The United Fresh Produce Association has chosen the second class for its year-long Produce Safety Immersion Program.
The program, designed for professionals that are newer to a food safety role (less than five years), is designed to build technical capacity, critical thinking skills and leadership attributes of the next generation of produce safety professionals, according to a news release.
The program consists of webinars, virtual training and an ongoing mentorship program. The training focuses on developing early-to-mid-career professionals.
Members of the new class are:
- Kelsey Adams, Taylor Farms-Texas, Dallas;
- Abraham Cardenas, Taylor Farms Fresh Vegetables, Salinas, Calif.;
- Jordan DeVries, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Grand Rapids;
- Isabel Gomez-Garcia, Walter P. Rawl & Sons Inc., Pelion, S.C.;
- Hilal Kasapoglu, Taylor Farms Inc., North Kingtown, Rhode Island
- Kaylie Lemon, Curation Foods, Santa Maria, Calif.;
- Mike Lepera, Mucci Farms, Kingsville, Ontario;
- Jose Morales, Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc., Salinas;
- Alex Morales, Jr., Prima Wawona, Reedley, Calif.;
- LaTaunya Tillman, Driscoll’s, Tampa, Fla.;
- Mari Villegas, Heinzen Manufacturing International, Gilroy, Calif.; and
- Bristol Wells, Highland Ag Solutions, Mulberry, Fla.
United Fresh Food Safety Council Steering Committee members evaluated the applications for the program, according to the release. Members of the industry serve as mentors to the class members:
- Suresh DeCosta, director of food safety for North America and Latin America at Lipman Family Farms;
- Natalie Dyenson, vice president of food safety and quality for Dole Food Co.;
- Sergio Nieto-Montenegro, president of Food Safety Consulting & Training Solutions LLC; and
- Walter Ram, vice president of food safety for the Guimarra Cos.
Other industry members who helped mentor the first class in the Produce Safety Immersion Program were Drew McDonald, Taylor Farms; Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, Seald Sweet International/Greenyard USA; and Michelle Danyluk, of the University of Florida. United Fresh invites other members who are interested in supporting the program to contact Katie McGowan, United Fresh’s food safety coordinator, at 202-303-3402 or kmcgowan@unitedfresh.org.
