Home

Food Safety Summit Announces Prestigious Educational Advisory Board to Develop the 2026 Conference Program

via ACCESS Newswire

Registration Now Open for Event Scheduled for May 11-14, 2026 in Rosemont, IL

ROSEMONT, IL / ACCESS Newswire / September 17, 2025 / In recognition of Food Safety Education Month, the Food Safety Summit (FSS) is proud to announce the members of its 2026 Educational Advisory Board(EAB), who will lead the development of dynamic educational programming for the 2026 Food Safety Summit, taking place May 11-14 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL.

The EAB brings together leaders from food manufacturing, retail, foodservice, distribution, regulatory agencies, academia, produce, and advisory services to identify critical issues, develop engaging sessions, and deliver valuable insights for food safety professionals across the supply chain.

"It's an honor to lead such a passionate and experienced group of professionals on the Educational Advisory Board," said Gillian Kelleher, CEO of Kelleher Consultants LLC and Chair of the FSS EAB. "Together, we are identifying critical topics, engaging dynamic speakers, and crafting a robust program that addresses today's most urgent food safety challenges. The 2026 Summit will be an invaluable opportunity for learning, collaboration, and advancing the future of our industry."

Members of the 2026 Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board include:

Foodservice:

  • Al Baroudi, Ph.D., The Cheesecake Factory Inc.

  • Jorge Hernandez, The Wendy's Company

  • Matt Jenkins, McDonald's (New)

  • Sabrina Terada, Yum! Brands (New)

  • Steven Lyons, Ph.D., Chick-fil-A Inc.

Retail:

  • Glenn Stolowski, M.S., H-E-B

  • Jeremy Zenlea, M.B.A., EG America

  • Kathleen O'Donnell, M.S., Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.

  • Liz Duffy, M.B.A., Walmart (New)

  • Michael Wood, Ph.D., Kroger

  • Robin Forgey, M.S., Costco Wholesale

  • Suzette Stalker, Target Corporation (New)

Manufacturing/Distribution/Produce:

  • Caitlin Boon, Ph.D., Mars (New)

  • Chitsanzo Chiko Kachaje, M.B.A., Home Market Foods

  • Deb Kane, J&J Snack Foods Corp.

  • Drew McDonald, Taylor Farms

  • Joan Menke-Schaenzer, Van Drunen Farms/FutureCeuticals

  • Julie Kuruc, Ph.D., PepsiCo (New)

  • Monica Khoury, Nestlé

  • Nickolas Waters, Sysco

  • Olamide Afolayan, Ph.D., Kellanova

  • Sharon Birkett, M.B.A., OSI Group, LLC

  • Spir Marinakis, Maple Leaf Foods

Regulatory:

  • Laura Gieraltowski, Ph.D., M.P.H., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  • Laurie Farmer, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (New)

  • Steven Mandernach, J.D., Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)

  • Tim Jackson, Ph.D., U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Academia:

  • Alvin Lee, Ph.D., Institute for Food Safety and Health

  • Ben Chapman, Ph.D., North Carolina State University (New)

  • John Spink, Ph.D., Michigan State University Food Fraud Initiative

  • Matthew Stasiewicz, Ph.D., University of Illinois

General/Advisory:

  • Adrienne Blume, M.A., Food Safety Magazine

  • Brendan Niemira, Ph.D., Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)

  • Cindy Jiang, M.S., Food Safety Consultant

  • Donna Schaffner, M.S., Food Safety and Training Consultant

  • Gillian Kelleher, Kelleher Consultants LLC

  • Larry Keener, International Product Safety Consultants LLC

  • Lone Jespersen, Ph.D., Cultivate SA

  • Oscar Garrison, United Egg Producers

  • Sara Mortimore, Sara Mortimore LLC

  • Sharon Beals, SKKB LLC

  • Shawn Stevens, J.D., Food Industry Counsel LLC

  • William Lachowsky, Food Safety Consultant

The 28th Annual Food Safety Summit will be held May 11-14, 2026, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL. Plans are underway for a comprehensive conference program, interactive exhibit hall, and collaborative opportunities designed to advance food safety across all sectors.

Registration for the Summit is now open. Register before September 30th with the code: LEARN and save $100 per person. For more information on sponsorship or exhibiting opportunities, contact Kim Hansen at hansenk@bnpmedia.com. For more information and updates for the 2026 event, visit https://www.food-safety.com/food-safety-summit.

The Food Safety Summit is owned and produced by Food Safety Magazine (www.food-safety.com) and BNP Media (www.bnpmedia.com), one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving industry professionals across 60+ industries through magazines, custom media, e-newsletters, webinars, events, and market research.

# # #

For further information, contact:
Amy Riemer, Media Relations
978-502-4895
amy@foodsafetysummit.com

SOURCE: Food Safety Summit



View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire