Dr. Guangtao Zhang, Ph.D., is the Director of the Mars Global Food Safety Center (GFSC), where he leads an international team of experts who are driving progress in several areas of food safety, including mycotoxin risk management, microbial risk management, and food integrity. Dr. Zhang has contributed to over 40 peer-reviewed publications and five patents that are advancing capabilities in food safety science and application. He has also shared insights at several international conferences in a range of key areas in food safety research. Prior to his time at GFSC, Dr. Zhang held a postdoctoral fellowship at Cornell University and developed therapeutics for breast cancer as a faculty member at Mount Sinai’s Ichan School of Medicine.

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Joe Stout, R.S. is a leader in quality and sanitation with over 40 years of experience in the industry. He founded Commercial Food Sanitation (CFS) in 2010, which provides strategic consulting, training, and solutions to address food safety, hygienic design, and sanitation challenges for food processing plants worldwide.

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Hilarie Warren, M.P.H., C.I.H., manages the OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center at Georgia Tech, one of the first OTI Education Centers in the national network of occupational safety and health training organizations authorized by OSHA. 

Jenny Houlroyd, M.S.P.H., C.I.H., has worked as an industrial hygienist with the OSHA Consultation Program for 16 years, providing onsite OSHA compliance assistance for businesses throughout the state of Georgia. She serves as the Manager of the Occupational Health Group for that program. 

Wendy White, M.Sc., is the Food and Beverage Industry Manager for the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech. She leads GaMEP's food industry services, which include regulatory compliance, HACCP food safety plans, and third-party audit certification preparation. Ms. White holds a B.S. degree in Biology and an M.Sc. degree in Food Microbiology from the University of Georgia and is an FSPCA PCQI Human Foods Lead Instructor, an International HACCP Alliance Lead Instructor, and an ASQ Certified Quality Auditor. She is also a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine.

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Kathy Gombas is a recognized food safety expert with over 30 years of experience in the food industry—specializing in preventive controls, supply chain management, food safety auditing, and regulatory affairs. 

Kathy is the founder of FSMA Solutions, a consulting group that provides food safety solutions to the food industry. She works with large food companies in conducting corporate food safety system gap assessments to identify vulnerabilities and assists small- to medium-sized businesses in developing food safety plans and supporting programs.

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Jeff Hahn, Principal at Hahn Marketing & Communications, is a crisis communications expert with 30 years of experience in communications and public relations. He is a specialist in the food and energy sectors and is the owner of a family of integrated agency brands including Apron Food & Beverage Communications, Hahn Public Communications, the Predictive Media Network, and White Lion Interactive. He also served in the U.S. Air Force, where he completed his associate degree in administration, and then graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science from The University of Texas at San Antonio. He is formally trained in persuasion communication and holds a master’s degree in communication studies from Texas State University.

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Shawn Stevens is the founding member of Food Industry Counsel, the only law firm in the world that represents the food industry exclusively.

As a food industry consultant and lawyer, Mr. Stevens works throughout the U.S. and abroad with food industry clients—including the world’s largest growers, processors, restaurant chains, distributors, and grocers—helping them protect their brands by reducing food safety risks, complying with FDA and USDA food safety regulations, managing recalls and defending high-profile foodborne illness claims.

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Erik Mettler is Assistant Commissioner for Partnerships and Policy within the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In this role, he serves as advisor to the Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs on the full range of ORA's activities including partnerships, implementation of new laws and regulations, and overall strategic planning and prioritization. He is responsible for providing long-range strategic direction for ORA policies and programs including the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act.

Michael Rogers is Assistant Commissioner for Human and Animal Food (HAF) operations at FDA's ORA, focusing on inspection- and compliance-related issues in the human and animal food programs and overseeing the program directors for east and west HAF operations, as well as state cooperative programs. Mr. Rogers joined FDA in 1991 as a Field Investigator in the Baltimore District. He then became a Supervisory Investigator at the Northern Virginia Resident Post, a Branch Director at FDA headquarters, the Director of the Division of Field Investigations, and later the Director of FDA's Latin American Office.

Travis Waller is the Director of Regulatory Services for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, where he has served since 2014. He oversees five regulatory program areas including retail and manufactured foods; weights and measures; dairy inspection; egg; and poultry grading and inspection, bedding, quilted clothing, and upholstered furniture. Mr. Waller has worked in retail food safety for the past 21 years in both industry and government. 

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