Indoor grower BrightFarms, Irvington, N.Y., has promoted Jackie Hawkins to director of food safety and quality.
Hawkins joined BrightFarms in 2016 as an administrative assistant and has had several roles since then, including corporate food safety manager and most recently senior manager of food safety.
She designed and implemented the company’s food safety program and led the development of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Food Safety Coalition, according to a news release. Other accomplishments include leading BrightFarms’ early adoption of the IBM Food Trust platform traceability and blockchain technology.
In her new role, Hawkins will be responsible for BrightFarms’ food safety protocols at its five facilities and coordinate customer, regulatory and third-party audits, according to the release.
She reports to Josh Norbury, senior vice president of operations.
“She has built an industry-leading food safety program for the indoor production of leafy greens, and our rigorous protocols have set the standard for other companies in our space,” Norbury said in the release. “We are fortunate to have her leadership and expertise as we continue to grow.”
