With over 20 years of hands-on experience across multiple sectors of the food industry, I bring a practical blend of operational leadership, regulatory expertise, and culinary experience to every client engagement. My career has spanned from high-volume kitchens and retail operations to food manufacturing, distribution, and state-level regulatory leadership — providing a comprehensive understanding of how food businesses operate in real-world environments.

Originally from Columbia, Maryland, just outside of Baltimore, I developed an early appreciation for hospitality, operations, and the pace of the food industry. After studying at UMass Amherst and earning a Bachelor of Science in Management Communications from Towson University, I built my career from the ground up — working across restaurants, perishable food warehousing, international kitchens, retail grocery, and raw poultry production before transitioning into food safety and regulatory leadership.

I don’t just advise on food safety — I’ve implemented it, enforced it, trained teams on it, and helped businesses grow through it. As a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in food safety regulations and 21 CFR 117, I help operators transform compliance from a regulatory obligation into a practical operational advantage.

Whether you're a startup food business or an established manufacturer, I provide practical guidance grounded in real industry experience. I understand the operational demands food businesses face and design compliant systems that reduce complexity, improve efficiency, and support sustainable growth.

My Industry Experience Includes:

✅ Restaurant & Hospitality 10 yrs (Regulated by County Health Department)

• Full range of Front and Back of House roles

• Restaurant Manager and General Manager for fast-casual and full-service restaurants, including fine dining.

• Kitchen Manager at Pei Wei Asian Diner, specializing in high-volume wok cooking and food preparation.

• Manager at DoubleTree Hotel, overseeing restaurant, wine bar, sushi bar, and room service operations.

✅ Culinary Training (International Standards & Practices)

• Culinary Internship in Positano, Italy, focused on traditional Italian and Mediterranean cuisine and global kitchen discipline.

• Trained under the brigade system of Chef Alberto Citterio di Milano.

✅ Retail Grocery Operations 5 yrs (Regulated by State of TN)

• Asst. Deli Manager at Publix, managing cold chain logistics, food handling, and face to face customer service.

• Hands-on experience with perishable inventory, ordering, rotation, sanitation, and front-end store operations

✅ Manufacturing & Food Production 5 yrs (Regulated by USDA)

• Production Manager at Holly Poultry, overseeing raw poultry processing, injection, grading, QA, and MAP packaging.

• Managed receiving, inventory, storage, routing, and shipping in a high-volume production environment.

6 yrs (State & FDA-Regulated)

• State Food Inspector for Tennessee, performing regulatory inspections and food safety education for food retail & manufacturing establishments.

• Regional Supervisor for Middle TN, managing teams of inspectors and delivering statewide training for Food, Dairy, & Produce facilities

• Manufactured Foods Program Coordinator State of TN, overseeing regulatory compliance for all human food processors within the state, including hemp based products infusing CBD, Delta 8-9-10 etc. into human foods.