCORE Scientific Director
North Carolina State University
Lone Jespersen, Ph.D.
Principal
Cultivate SA
Cindy Jiang, M.S.
Senior Director of Global Food Safety Risk Management
McDonalds - Retired
Larry Keener
President and CEO
International Product Safety Consultants
Gillian Kelleher
CEO
Kelleher Consultants LLC
William Lachowsky
Food Safety & Education Consultant
WML Consultants
Sara Mortimore
Founder
Sara Mortimore LLC
Brendan Niemira, Ph.D.
Chief Science and Technology Officer
Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
Donna F. Schaffner, M.S.
(Retired from Rutgers University)
Food Safety and Training Consultant
Shawn Stevens, J.D.
Founder, Food Industry Consultant and Lawyer
Food Industry Counsel LLC