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Terry Arthur
Chief Microbiological Officer at Fremonta CorporationDr. Terry Arthur received his PhD in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Arthur was a microbiologist with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service for 24 years in the Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit. Dr. Arthur’s studies were focused on preharvest and postharvest food safety solutions targeting E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella. He is a co-inventor of the non-destructive MicroTally® sampling technology, which is currently used by USDA FSIS and processors supplying over 95% of raw beef trim in the U.S. Dr. Arthur serves as the Chief Microbiological Officer for FREMONTA Corp.
Sharon K.K. Beals
Executive Director of Women's Meat Industry NetworkSharon brings 40+ years’ experience in food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance, holding senior-level roles across the food service and manufacturing companies, including US Foods, Maple Leaf Foods, Smithfield, Tyson/IBP, and Arby’s. Her current portfolio career includes Executive Director of the Women’s Meat Industry Network (WMIN), Food Safety & Regulatory Executive with beaconpoint labs and, Founder of SKKB-LLC, which specializes in organizational design, M&A risk assessments, sanitation and common sense food safety systems. Industry engagement includes the American Meat Science Association (2024 President Elect, 2024 Industry & Organizational Achievement Award winner, 2021 Signal Service Award winner, past BoD member, RMC chair and past Development Council member), the Beef Industry Food Safety Council (BIFSCo) (Board Member and past chair), Women in Agribusiness (current Board Member), The Alliance for Advanced Sanitation (Advisory Board) and, the Food Safety Summit Educational Advisory Board (member since 2016). She was named a Finalist for the Most Impactful WMIN of the Year in both 2022 and 2023 and most recently, was named a 2024 Demeter Award winner by Women in Agribusiness. Sharon studied at Cornell University where she completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Foods. Sharon and husband Don are relishing their role as new Grandparents. Words to live by - “You control how you respond to the stimulus; choose to be fabulous and choose to be kind.”
Laura Burns
Vice President, Head of Global Corporate Communications at Tyson Foods, Inc.Laura leads the Global Corporate Communications team at Tyson Foods. She creates and implements internal and external communications strategies focused on telling the positive stories of Tyson Foods and positioning the company as a world-class food company. Laura brings more than 20 years of experience in communications and crisis management to her role. She is responsible for using effective communications to enhance the company’s reputation with key stakeholders and media, while mitigating crisis situations. This includes creating and executing public relations strategies as well as managing news media relations, issues messaging, crisis planning and training. Prior to joining Tyson Foods, Laura was Senior Vice President at Boardroom Communications, a highly respected public relations and crisis management firm based in Miami, Florida. She led external communications for a variety of companies in professional services industries including banking, real estate, healthcare, education, and non-profits. She was also the Co-Chair of the firm’s crisis management practice group where she led reputation management and crisis mitigation efforts on behalf of many well-known companies and corporations. Prior to that Laura was an Executive Producer for ABC News in Miami, covering major news stories including two presidential elections. Laura works from Springdale, Arkansas, the world headquarters of Tyson Foods
Kalen Cookson, DVM
Director of Clinical Research, Poultry at ZoetisDr. Kalen Cookson received his Doctorate from North Carolina State University—College of Veterinary Medicine. After working in the California Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory System, he received a Masters in Avian Medicine from the University of Georgia and is a Diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. Dr. Cookson has over 28 years of experience in the biologicals industry working for Zoetis and its legacies.
As a technical services veterinarian who has supported both U.S. and most other major global markets, Dr. Cookson has expertise in vaccine programming and has provided critical input and direction to new vaccine development. His role over the past several years has been Director of Clinical Research where he helps Zoetis execute extensive applied research—mostly post-licensure trials conducted under both controlled and field settings.
Kristin Demoranville
Found and CEO of AnZenSageKristin Demoranville is a seasoned cybersecurity and risk management expert with 26 years of experience in the tech industry. She is the founder and CEO of AnzenSage, a firm dedicated to cybersecurity solutions in the food and agricultural sectors, and co-founder of AnzenOT, an innovative SaaS OT Cybersecurity Risk Intelligence solution. Kristin holds a degree in environmental management, and her studies included researching gorilla behavior, which brought a unique perspective to her work. She excels in crafting and implementing risk cybersecurity strategies, particularly within OT/ICS environments. As the host of the Bites & Bytes Podcast, Kristin drives meaningful conversations at the intersection of food, technology, and cybersecurity.
Darin Detwiler
Professor at Detwiler Consulting Group, LLC | Northeastern Univeristy- Panel: The Chicken and the Data Egg: Cracking Data and Cyber Security Challenges in Poultry
- Conference Keynote: Owning Your Legacy
Dr. Darin Detwiler is the Founder and CEO of Detwiler Consulting Group, LLC, as well as an author, columnist, consultant, academic, and “Food Safety Icon” who has served in appointed or other advisory capacities for the USDA, the Conference for Food Protection, the FDA, NEHA, AFDO, and more. Detwiler’s research and insights have served as keynote presentations before industry audiences and have appeared in magazines and newspaper articles, chapters, his own books Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and Building the Future of Food Safety Technology: Blockchain and Beyond, TV shows, and in the 2023 Netflix documentary “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food.”
Liz Duffy
Vice President, Global Food Safety & Complaince at WalmartLiz Duffy leads Walmart’s global food safety and compliance initiatives,
bringing extensive expertise in regulatory standards and supply chain
safety. Her forward-thinking approach helps shape industry best
practices and innovations in food safety management.
Denise Eblen
Administrator at USDA FSISDr. Denise Eblen was named administrator of U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in December 2024. In this role, Dr. Eblen oversees FSIS and the fulfillment of its the public health mission. She advances the agency’s vision and goals, leading innovative solutions to challenges in FSIS. FSIS has regulatory oversight for ensuring that meat, poultry and egg products are safe, wholesome and properly labeled.
Drawing from 25 years of experience at USDA, Dr. Eblen plays a key role in steering FSIS in its efforts to use science-based decision making to modernize the agency’s inspection strategies, policies and approaches to improve public health. In addition to her work with FSIS, Dr. Eblen has held roles with USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service. She holds a doctorate degree in food safety microbiology from the University of Ulster at Jordanstown, a Master of Science in food science from Queen’s University Belfast and a Bachelor of Science in human nutrition from the University of Ulster at Coleraine, in Northern Ireland.
Karina Horgan
Research Group Director of Alltech, Inc.Dr Karina Horgan is a research group director at Alltech’s European Bioscience Centre. In her current role as Biology division leader, she has established a cellular biology research group whose primary focus is the development of intestinal models to investigate product specific effects on gut health, particularly focusing on pathogen control.
Her research interests are wide-ranging, including molecular fingerprinting, nutrient bioavailability and antibiotic resistance amongst others. She has also played a role in developing assays in conjunction with regulatory authorities. As part of her overall role, she has supervised numerous Ph.D. and M.Sc. projects. Her work underscores Alltech's commitment to scientific innovation in animal nutrition and health, aiming to address global challenges in food production sustainability.
Leslee Oden
President and CEO of National Turkey FederationLeslee Oden assumed the role as the President and CEO of the National Turkey Federation (NTF) in Washington, D.C. on July 1, marking a pivotal moment in her longstanding dedication to the U.S. turkey industry. With a commitment to advancing the interests of NTF's members, Leslee oversees the organization's day-to-day operations, guides its strategic direction, and provides leadership and guidance to the NTF staff.
Leslee's journey with NTF began in 2009 when she joined as an intern, demonstrating an early passion for the industry that would shape her career trajectory. Throughout her tenure, she has played a pivotal role in the government affairs department, advocating for the interests of NTF and its members on a wide range of issues. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in poultry science from Texas A&M University and is originally from Leona, Texas.
Dr. Lindsey Perry
Director, Technical Services of Safe Foods Chemical InnovationsLindsey Perry is the Director, Technical Services for Safe Foods Chemical Innovations, North Little Rock, AR. Lindsey joined the Safe Foods Chemical Innovations team in January of 2016. Since joining the industry, Lindsey has worked in various roles including Research and Development, Food Safety and Quality Control. As the Director, Technical Services, Lindsey and her team partner with customers to optimize their total food safety system. The Technical Services team works with our internal and external customers to provide support for such activities as USDA briefings, validation and bio-map studies. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Animal Science from the University of Arkansas in 2008, her Masters of Science in Animal Science from the University of Arkansas in 2010, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science from Texas A&M University in 2015. Lindsey’s thesis and dissertation work involved red meat, microbiology, and antimicrobial interventions.
Ashley Peterson, Ph.D
Senior VP of Scientific & Regulatory Affairs at National Chicken CouncilAs senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, Dr. Peterson’s responsibilities at the National Chicken Council include providing scientific and technical expertise on a variety of topics including food safety, poultry inspection, and broiler health and welfare. She oversees regulatory policy development and scientific initiatives within the regulatory agencies in Washington, D.C. and represents industry views on policies impacting the broiler industry. Prior to joining the council, Peterson worked for the United Egg Producers and has served both as the director of legislative affairs and director of regulatory affairs at the American Meat Institute, where her responsibilities included environment, sustainability, and animal welfare. A native of Kentucky, Peterson came to Washington, D.C., as a Congressional Science Fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives, working on agricultural policy. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Maryland, her Master of Science in Animal Science from Michigan State University and her Bachelor of Science from the University of Kentucky.
Bill Potter
Associate Professor- Poultry Food Safety & Processing Extension at Univeristy of ArkansasDr. Bill Potter joined the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2024 as Extension Specialist and Poultry Federation Chair in Food Safety and Processing. Bill holds a BS in Animal Science, with an MBA from Texas A&M, and also obtained an MS and PhD in Poultry Science from the University of Arkansas in Poultry Food Safety. Prior to his current position, Bill enjoyed a successful poultry industry career, serving in food safety, QA, R&D, and technical leadership roles at ConAgra, Advance Foods, George’s Inc., and Elanco Animal Health. He has received multiple awards for food safety innovation, technical insights, and QA leadership, and has contributed to numerous team awards for poultry supplier excellence. His initiatives with national & regional leaders in government and industry have significantly benefitted food safety systems from preharvest through processing.
Patrick Quade
CEO/Founder of Dinesafe/Iwaspoisoned- Panel: The Chicken and the Data Egg: Cracking Data and Cyber Security Challenges in Poultry
- Monitoring Social Media for Food Safety
Patrick Quade, founder of Iwaspoisoned.com and DineSafe, leverages crowdsourcing to empower real-time food safety insights. With over a decade of expertise in data and public health informatics, his work has garnered international recognition and contributes to public health advancements.
Nikki Shariat, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Dep. of Population Health at College of Veterinary Medicine, University of GeorgiaDr. Nikki Shariat is an Associate Professor in the Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center in the Department of Population Health in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia. She holds a BSc degree from the University of East Anglia (UK) and a PhD degree from Vanderbilt University. Following postdocs at University of California, San Francisco and Penn State, she was faculty at Gettysburg College before becoming faculty at UGA in 2019. Her research program is focused on understanding Salmonella serovar diversity and ecology by developing and using novel molecular technologies. Her research team applies these technologies to assess serovar dynamics in food animal production and processing, with a focus on poultry. She works directly with food animal production industries to develop logistically feasible approaches for Salmonella control. She is currently serving on the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and on the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) Salmonella Technical Committee.
Jessica Stevens
Paralegal at Food Industry Counsel, LLCSince Food Industry Counsel was first founded, Jessica has served as a paralegal and food industry risk management specialist.
In addition to closely monitoring emerging and evolving exposures facing the food industry, such as recalls, recall trends, emerging outbreaks, and Proposition 65 enforcement and exposure, Jessica also consults closely with firm clients on a wide-range of food product label and related compliance issues.
Prior to joining Food Industry Counsel, Jessica served in many professional roles, including serving as a paralegal for a reputable Minneapolis law firm, and overseeing firm quality control and regulatory compliance for a Milwaukee wealth management firm.
In addition to her work for the food industry, Jessica is also a three-time award-winning novelist. In 2014 Jessica authored a Young Adult novel, Within Reach, for SparkPress Publishing, which was formally published in May 2016.
Shawn Stevens
Food Industry Consultant and Lawyer at Food Industry Counsel, LLC- Current Landscape of Food Safety Regulatory, Civil, and Criminal Exposure
- Mock Trial: Foodborne Illness Outbreak
- Mock Trial: Plaintiff's Case
- Mock Trial: Defense Case
- Mock Trial: Jury Deliberation
- Mock Trial: Debrief/ Q&A
Shawn Stevens is the founding member of Food Industry Counsel LLC, the only law firm in the United States that represents the food industry exclusively. As a food industry consultant and lawyer, Shawn works with food industry clients (including the world’s largest growers, processors, restaurant chains, distributors and grocers) helping them protect their brand by complying with FDA and USDA regulations, reducing risk, managing recalls, and defending high-profile foodborne illness claims. Shawn also speaks regularly to national and international audiences on a wide variety of emerging scientific, regulatory and food safety legal trends. Shawn’s team has also developed the Food Recall Reporter (www.foodrecallreporter.com), which is the only searchable database in the world that has detailed information for every FDA and USDA Class I, II, and III food product, beverage, pet food, animal feed, and dietary supplement recall since the year 2000. Additional information about Shawn’s practice can be found at www.foodindustrycounsel.com
Matthew Thomas
Senior Director of Food Safety & Quality Assurance at Tyson Foods, Inc.Matt utilizes 21 years of experience in the poultry industry to lead a team of professionals at Tyson Foods ensuring that plants and processes produce safe, high-quality poultry products. In his role as a Senior Director of food safety and quality, he helps locations across the United States develop and implement strategies, policies, and programs designed to ensure regulatory and specification compliance in both the retail value-added and food service customer spaces. Matt also provides technical support to the sales team, enabling them to better educate customers and consumers about Tyson products. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture with a poultry science emphasis from Purdue University and his Master of Science in food safety from the University of Arkansas.
Jessie Vipham
Associate Professor at Kansas State UniversityJessie is an Associate Professor in Food Safety and Food Security at Kansas State University. Her research focuses on improving the global understanding of food safety and foodborne disease and their impact on public health. Jessie’s research seeks to provide adoptable and applicable solutions for reducing foodborne pathogen contamination in various food value-chains around the world. Jessie’s research has focused on Salmonella detection and control in various food products, with a priority on meat and poultry projects.
Lee Watson
Chairman & CEO of Forge InstituteLee Watson is a visionary leader, serial entrepreneur, and technologist dedicated to advancing cyber capabilities and fostering economic and national security. As Chairman and CEO of the Forge Institute, Lee spearheads initiatives that reduce cyber risks, promote innovation and support intelligence-led defensive operations. With a focus on workforce development, applied research, and collaborative cyber operations, Forge Institute has become a driving force in
shaping a secure and more resilient future. Since founding Forge Institute in 2018, Lee has led the organization in its mission to stay "Forever One Step Ahead" of adversaries seeking to disrupt our
way of life. Under his leadership, Forge Institute empowers its partners by leveraging emerging technologies, strengthening the workforce, and enhancing resiliency through purposeful private-public collaborations. In 2019, Lee championed the Arkansas Cyber Initiative, resulting in the passage of ACT 1085, a pivotal law that bolsters collaborative cybersecurity capabilities across the state. This eort has solidied Arkansas as a leader in cybersecurity partnerships and innovation. Before establishing Forge Institute, Lee co-founded The Venture Center, a globally recognized organization that
played a key role in the startup ecosystem of Central Arkansas. Under his leadership, The Venture Center helped startups raise millions of dollars and create hundreds of jobs, notably through the highly acclaimed VC FinTech Accelerator, a partnership with FIS (Fortune 500), which gained international recognition as a top FinTech innovation program. Lee is a founder and co-manager of multiple angel investment funds supporting high-growth startups.