David M. Theno, Ph.D., is currently CEO of Gray Dog Partners, Inc., a Del Mar, a California-based technical consulting business specializing in food safety, food manufacturing, restaurant operations, supply chain management and strategic planning.

Theno is most widely known for the role he assumed with Jack in the Box (JIB) after the fast-food chain experienced a tragic and massive foodborne illness outbreak in 1993. He joined the team as JIB's senior vice president and chief food safety officer, developing a comprehensive Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points plan for the chain, as well as a finished product testing protocol that initially irked his former meat industry colleagues.

Theno also held previous food safety and quality management roles with Foster Farms, Kellogg’s, Armour Food Company and Peter Eckrich & Sons, Inc. He holds a B.Sc. in zoology and science journalism from Iowa State University and earned both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in food microbiology and animal sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

We regret to share that Dave Theno passed away unexpectedly as a result of a swimming accident on June 20, 2017. Dave's generous offer to have listeners call him was 100% genuine -- and an example of the important role of mentor that he so completely embodied. You can read more about how the industry remembered Dave Theno in the tribute in our August/September 2017 issue.

Related Content
Jack in the Box: Fostering Food Safety Through Great Partnering
Dave Theno: Remembering The Man Behind the Headlines

News Mentioned in This Episode
Trump's Acting Solicitor Opposes High Court Review for DeCoster
General Mills Invests $16M in Food Safety
Campylobacter and Salmonella Top Foodborne Illnesses in 2016

Sponsored by:

Gillian Kelleher is President and CEO of Kelleher Consultants LLC, as well as the Chairperson of the Educational Advisory Board (EAB) for the 2023 Food Safety Summit. Gillian has significant, 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.

She was formerly Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Wegmans Food Markets, where 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) and the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). 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 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.

Jill Stuber has served on FSQ teams for several multi-million-dollar food companies and food industry support companies, at both the corporate and frontline facility levels. She has defined expectations and programs for company-wide FSQ systems and has been responsible for verifying the implementation of those systems. Jill has led multi-plant teams to clearly define team and individual roles, expectations, and boundaries to more fully integrate and collaborate across organizations. 

Jill holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in food science from the University of Wisconsin (at River Falls and Madison, respectively); as well as an M.S. degree in quality management from Eastern Michigan University. She is a professional coach certified through Learning Journeys, an accredited program through the International Coaching Federation. She is also HACCP Certified, PCQI Certified, an SQF Practitioner, an IFT Certified Food Scientist, a Lean Facilitator, and a Six Sigma Black Belt. Additionally, Jill is an active member of the International Association for Food Protection, serving as the Developing Food Safety Professional's Professional Development Group Vice Chair.

Tia Glave is a food safety, quality, and regulatory professional with almost a decade of experience in large food manufacturing, food retail, and startup food environments. She is formally trained as a chemical engineer and holds a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee. She is a qualified individual trained in PCQI and FSVP, is knowledgeable in GFSI schemes, and has worked with many food product categories.

Tia has a passion for helping manufacturing and retail organizations of all sizes build and strengthen their FSQ programs. She uses systems, data, and proven methods to develop and implement FSQ strategies that create efficiencies, are effective, and identify cost savings, all while using servant leadership principles. She has led small and large teams across multiple functions, including operations and maintenance, giving her a unique approach to implementing a strategy cross-functionally.

Tia's passion also extends to championing Black talent in food safety and quality, and she's the founder of the Black Professionals in Food Safety Group to foster sharing, development, and connection to support Black talent. You can find the group on LinkedIn! Tia is also an active member of the International Association for Food Protection, serving as the Retail and Foodservice Professional Development Group Vice Chair.

Markus Lipp, Ph.D., is the Senior Food Safety Officer at the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Dr. Lipp leads the food safety work within the Food Systems and Food Safety Division at FAO, coordinating FAO's efforts to provide chemical and microbiological food safety risk assessments and capacity development to strengthen national capacities for food safety.

Dr. Lipp previously worked in various public and private organizations focusing on a myriad of topics related to food safety, biotechnology, and standards-setting, including the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP), the International Bottled Water Association, Monsanto, Unilever, and the European Commission. Dr. Lipp holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of Karlsruhe in Germany.

Tim Stubbs is Senior Vice President of Food Safety and Product Research at the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. He leads the Innovation Center's Food Safety Committee, an active group of food safety expert volunteers from processors and academia that shares best practices across companies, produces guidance documents, and conducts training. He also coordinates and funds dairy foods and food safety research projects at universities.

Mr. Stubbs has more than 30 years of food research and development experience in leadership roles at Kraft Foods, Sara Lee, Hillshire Brands, and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. He has a broad background in food science and engineering, new product innovation, and food safety across a wide variety of product categories. He also sits on several food industry nonprofit boards and is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Safety Magazine.

Dr. Charles Hofacre is the Principal at The Southern Poultry Research Group, a private contract research company, which he established with his wife in 2013. Previously, he worked in industry for a number of years before becoming a professor at the University of Georgia in the Department of Population Health and serving as Director of Clinical Services for the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center. Dr. Hofacre also served as the Executive Vice President of the the American Association of Avian Pathologists (AAAP). Dr. Hofacre received a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, a Master’s degree, and a Bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University, as well as Master’s degree in Avian Medicine and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Microbiology from the University of Georgia.

Bill Potter has spent three decades leading food safety initiatives in the poultry industry. Currently, Bill is a Food Safety Technical Advisor at Elanco Animal Health, where he helps clients optimize their pre-harvest and plant interventions. Previously, Bill held strategic leadership roles in poultry food safety, quality, and technical services at George’s Inc., ConAgra Poultry, and Advance Food Company. He has chaired the National Chicken Council Technical and Regulatory Committee and has been active in the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP). Bill obtained a degree in Animal Science and a Master’s in Business Administration from Texas A&M University, as well as a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Poultry Science from the University of Arkansas.

Marc Cwikowski is Founder and Managing Director of All Food Consulting and Co-Founder of World of Auditing. He has worked for more than 30 years in the food and beverage industry and held various senior global leadership and executive positions in companies including Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, and Danone. His former functions include audit process manager, director of quality and food safety strategy, director of supply chain capability development, food safety center director, and vice president for quality and food safety. He has international experience in innovation, quality assurance, and food safety, and has successfully designed and implemented quality and food safety strategies, created advanced initiatives for people development, and implemented strong quality and food safety programs to secure companies' business and reputation worldwide. Mr. Cwikowski holds a master's degree in chemistry and bio-industries and has served as an expert and board member for various global organizations.