Handwashing On Trial: Setting Standards. Changing Behaviors.

Prosecutor Bill Marler and defense attorney Denis Stearns, partners in the MarlerClark law firm, square off to determine the fate of CasuaLee's restaurant after a salmonella outbreak. Join this Food Safety & Security Summit Pre-Conference Workshop and Trial to map your strategies and build a plan to never see MarlerClark lawyers again.

Bring your experience and join fellow operators in assessing the facts and building a verdict. Ask your toughest questions and engage Bill and Denis in comparing your verdict with that of an expert Jury.

Mark Toscano: Judge
John Farquharson: Bailiff
Jennifer Tong: Plaintiff
Alan Plassche is our unfortunate defendant, owner of CasuaLee's Restaurant/Chain. Alan brings a wealth of safe-foodservice experience to the role. He is a managing partner for BP Partners, a firm that provides business development and strategic consulting services to foodservice clients. Prior to BP Partners, Plassche held a number of executive-level positions as a manufacturer, distributor, and operator. He served as the CEO of UniPro, the leading distributor cooperative; COO of Canteen Corporation, the forerunner of Compass; and was President of General Foods Foodservice Division. Plassche has also served as the Chairman of the Board of the Culinary Institute of America and as Vice Chairman of the International Foodservice Manufacturer’s Association, IFMA.

Witness for the defense: Health Inspector, Doris Rittenmeyer.

The Jury:

Jury selection is in progress. If you are either an owner, a
senior operations member or risk manager please contact Jim Mann for
consideration: jmann@handwashingforlife.com.

Gary Ades, PhD, the jury foreman, brings a career of food processing, foodservice and retail experience to add to the mix of jury opinions. Gary is President of G&L Consulting Group, which provides consulting service in Food Safety, Quality Assurance and Crisis /Risk Management to the Food Industry from Farm to Fork.
Dr. Ades has over 30 years of hands-on experience having held senior positions with manufacturers, retailers and consulting groups. Most recently, he was responsible for Food Safety at Sam’s Club and Vice President of Technical Services for Foster Farms.
He is presently serving his third term on the National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of Food Quality and the Educational Advisory Committee of the Food Safety Summit.

Harold (Hal) King, PhD, Hal King received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 1990. His extensive post graduate training included work with the CDC and Emory University's Infectious Disease group.

Hal is currently Chick-fil-A's Food and Produce Safety Manager and is actively leading the implementation of a wide range of best practices in restaurant food safety. Prior to earning this post, Hal's contributions were focused on epidemiology as an Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine. Fellow Jurors, as well as our MarlerClark lawyers, will be well served in digging into the range of epidemiological issues.

Lee Budd PrepCheck ...

Mark Miklos: MA,FMP, CFSM VP of Food Safety & Training, Waffle House, Inc. Mark earned a Master’s Degree from the University of South Carolina and, prior to Waffle House, was an educator and an entrepreneur. He joined Waffle House 12 years ago and ran multi-unit operations before first becoming Dean of Waffle House University and later, Director of Training. In 2001 Mark brought formal food safety education into the Waffle House mainstream by introducing the ServSafe program. To-date, 2,500 managers, or 88% of all management personnel nationwide, have received their credentials. 2007 was an important year in preparing 388 restaurants in Georgia for the recent implementation of the new GA Food Code, working with the CDC, FDA, USDA, Georgia Restaurant Association and local universities.

Veny Gapud, M.S. is the Director of Quality Assurance for Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits. Prior to joining Popeyes ten years ago, she was the Senior Food Scientist for Churchs Chicken. She completed her graduate work at the University of Maryland earning two Masters Degrees, one in Chemistry and the second
in Food Microbiology.
Veny is the current President-elect of the Georgia Association for Food Protection, the 2008-2010 Chairperson of the Retail and Food Safety Professional Development Group of the International Association for Food Protection and member of the Food Safety Magazine Editorial Advisory Board.

Donna Bray, R.S. CFSP is the Qulaity Assurance Manager for Ruby Tuesday, Inc.

Mary Beck is the Food Safety Coach for Summerwood Corporation, a Yum! Brands franchisee.

Alex Rockwell Assets Protection, Target Corporation

Zeljko Gojic Quality Assurance Manager for Starbuck's Canada

Linda Christ Denny's Corporation

Jim Swenson Executive Chef, National Press Club 

Ellen Schroth President, Foodsense.