Tressa Bennett (nickname, Trissi) is an attorney with an undergraduate degree in business/marketing. Her twins, born in 1999, contracted listeria from her in utero, and the three of them battled and survived the illness. She became a stay at home mother, and she, her husband Paul and their children have been Food Safety advocates since 2000, primarily through the non-profit organization STOP Foodborne Illness, including activities and projects with the USDA, FDA, CNN and Wegmans. Tressa also volunteers her time to other meaningful organizations, specializing in fundraising and development. She lives near Washington, D.C. in Northern Virginia.

Dr. Scott Brooks is a consultant and owner of River Run Consulting, LLC. He provides food safety, quality, scientific and regulatory affairs consulting services for the food and beverage industry. Scott has a wide-ranging breadth of experience in senior executive and management positions at major food manufacturing and food service companies.

He is the former Senior Vice President, Quality, Food Safety, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for Kraft Foods. Scott joined Kraft from PepsiCo, where he held the position of Vice President Global Food Safety, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, and Quality Policy.

Before PepsiCo, Scott was the Director of Global Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Yum! Brands (KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut). Scott also held senior quality, food safety and regulatory positions at Food Safety Net Services and at E&J Gallo. He started his career in food safety and quality with the U.S. Air Force as a Public Health Officer and Director of Air Force Food Safety Programs after time as a clinical practitioner and surgeon in a private veterinary practice. 

Scott earned the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Texas A&M University, as well as a master’s degree in Food Science/Microbiology and a master’s degree in Preventive Veterinary Medicine/Epidemiology, both from the University of California-Davis. His B.S. degree is in Biomedical Science from Texas A&M University. He has served on numerous scientific boards and food industry advisory committees and was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve two terms on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods. Scott is Board Certified in Veterinary
Preventive Medicine and serves on the Executive Board of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine (ACVPM) in the role of Past President. As a member of the ACVPM Executive Board, he contributes to national farm-to-table food safety policy and systems with colleagues from government, academia and industry. Scott is also a Certified Professional – Food Safety by the National Environmental Health Association and an expert in application of the FDA’s Model Food Code for retail and food service. Additionally, Scott is certified by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance as a Preventive Controls Qualified Individual to assist food manufacturers in achieving compliance with FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act regulations.

As both a veterinarian with a public health focus and a food scientist, Scott’s career has centered on food safety, quality, regulatory affairs and compliance through the entire food supply chain from the farm, through manufacturing and distribution, on to sale and service of food to consumers.

Dane Bernard has spent over 40 years in the food safety profession and currently manages his own consulting business. Dane holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Food Science. Prior to his retirement, he was Global Vice President of Food Safety and Quality at Keystone Foods. Before joining Keystone, he worked for the trade association now known as GMA. He served for seven years on the US National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods, participated on several International and US work groups as an invited expert, and has over 80 food safety related publications.

Dr. Randall Huffman is chief food safety and sustainability officer at Maple Leaf Foods. Dr. Huffman is responsible for leading Maple Leaf Foods’ prepared meats manufacturing operations, as well as the following functional areas: food safety and quality assurance, corporate engineering, manufacturing services, occupational health and safety, security and environment, and the operations excellence and learning teams.

Dr. Huffman joined Maple Leaf Foods as chief food safety officer in 2009, and later assumed leadership of Six Sigma and food quality. Dr. Huffman leads the company’s Food Safety Advisory Council, a team of external experts with the mandate to increase Maple Leaf’s access to global knowledge and expertise in food safety, including best practices, regulatory compliance, microbiology, and fostering a food safety culture.

Prior to joining Maple Leaf Foods, Dr. Huffman served as president of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) Foundation. He has also held senior positions related to food safety, quality assurance and product development in North America’s food industry.

Dr. Huffman holds a Ph.D. and Master of Science degree in Meat and Animal Science from the University of Florida, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University. He is a member of the Board of Directors for NAMI, an active member and past president of the American Meat Science Association and a member of the International Association of Food Protection and the Institute of Food Technologists.

“I believe that a food manufacturing firm’s success hinges on the evolution of the individuals within them.”

I’ve dedicated the last 15 years of my life to bettering food manufacturing operations and studying how culture affects food safety performance. I’m proud to hold a Ph.D. in Culture Enabled Food Safety and to have created an incredible network of worldwide collaborators within the food supply chain.

I had no idea that one day I would be involved so intimately in this often lack-luster industry, but after 11 years with Maple Leaf Foods – including the uphill battle to regain consumer trust following the 2008 tragedy that killed 23 people – my life purpose shifted. At the time, I was in charge of food safety and operations learning strategies. It took a lot of introspection, questioning and scrutiny to turn Maple Leaf around. I lead the relaunch and execution of Maple Leaf Foods’ food safety & operations learning strategies. A little more every day, we transformed its culture from the inside out.

One of the most memorable moments for me over the years was when a plant manager who was getting ready to deliver his first food safety course called me the night before in a panic. Not sure if he could deliver what was expected although he had prepared and reflected on what he had to get done. We talked and hung up. The next day he engaged his team with such passion and conviction in his own journey and shared that which he set out for the plant. The energy and excitement was amazing and went to show how a single exchange can transform & engage others in the importance of foods safety.

Cultivate is my business and the services we offer stem from a history of trials and tribulations. I don’t pretend to know everything because every day, I’m learning from the people I work with. I make mistakes and have moments of self-doubt just like everyone else. But I promise to deliver the best of what I’ve learnt, the utmost transparency and most especially, resounding results.

For those who are curious about my academic background, I hold a Master in Mechanical Engineering from Syd Dansk University in Denmark, a Master of Food Science from the University of Guelph in Canada, and a PhD on Culture Enabled Food Safety. I also serve as chair of Food Safety Culture for the GFSI technical working group dedicated to characterizing and quantifying food safety culture across the global food industry from farm to fork.

See more about what I do at www.cultivatefoodsafety.com.

Gillian Kelleher is Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Wegmans Food Markets, a major US regional supermarket chain and one of Fortune’s “Top 100 Companies to Work For” in America. Gillian started with Wegmans in 1997 and her scope of responsibility includes all aspects of food safety and quality (food and non-food) for stores, self-manufacturing, distribution and Wegmans’ private label program.

Prior to joining Wegmans, Gillian worked with Grand Metropolitan Foods Europe in the food manufacturing, retail and food service sectors including positions with Express Foods, Häagen Dazs and Burger King.

Gillian earned her B.S degree in Dairy and Food Science from University College Cork, Ireland. She is a member of several professional organizations including the Institute of Food Technologists, the International Association of Food Protection and the American Society for Quality.

Gillian is a long- standing member of the Food Marketing Institute’s Food Protection Committee and Harvard’s Private & Public, Scientific, Academic & Consumer Food Policy Group (PAPSAC). Gillian is a member of the Board of Directors of the American National Standards Institute and a member of the Board of Directors for Stop Foodborne Illness. Gillian is the current Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Global Food Safety Initiative.

Born and raised in New York. Grew up sailing, swimming and skiing. B.S. Finance from State University of New York. Worked in accounting and finance for 30+ years. Currently a business owner and consultant.

Peter J. Taormina, Ph.D. began his career as a scientist working on food safety for a division of Smithfield Foods, Inc., the world’s largest pork producer. Over the years there he participated in the development and expansion of a culture of food safety as repeated acquisitions and restructuring events took place. His role expanded to one in which he was a leading gatekeeper of food safety with regards to shelf life, validation, and approval of products and processes for thirty-six processing plants. Throughout his time at Smithfield and as SVP of Quality & Food Safety at the Castellini Company, he worked to educate and build trust internally as well as externally to customers and regulators, and he collaborated with several senior operations leaders with differing styles and approaches towards food safety implementation.

Peter is now managing Etna Consulting Group, a company that provides solutions and strategies for enhancing and maintaining effective food safety and quality systems. Peter earned his B.S. in Biology from Valdosta State University, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Food Science and Technology and Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia. He frequently presents on subject of food safety, has numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on food safety microbiology, and has written hundreds of process authority letters for products in the marketplace. He has volunteered in various capacities for organizations and associations that advance the safety and quality of food.

Mike Taylor is a senior fellow at the Meridian Institute and co-chair of the board of Stop Foodborne Illness.  His primary interest is in fostering improvement in food safety practices and outcomes in both developed and developing regions of the world. 

Until June 1, 2016, Mr. Taylor was Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He led the comprehensive overhaul of FDA’s food safety program Congress mandated in the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011 and oversaw all of FDA’s food-related activities, including its nutrition, labeling, food additive, dietary supplement, and animal drug programs.

Mr. Taylor served previously at FDA as a staff attorney and as Deputy Commissioner for Policy (1991-94) and at USDA as Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service and Acting Under Secretary for Food Safety (1994-96). Prior to joining FDA in July 2009, he spent nearly a decade in academia conducting food safety, food security and public health policy research, most recently at George Washington University’s School of Public Health. He also served during that time as a Senior Fellow at the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, where he conducted research on U.S. policies affecting agricultural development and food security in Africa.  

In the private sector, Mr. Taylor founded the food and drug practice and was a partner in the law firm of King & Spalding, was Vice President for Public Policy at Monsanto Company, and served on the boards of the Alliance to End Hunger and RESOLVE, Inc.

He became co-chair of the board of the non-profit consumer organization Stop Foodborne Illness in 2018 and is a member of the board of Clear Labs, Inc.  Mr. Taylor is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Virginia School of Law.

Richard (Rick) Young is senior vice president, supply chain and purchasing. He is responsible for leading the supply chain management and purchasing functions at Maple Leaf Foods.

Mr. Young’s career with Maple Leaf Foods spans over three decades. He was appointed to his current position in February 2015. He is a member of the senior leadership team and participates in the operational management and strategic planning of the Company.

In his current role, Mr. Young oversees operational excellence across the supply chain group, which supports the operations management of Maple Leaf. He is also responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight on vendor relations and other purchasing functions.

Mr. Young began his career at Maple Leaf Foods as assistant product manager with Canada Packers and achieved progressive leadership positions in marketing, sales, business development and management. He assumed the role of president, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods in August 2000, a position he held for 10 years. Under his direction, Maple Leaf Consumer Foods established a leadership position in the Canadian market, bringing innovation to life with new products, new markets and new opportunities. He also held the role of executive vice president, transformation, responsible for leading the half-billion-dollar transformation of Maple Leaf’s prepared meats and distribution operations, and moving the Company to a single ERP platform, SAP.

Mr. Young graduated from Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology with a Marketing Degree in 1978. He completed the Executive Program (Supply Chain) at Stanford University in 1998.