2015 Critical Issues in the Food Industry Conference
Date: Thursday, June 04, 2015
Terry Hills Golf Course
5122 Clinton Street Road Batavia, NY 14020
Registration begins at 9:00 AM
Light Continental Breakfast will be served during registration
Conference followed by 9-Hole Golf Outing (shotgun start)
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Doors open at 8:30 for continental breakfast
9:00 – 09:30 AM Registration
09:30– 09:40 AM: Welcome
09:40– 10:45 AM: “Food Allergens and Allergen Controls - Learning from the Past and Planning for the Future”-,
Dr. Steven Gendel IEH Laboratories and Consultants
10:45 – 11:45 AM: “Food Defense and Site Security – Does your facility have a plan?” Dave Bissonette &
Michelle Brydalski General Mills
11:45 – 12:30 PM: Lunch Buffet
12:30 – 1:00 PM: "Developing our Next Generation of Leaders in the Food & Dairy Industry” – Tristan Zuber
Cornell University
1:00 – 1:15 PM: Break
1:15 – 2:30 PM: "QACQP” Kim Bukowski, Cornell University
2:30 – 3:15 PM: “Hazard Communication & the Globally Harmonized System” - Mike Lovelace, Perry’s Ice
Cream
3:30 PM: Tee Time
 9 Holes of Golf with Cart Rental: $20.00 per person. Shotgun Start
 This is a great price with a large discount for our group!
 Please note below if you will be part of a particular foursome or if we can pair you up
Directions to Terry Hills Golf Course:
 NYS Thruway/I-90 to exit 48 Batavia, Pay toll, then turn left onto Rt. 98 South, Turn left at 2nd light onto Rt. 33
East, Go 1 mile and continue left onto Rt. 33 East, Terry Hills is 1.5 miles on the right
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Registration Fee Conference only: $30
Registration Deadline: May 20, 2015
Registration Fee for Conference & Golf: $50
Send your PRE- PAID REGISTRATIONS to:
Shannon Spiesman 324 Windermere Boulevard, Amherst, NY 14226
Questions? Please contact Shannon at: (716) 832 – 3801 or [email protected]
If payment through corporate channels will delay registration, please email Shannon a list of attendees and note: “payment to follow.”
*checks must be payable to Western Association of Sanitarians*
Number Attending
Conference Only:
Conference and Golf:
Company:
Names:
X $30.00 per person =
X $50.00 per person =
TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED:
- Critical Issues in the Food Industry Conference OVERVIEW:
This 1 day conference will cover a variety of topics for Food Safety and Quality Professionals. The program includes educational
and networking opportunities over a continental breakfast, lunch and golf. The key topics will be: allergen concerns in the food
industry, food defense and site security, Next Gen leadership training, quality analysis critical quality points, and hazard
communication the globally harmonized system (GHS).
SPEAKERS:
Dr. Steven Gendel, Vice President of the Food Allergens Division of IEH Laboratories and Consultants
Dr. Gendel is the Vice President, Division of Food Allergens for IEH Laboratories and Consulting Group. Previously he was the
Food Allergen Coordinator for the US Food and Drug Administration, responsible for activities related to all aspects of food
allergen control and regulation. He has 25 years of experience in food safety science and policy with the FDA. He received a
B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from the
University of California, Irvine. He held postdoctoral positions at Harvard University and the University of Toronto before joining
the faculty of the Department of Genetics at Iowa State University.
Dave Bissonette General Mills
David Bissonette is currently the safety and security manager for General Mills Buffalo. He brings a wide variety of experience to
his position including 14 years of state and federal law enforcement interaction as well as 25 years of crisis management
experience as the emergency manager for the Town of Clarence. David is responsible for day to day security operations,
supported by a (16) officer security team and a full time supervisor. In addition to 24/7 routine security operations David
maintains federal maritime security operations at the General Mills port of Buffalo.
Michelle Brydalski General Mills
Michelle Brydalski is currently the senior Quality and Regulatory Manager at the General Mills Buffalo facility. Michelle currently
manages four Quality Engineers and six Lab Technicians. In conjunction with her quality and regulatory duties, she also
manages the cereal plant Sanitation Department which includes 30+ Sanitors and a Sanitation Team Leader. Having worked in
in the food industry for over 15 years, she brings a wide variety of experiences across multiple production platforms including dry
processing, baking, frozen dough, USDA meat processing, and vegetable processing. Michelle is responsible for the day to day
food security operations for both the Buffalo cereal plant and flour mill as well as maintaining the food defense plans for both
sites in conjunction with the facility Safety and Security Manager. Michelle is also on GM’s corporate Food Safety and
Regulatory Policy team which creates the corporate standard across the globe by which all plants operate.
Tristan Zuber, Dairy Processing Extension Associate, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Batavia
Tristan grew up in the dairy industry working on the family farm in Byron, NY. While attending Cornell University majoring in
Food & Animal Sciences, she worked in the MQIP Lab and spent two summers in operations at Leprino Foods. Tristan worked
for two years at the U.S. Dairy Export Council in Regulatory Affairs and three years in sales with a food ingredient supplier. Her
role at Cornell involves working with the NYS dairy industry on food safety, quality, processing, work-force training and
development initiatives.
Kim Bukowski Cornell University
Kim Bukowski joined the Dairy Food Science Extension team after a long career in the dairy food industry. This includes dairy
quality and processing, plant management, brand development, and building a facility to manufacture and sell ice cream. She
managed the Borden’s Ice Cream Plant, the Cornell Dairy Plant and now owns and operates her own store that manufactures
and sells ice cream in Manlius, NY.
Kim is also is a certified SQF auditor and has expertise in GFSI programs. She provides leadership for the Dairy Foods
Certificate Program, including program oversight, marketing, and development. Kim also provides GFSI consulting and training
to the industry. Kim holds an A.A.S. Degree from Canton College
Michael Lovelace Perry’s Ice Cream
Mike Lovelace is the Materials Reliability Facilitator at Perry’s Ice Cream. Mike served in the United States Marines Corp for 22
years as a Logistics Specialist He is a member of the Institute of Packaging Professionals and holds a Six Sigma Black Belt. As
a leader in the Maintenance Team at Perry’s, Mike is responsible for implementing the requirements of the Globally Harmonized
System for Hazard Communication.