Norma Dawkins, Ph.D. is a professor, a research scientist, and the Department Chair of Food and Nutritional Sciences at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. She has been actively involved in teaching and research in academic institutions at the national and international levels. She also worked as a senior scientist in the food industry. Her most recent work involves basic and applied research in the prevention and reduction of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity among underserved population groups. Dr. Dawkins has numerous publications covering foods, nutrition, and community-based intervention to her credit.

Larry Keener, C.F.S., P.A., P.C.Q.I. is President and CEO of International Product Safety Consultants, which provides food safety and food technology solutions to the food processing industry, serving a broad client base that includes Fortune 500 food companies, academic research institutes, and government agencies. 

Mr. Keener is an internationally regarded microbiologist and process authority in the food industry. His areas of expertise range from applied food microbiology to the development and application of novel preservation technologies. He is a past president of the Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT's) Nonthermal Processing Division.

Mr. Keener has received numerous awards and honors, including 2013 IFT Fellow, as well as a lifetime achievement award from the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) for his work in microbiology and food safety. Mr. Keener has published more than 100 papers on subjects related to food production and food safety science.

Mr. Keener has deep ties to Tuskegee University, previously serving as President of the Food and Nutrition Board for two terms. He has also been an advisor for the U.S. National Aeronautics Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Center for Deep Space Research, and has lead collaborative efforts between numerous organizations including IFT, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and industry, culminating in the first George Washington Carver Lecture Series at Tuskegee. Mr. Keener is a recipient of the George Washington Carver distinguished service award from Tuskegee University.

Beth Panko Briczinski, Ph.D. is the Senior Science Advisor for Milk Safety in the Office of Food Safety at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Casey McCue is the Conference Chair for the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS) and the Director of the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services for the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, a position he has held since 2000. 

Megin Nichols, D.V.M. serves as the Deputy Division Director for the Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases at the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.

Brandon Carter, D.V.M. is a Food Safety Technical Advisor for Elanco Animal Health. Dr. Carter received his B.S. degree in Animal Science and his D.V.M. from Mississippi State University. He also holds an M.S. degree in Veterinary Epidemiology from West Texas A&M University. His areas of expertise are disease prevention and control for poultry, with specialized expertise in epidemiology and data analysis.

Caroline Smith DeWaal, J.D. is Senior Manager at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). She also serves as Deputy Chief of Party of EatSafe—Evidence and Action Towards Safe, Nutritious Food—which is a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded, five-year program running through June 2024.

Richard Pluke, Ph.D. is the Food Safety Lead and Chief of Party for GAIN's EatSafe and an international rural development professional specializing in agricultural enterprises and value chains, with over 15 years of applied development experience in South America, Asia, and Africa. 

Kathleen (Kathy) Glass, Ph.D. joined the Food Research Institute (FRI) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a food safety researcher in 1985, where she currently serves as Associate Director. Her primary duties are to assist the food industry in assessing and developing formulation-safe foods. In addition, she trains and oversees undergraduate and graduate student independent study research, and is a regular instructor at workshops on food microbiology, preventive controls, Listeria control methods, processed meat and processed cheese safety, and dairy Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). 

Mark (Mick) Micklos, CP-FS, is an executive dedicated to food safety education and advocacy. His 27-year career includes 16 years in restaurant operations, training, and food safety, the majority of which was spent holding Director- or Vice President-level positions at Waffle House Inc.; seven years at the National Restaurant Association working on behalf of industry, culminating as Director of Food Safety and QA Programming; and most recently, as a Partner-Advisor with Active Food Safety LLC, where his work with the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) has led to breakthrough discoveries in Food Safety Management System and food safety culture behavior in foodservice establishments. Mick has served on 19 professional advisory boards and committees. He has published six articles and three book chapters, and has contributed to two guidance documents. He has earned ten awards for his work and is a frequently requested speaker on a wide variety of topics.

Barbara Kowalcyk, Ph.D., M.A., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and the Director of the Food Policy Institute at George Washington University's (GW's) Milken Institute School of Public Health. She also has an appointment in the U.S. Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and is a fellow with the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness.