International Association for Food Protection  Holds 2025–2026 Secretary Election

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Des Moines, Iowa – The International Association for Food Protection is proud to announce Dr. Panagiotis “Panos” Skandamis and Ms. Wendy White as candidates for the position of 2025–2026 Secretary. The elected Secretary will assume his or her position following IAFP 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio in July and will serve a five-year term of successive positions. Electronic ballots will be provided to all Association Members, and the election will remain open through March 4, 2025. Election results will be announced in March on the IAFP website, in the April IAFP Report, and in the May/June issue of Food Protection Trends.

Dr. Panagiotis “Panos” Skandamis is Professor of Food Microbiology and Food Quality Control and Food Hygiene at the Agricultural University of Athens. In addition, he serves as Vice Chair of the BIOHAZ panel of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Dr. Skandamis worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Animal Science of Colorado State University in the U.S. He has authored/co-authored 274 original research papers in journals of SCI, 32 book chapters, edited one book, has delivered more than 200 oral or poster presentations for conferences, and his published work has attracted 12,450 citations. His research has been funded by competitive European and National Grants, as well as direct contracts with the Greek Food Industry in the control of pathogenic microorganisms in foods and promoting the application of predictive microbiology and quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) principles, promoting systems- and risk-based thinking. He is a tutor in the EUFORA program of EFSA in predictive microbiology and QMRA. 

Dr. Skandamis joined IAFP in 2003 and co-organized IAFP’s European Symposium on Food Safety in 2016 (and FoodMicro in 2020) with Professor George Nychas. He has served as IAFP’s Journal of Food Protection Scientific Co-Editor since 2017 and as Editor-in-Chief since 2022, also having served on the Editorial Board from 2009–2016. He is in his second year serving on the IAFP International Leadership Award Selection Committee. Dr. Skandamis previously served as Chair and Vice Chair of IAFP’s Microbial Modelling and Risk Assessment Professional Development Group (PDG). He also served on the scientific committees for IAFP’s European Symposium from 2015–2020, was a member of the Selection Committee for the European Student Travel Scholarship from 2018–2020, and has judged the European Student Poster Competition. He received the IAFP Maurice Weber Laboratorian Award in 2021, and both the IAFP International Leadership Award and the President’s Recognition Award in 2023.

Ms. Wendy White is the Industry Manager for Food and Beverage at the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute in Atlanta. As extension faculty, Ms. White serves as GaMEP’s food safety expert to Georgia food and beverage manufacturing companies. She engages in educational outreach, leads industry workshops, and shares her expertise via consulting services. These activities primarily involve improving food safety/HACCP plans and prerequisite programs as well as supporting regulatory compliance, supply chain management, and third-party audit preparation.

Ms. White earned both her B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Food Science and Technology at the University of Georgia. Prior to joining academia in 2019, Ms. White spent 17 years in industry, most recently as the Corporate Director of Food Safety for the global manufacturing company, Golden State Foods.

Ms. White is a Lead Instructor for PCQI PCHF, FSVP, and the International HACCP Alliance, as well as an American Society for Quality Certified Quality Auditor. She has published articles in scientific publications including IAFP’s Journal of Food Protection and Food Protection Trends, and is an Editorial Board Member of Food Safety Magazine.

Ms. White joined IAFP as a Student Member in 2002, and throughout her membership has organized and/or convened 15 sessions, presented at seven, and has been asked twice to present the Student PDG Luncheon Lecture at the IAFP Annual Meeting. She was instrumental in creating IAFP’s Developing Food Safety Professionals PDG and served as its Vice Chair and Chair from 2012–2016. She has been actively involved in the IAFP Student Mentor Program for the past eight years and informally mentors Georgia Tech students who show an interest in the food industry. Ms. White joined the IAFP Foundation Committee in 2014 and has served as its Vice Chair the past five years. She also served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Meat and Poultry PDG from 2016–2020. She received the IAFP President’s Recognition Award in 2011. In 2020, she was elected as IAFP’s Affiliate Council Secretary and served on the IAFP Executive Board from 2021–2022 as Affiliate Council Chair.

On the local level, Ms. White is a Past President of the Georgia Association for Food Protection (GAFP), serving on its Executive Board from 2012–2016. She currently serves as GAFP’s Affiliate Delegate.