Isabel Walls Assumes Presidency of the International Association for Food Protection

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Des Moines, Iowa, (August 16, 2011) Dr. Isabel Walls assumed the presidency of the International Association for Food Protection at the conclusion of IAFP 2011 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

President Isabel Walls is the National Program Leader for Epidemiology of Food Safety at the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture in Washington, D.C., where she manages competitive grant programs and provides leadership in food safety. She earned her Ph.D. in Food Microbiology from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland and has post-doctoral experience from the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Walls currently serves as the Chair of the U.S. Government Interagency Risk Assessment Consortium, a forum for enhanced communication and coordination among federal agencies that develop and utilize food safety risk assessments. She also serves as a technical expert to the U.S. Government Subcommittee on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Food Safety Cooperation Forum, which is developing capacity building activities to ensure the safety of the food supply and facilitate trade within the APEC region. Her previous employment includes working for both the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and the Foreign Agricultural Service; the International Life Sciences Institute; and the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

Dr. Walls has been committed to the goals of IAFP since joining the Association in 1992. She served as Chair for the International Food Protection Issues Professional Development Group (PDG) (2008). Dr. Walls also chaired the Journal of Food Protection (JFP) Management Committee (2002); oversaw the development of JFP Online (1999) as Vice Chair; and serves on the JFP Editorial Board (1996-present). Throughout her Membership, Dr. Walls has been a member of numerous IAFP committees and PDGs.

In addition to Dr. Walls, other members of the Executive Board include:

President-Elect, Katherine M.J. Swanson, Ph.D., Ecolab, Saint Paul, MN
Vice President, Don Schaffner, Ph.D., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
Secretary, Don Zink, Ph.D., U.S. FDA, College Park, MD
Past President, Lee-Ann Jaykus, Ph.D., North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Affiliate Council Chairperson, Gloria Swick-Brown, Ohio Dept. of Health (retired), Somerset, OH

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The International Association for Food Protection is a non-profit educational association of food protection professionals. The Association is dedicated to the education and service of its members, specifically, as well as industry personnel. The Association provides members with an information network and forum for professional improvement through its two scientific journals, Journal of Food Protection and Food Protection Trends, educational Annual Meeting, and interaction with other food safety professionals. Membership information can be obtained by calling +1 800.369.6337, +1 515.276.3344, by fax: +1 515.276.8655, 
E-mail: info@foodprotection.org or visit our Web site at www.foodprotection.org.