2011 Speakers
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler was raised in the Guilford County community of Browns Summit, and has spent his entire career in agriculture as founder, owner and operator of Troxler Farms. Over the years, the family-owned farming operation has produced tobacco, wheat, vegetables and soybeans.
Since taking office in 2005, Troxler has focused on developing new markets for N.C. farm products, preserving working farms and protecting the state’s food supply.
Troxler has held leadership positions in numerous agricultural and community organizations. His service includes the Board of Directors of North Central Farm Credit Association; the Board of Supervisors of the Guilford County Soil and Water Conservation District; board member and vice president of the Guilford County Farmers Organization; the Guilford County Extension Advisory Board; the State Extension Advisory Council at N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University; and the boards of the North Carolina Tobacco Settlement Phase II Entity and the Guilford County Farm Bureau.
In addition, he was a century member, director and secretary of the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina. He also was a spokesman for the group on local, national and international television.
Troxler is active in the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, serving as chair of the Tobacco Task Force and vice chair of the Food Regulation and Nutrition Committee. He is serving as president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
He also serves on the boards of the N.C. Foundation for Soil and Water Conservation, the Rural Economic Development Center and the N.C. Biotechnology Center. He is a member of numerous organizations, including the N.C. Tobacco Research Commission and the Southern United States Trade Association.
In the community, Troxler was founder and president of the Browns Summit-Monticello Youth Association, a youth sports organization. He established the BSM Community Center and raised funds to improve facilities. He also served as a volunteer host for the Greensboro Visitors Bureau, working with international visitors, journalists and various school groups and summer programs.
During his career, Troxler has been recognized with the Conservation Guardian Award of the Guilford County Soil Conservation Service; the Phillip Morris Outstanding Young Tobacco Farmer Award; the Outstanding Young Farmer Award from the North Carolina Jaycees; the N.C. Agricultural Extension Service’s Outstanding Service Award; the Certificate of Merit from the NCSU chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta agricultural honor society; and an Honorary State FFA Degree. His family was named “Tobacco Farm Family of the Year” by the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina.
Troxler graduated from N.C. State University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science degree in conservation, with a concentration in environmental studies. He and his wife, Sharon, have two grown sons, two daughters-in-law and three grandchildren. In his spare time, Troxler enjoys restoring antique farm equipment and playing with his dog, Kate, a Labrador/golden retriever mix.
Steven M. Solomon, DVM, MPH
Deputy Associate Commissioner for Compliance Policy
Office of Regulatory Affairs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Dr. Steve Solomon is Deputy Associate Commissioner for Compliance Policy in the Office of Regulatory Affairs of the Food and Drug Administration. He is responsible for aspects of domestic and international policy in ORA as well as furthering the development of risk management within the organization. He has worked at FDA since 1990 in various capacities including in the Center for Veterinary Medicine as a veterinary medical reviewer and in the Office of Regulatory Affairs, Office of Enforcement and Office of Regional Operations.
Dr. Solomon has a DVM degree from Ohio State University and a Masters of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to joining FDA, he owned and operated a private veterinary practice.
Dr. Robert B. Gravani
Professor of Food Science, Director of the National Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)
Program, Cornell University
Robert B. Gravani is a Professor of Food Science and Director of the National Good
Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Program at Cornell University where he is actively engaged in Extension/Outreach, Teaching and Research activities. He received his B.S. degree in Food Science from Rutgers University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University. Dr. Gravani works with all sectors of the food system and has developed innovative programs for constituents in production agriculture, food processing, food retailing, and food service, as well as for regulatory agencies and consumers. He has published many scientific and popular articles, and developed numerous education programs for constituents.
Dr. Gravani will soon be completing his term as President of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). He is a Fellow of IFT, serves on the Executive Board, and chaired a number of IFT committees and the Extension/Outreach Division. He was the 2008 recipient of the IFT’s Carl R. Fellers Award. He received the Cornell Institute of Food Science Teaching Excellence Award in 1994 and 2007 and was the 1995 recipient of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Educator Award. He is a past president of the association and an IAFP Fellow. He served seven years as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods and also served on the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) committee on Review of Scientific Criteria and Performance Standards for Safe Foods and chaired the NAS subcommittee on Seafood, Produce, and Dairy Products. He is an active member of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense at the University of Minnesota, where he serves on the Risk Communication team.
Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli,
Executive Director, Center for Produce Safety
Ms. Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli received her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Business Management at California Poly State University, San Luis Obispo and her Masters of Business Administration from Sacramento State University. After fifteen years as Executive Director at the California Wheat Commission, she joined the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) in 2008 as its Executive Director working to leverage public and private expertise and research dollars to address critical risk management issues in the growth, harvest, processing and distribution of fresh produce.
As Executive Director she focuses the CPC’s attention on critical food safety issues affecting the fresh produce industry and establishes collaborations among public agencies and private industry to maximize the impact of research budgets. In her past, Ms. Fenaroli has been chairman of the U.S. Wheat Food Aid Working Group and chairman of the U.S. Wheat Phytosanitary Committee. She has also been a member of USDA Agriculture Trade Advisory Committee, USDA’s Grain Inspection Advisory Committee, AgriBusiness President’s Council and the Agriculture Advisory Committee of the California Commission for Economic Development.
Stephen Tracey,
Manager, Supply Chain and Retail Food Safety, Delhaize America
(Food Lion, Hannaford, and Sweetbay stores)
Professional Experience: Steve has 27 years consumer products quality and safety experience with 23 years in food from manufacturing to consulting and retail. He has been an auditor and HACCP coordinator for manufacturing plants and distribution centers, and for the last 10 years, has been a leader in food safety and food defense for retail grocery operations. At Food Lion, he has helped build a program of training, auditing, and performance measurement. The program was laid on the foundation of food safety reviews, computer based training, and sanitation vendor coordination.
His current focus is on supply chain food safety with primary responsibility for the common recall process for all Delhaize America Banners, supplier certification by GFSI benchmarking, and specification enhancement. Steve has written SOP’s, specifications, and standard practice manuals for manufacturing operations, testing labs, and retail food handling. He has been a microbiology and quality assurance laboratory manager working with both large multi shift teams and small staff. He is proud to be an executive committee member of the NC Governor’s Food Safety and Defense Task Force, and also served for multiple years on the NC DENR Food Safety Advisory Committee.
Credentials/Affiliations: Mr. Tracey is a Certified Professional – Food Safety, with the National Environmental Health Association, a Professional Member of IFT, a member of the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), and is a past president of IAFP’s local affiliate, the Carolinas Association for Food Protection.
He is a certified instructor for the Serve Safe Food Safety Manager program. He is a Certified Food Safety Manager - National Registry of Food Safety Professionals, and has been certified to train the Super Safe Mark food safety course from the Food Marketing Institute. In 2009, he became affiliated with a GFSI working group helping to enhance supplier performance for this Global Food Safety Initiative.
Education: BS in Food Science, NC State University, December 1983
Steve has been married for 18 years and with his wife Sue lives in Apex, NC with their three children.
Don Delozier,
State Director for the NCDA&CS Meat & Poultry Inspection Division
Don has a dedicated staff of 87 field inspectors, 9 area supervisors, 7 field veterinarians, 3 full time trainers, 5 compliance officers and 10 office staff support whose daily mission is food safety for the consumers of North Carolina.
Don spent several years in private industry before joining USDA, food safety & inspection service (FSIS) where for about 35 years held various positions from inspector, trainer, supervisor, Q.C. specialist and staff officer.
He attended the University of Baltimore for business management, Ohio State University for food science courses and received his food technology certification from Mississippi State University. He is HACCP certified with numerous coursework in all phases of meat/poultry complex processes.
Don has been with NCDA for 10 years and has been director of MPID for the past 3 plus years.
Cris Harrelson
Food Defense Coordinator
NC DENR
Cris has 17 years of environmental health experience at both state and local government levels. At the local level, he worked first as an Environmental Health Specialist in Bladen County and later as their Environmental Health Coordinator. In 2004, Cris joined the Food Protection Branch of the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NC DENR) as a Regional Environmental Health Specialist for thirteen counties. In 2007, he accepted the position of Food Defense Coordinator.
Cris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences from North Carolina State University and a Masters of Public Administration (with a Health Administration Concentration) from the University of NC at Pembroke.