The Controlled Environment Agriculture Food Safety Coalition has retained The Stenzel Group LLC to provide management services, with the naming of Tom Stenzel as its new executive director, the group reports.
Stenzel was president and CEO of the United Fresh Produce Association for nearly 30 years and served as co-CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association with Cathy Burns through May this year.
“Tom’s almost 30 years’ experience leading United Fresh and the recent combination with the Produce Marketing Association to form the International Fresh Produce Association makes him an outstanding leader to help us evolve our mission beyond just food safety and leafy greens to serve the broader controlled environment agriculture category,” Marc Oshima, co-founder of AeroFarms and board chair of the CEA Food Safety Coalition, said in a news release.
“I’ve worked with many of these companies since their start-up,” Stenzel said in the release. “I’ve seen their potential, and am now watching their impact grow daily, as consumers and retailers alike embrace their role as high-quality, sustainable, safe, and local producers. I’m excited to help this sector expand its impact.”
Stenzel succeeds Dr. Elisabeth Hagen, former USDA Under Secretary for Food Safety who recently resigned as CEA FSC executive director, according to the release. “Elisabeth did a great job building on our core food safety platform and has set the stage for more expansive growth to service the broader controlled environment agriculture industry, and we will miss her leadership and expertise,” Oshima said in the release.
The CEA Food Safety Coalition was formed in 2019 to serve as a forum for leafy greens growers in high-tech greenhouses and indoor vertical farms to educate and share best practices with regulators, customers, and fellow indoor growers, according to the release.
Stenzel will now work with the board to develop strategic and business plans to take the coalition to the next level in serving the controlled environment agriculture sector in the produce industry, according to the release said.
