After 17 years in the food manufacturing and distribution industry, Wendy joined the crazy world of academia by becoming the Industry Manager for Food and Beverage for Georgia Tech’s Georgia Manufacturing Extension Program (GaMEP). She serves as GaMEP’s food safety expert to Georgia food businesses by providing educational outreach, services, and aiding to improve food safety and quality systems. Her strengths are in Food Safety Plans/HACCP, supplier management, auditing, governmental compliance, and she found her true passion for teaching continuing professional education classes.
She has overseen food safety operations at multiple facilities, implementing and sustaining HACCP/Food Safety Plans, supply chain systems, ensuring regulatory compliance, facilitating third-party audits, and supporting quality programs. She’s successfully facilitated multiple GSFI certification audits across multiple plants and is a past member of both the BRCGS Internal Advisory Board and GSFI ICT Working Group.
Wendy received her B.S. in Biology and M.S. in Food Microbiology at University of Georgia. She is a FSPCA FSMA Lead Instructor and is an American Society for Quality Certified Quality Auditor. She has published articles in scientific journals and publications and sits on the Editorial Board for Food Safety Magazine.
Wendy is a prolific organizer and speaker at food safety conferences and is an active member of the International Association of Food Safety (IAFP) for 20 years. She’s held multiple leadership positions, currently the Chair of the Meat and Poultry PDG, Vice Chair of the IAFP Foundation Committee, and sits on the IAFP Executive Board as Affiliate Council Secretary. She's a Past President of the GA Assoc. of Food Protection and current Delegate. She's also on the steering committee of the GA Food Safety Taskforce.
Mentoring students and developing professionals is the highlight of Wendy's day. She's highly collaborative with coworkers, fellow MEP professionals, and other industry practitioners. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to reach out! She has extensive networks in government, manufacturing, industry organizations, and academia.
Wendy is married to her high-school sweetheart, Todd White. They love traveling, tailgating (any GA college football team), and entertaining at their lake-side house in rural Georgia. Wendy is a long-time member of the Junior League of Atlanta and a Certified BBQ Judge (You know I saved the most important title for last!....how weird is it to write your own bio and have to talk about yourself in the third person? If you actually got to the end of this, I commend you! WWW).