As Executive Director of GIFSL, Will’s primary role is to forge partnerships, develop programs and lead a shared vision of developing leadership in the food systems arena. Will is well known for his expertise in risk communication and Dr. Hueston remains active facilitating innovative approaches for tackling the increasingly complex dilemmas facing local, regional and global food systems. His career has spanned both the private and public sectors, including private practice and public sectors, including private practice and several faculty appointments. He also served in senior positions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture before joining the University of Minnesota.
As Chief Operating Officer, Linda is responsible for the implementation of GIFSL’s strategic plan. She provides oversight of the day to day activities of the Global Initiative, maintains a positive flow of work, and effectively manages resources and staff. Linda brings extensive management experience to GIFSL from previous executive leadership roles in healthcare, environmental science, and clinical chemistry.
As the Director of Educational Programs, Scott provides overall guidance, support, and direction for leadership curriculum and educational programs. Scott also fosters and maintains relationships with GIFSL’s academic partners. In addition, Scott is a Professor at the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota.
As the administrative specialist, Kelley assists with logistics and execution for GIFSL programs. Prior to joining the University of Minnesota in June 2011, Kelley graduated from Hamline University with a background in business administration and brings four years of administrative experience in academia to GIFSL.
As Program Coordinator, Carol is responsible for leadership program design and development; coordination of multidisciplinary projects and management of MOU development and stakeholder communication. Prior to joining GIFSL, Carol worked for the University of Minnesota in other capacities including, Extension Educator, Food Safety Coordinator for the Department of Food Science and Nutrition and under contract with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for training development.
As the senior project coordinator, Kris manages the logistics and event preparations for GIFSL programs. Kris joined the University of Minnesota in 2007 and has over seven years of operational and administrative experience working in a variety of industries; including engineering, insurance and manufacturing.
(Netherlands) is a Senior Officer for Veterinary Public Health at the Animal Health Service of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. She has worked for 9 years in Africa (Mali, Mozambique and Zambia) and in her current position at FAO is responsible for the setting up of international networks for veterinary public health and the implementation of project activities globally. Katinka is one of the leads for the “Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations” program and co-taught a course on food systems at the Public Health Institute.
(United Kingdom) is an Occupational Psychologist and Managing Director of Whitewater Consulting Ltd. She has a particular role in developing new products and services, creating Assessment & Development Centers, and providing executive coaching to board members. Terry also has a special interest in Lean Service & System Thinking. She is a member of the Institute of Management Consultancy. Terry contributed to the development of the original critical leadership competencies for global food systems at Bellagio and is leading the development of metrics and evaluation tools.
(United States) is the Director of the FAO Liaison Office for North America. He has worked for the past 30 years on agricultural and rural development in Latin America, Africa and Asia as well as in the United States. He began his career in Brazil with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), where he worked from 1977 to 1988. This was followed by work at the University of Maryland as Program Director of the University’s International Development Management Center. Dan contributed to the “International Food Safety Administration” program delivered for Chinese officials and is the key contact for expanding the strategic partnership between FAO and the University Of Minnesota.
(United States) previously he served as Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Minnesota for over fifteen years under three different Governors where his focus was on food security, value-added production as well as marketing of agriculture products both internationally and domestically. Gene also was elected five times to the state legislature.
(United States) is the Dean of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Lonnie was formerly the Director of the National Center for Zoonoses, Vectorborne and Enteric Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. King is a veterinarian with local, national and international experience. He has experience in the private sector, government, non-governmental organizations, and academia. In addition to experience in designing and implementing leadership development and mentoring programs, Dr. King has as a strong commitment to mentoring emerging leaders. Dr. King helped inaugurate the “One Health Partnerships” workshops and teaches a course on “One Health” at the Public Health Institute.
(Netherlands) works at Bristol University in the UK. He has worked in a number of government agencies in the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of The Netherlands, starting in the Veterinary Service, and moving to the directorate responsible for the management of science programs financed by the Ministry. Most recently, he was employed by the Food and Consumer Goods Authority, as Product Manager Live Animals. He also has experience working with the new member states of the European Union and in other countries including Zambia, Suriname and Armenia. Ed has co-hosted the “farm-to-table” study program in Netherlands, co-taught a food safety systems course in the Public Health Institute and supported the “International Food Safety Administration” program delivered for Chinese officials.
(United Kingdom) is the Senior Livestock Policy Officer in the Animal Production and Health Division of FAO, where she set up the socio-economics program for emergency control of transboundary animal diseases. Before joining FAO in 2003 she was deputy director of the Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics Research Unit at the University of Reading and a livestock economics consultant at PAN Livestock Services Ltd. Anni contributes to the food systems leadership activities of GIFSL and has taught a course on the role of livestock in global food security in the Public Health Institute.
(Canada) career has been centered around food production, global market development, value-added industry, research, food safety, and regulatory enforcement. Currently Barry serves as Chair of the Board of Governors of Olds College in Alberta, Canada and operates his own company that provides a variety of services to the Agriculture and Food industry. Barry served in a variety of positions in the Alberta Provincial Government. Before joining public service, he spent ten years in industry, holding the position as General Sales Manager of Swift Eastern Limited and Assistant Canadian General Beef Manager of Swift Canadian Co. Ltd. Barry solicits Canadian educational partners and supports GIFSL fund-raising efforts with a special interest in China and Japan.
Katharina is Professor of Veterinary Public Health at the Royal Veterinary College, London, and Senior Consultant with SAFOSO Inc., Switzerland. Over the last two decades, she has conducted applied research on infectious diseases and zoonoses and developed methods for risk analysis, surveillance and animal health decision making. She has worked in diverse environments including government, private industry and academia in several countries. Katharina is an experienced manager of international scientific and educational teams and projects. She has a strong interest in maximizing the impact of scientific work by translation and exploitation, and she is a promoter of evidence-based policy development.
(United States) is an organization change consultant and is one of the foremost designers and facilitators of large group meetings to address major strategy and policy issues. Topics have included the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, the recovery of New Orleans, and the reform of health care in California. He has a background in government, health care, and academia and currently operates a consulting practice in organization change and leadership. He has published numerous papers and articles on the subjects of organizational change and citizen engagement. Daniel has helped GIFSL design and deliver leadership programs in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US. (www.danielstone.com)
(United States) is the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). He has more than 20 years experience working for government agencies and intergovernmental organizations on animal health issues of direct concern for global food security and public health including the Pan-American Health Organization, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center of the US Department of Agriculture and the Mexico-US Commission for the prevention of Foot and Mouth Disease. He has lived in Spain, Mexico and Brazil, and worked extensively throughout Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East as well as recent initiatives in Central and South Asia and southern Africa. Juan contributes to the “Engaging Intergovernmental Organizations” program and supports the One Health Leadership capacity-building.
(United States) is an executive with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), currently serving a two-year assignment with the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. He served as director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition from 2008 to 2010, and spent the previous 14 years as director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. He is a veterinary toxicologist who served as chairman of the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Codex Alimentarius Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods from 1994 to 2008. Under an agreement between the FDA he will work on a new training and development program in regulatory science designed for government employees in partnership with the University of Minnesota and The Ohio State University.
Jessica Appert is a PhD candidate in Environmental Health, focused on the intersection of public policy and emerging infectious disease. She comes to GIFSL with a health care and public health background and specialty in infectious disease with bioaerosol research experience. She is capturing the momentum and evaluating the progress of change for One Health programs.
Working experience includes over 15 years working in the area of international children's issues. Served as the executive director of international Hague accredited adoption agency. Worked on various USAID sponsored projects with a focus on health systems and animal health. Currently working on a group project for GIFSL "building strategic partnerships between Universities and Intergovernmental Organizations."
Dr. Jamie Umber is the senior veterinary epidemiologist for the BioWatch program at CIDRAP and is an adjunct assistant professor in the Veterinary Population Medicine Department at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota. Prior to joining CIDRAP, Dr. Umber was a post doctoral associate with CAHFS, where she completed a veterinary public health residency program. Dr. Umber continues to work on public health projects with CAHFS and the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) and has been appointed as an associate fellow with the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment.
(Costa Rica) International Legal Consultant, specialized on Global Health Law as well as a PhD Candidate in Commercial Law. She has served at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome, Italy in the Legal Development Service, mainly working with Central Asian countries on animal health legislation. She has also worked at the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) in Costa Rica and Washington DC office. She is documenting the One Health Initiative progress and impact around the world.
Farhiya Farah comes to GIFSL with substantial public health and food safety experience. She was the Director of Health and Nutrition for PICA Head Start and has worked for several years as a health inspector for the city of Minneapolis. Her work at GIFSL involves program development, evaluation and analysis.