2026 AFDOSS Conference Archive

August 23-26, 2026

This was an in-person event, open to any and all food safety professionals and policy makers in local/state/federal government, industry and academic sectors.

Hotel Information

The Park Vista – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

705 Cherokee Orchard Road

Gatlinburg, TN 37738

View the 2026 Annual Educational Conference agenda here.

Monday Presentations

Main Session Presentations

• Tennessee Welcome - Daniel Sutton, Assistant Field Office Manager, TN Department of Health
• AFDO Update – Brad Deacon, President, AFDO
• FDA Update – Scott Watson, Consumer Safety Officer, FDA Office of Domestic Partnerships
• Produce Safety in the Supply Chain – Dr. Laurel Dunn, Associate Professor & Extension Coordinator, University of Georgia
• Mental Health Panel – Venessa Sims, Director of Outreach, Law Enforcement and Emergency Management, GA Department of Agriculture; Jennifer Dunn, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, GA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
• Juice HACCP Today: Updates, Exemptions, and Ensuring Valid Training - Dr. Alexis Hamilton, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Tennessee
• Evolution of Corrective Action Plans - Jamie DeMent, Senior Safety Professional, The Walt Disney Company
• Stop Repeat Violations: Root Cause Analysis for Fixes that Stick – Steve Mandernach, Executive Director, AFDO

Tuesday Presentations

• Dollywood: Allergen Management – Aaron Banks, Director of Culinary Service, Dollywood Parks & Resorts
• The pH Effect: How Low-Acid Components Influence Acidified Foods – Melissa Wright, Associate Extension Specialist, Virginia Tech
• The Volunteer State Food Protectors: Excellence, Readiness, and Collaboration – Katie Garman, Foodborne and Enteric Diseases Program Director, TN Department of Health; Claire Umstead, Rapid Response Team Coordinator, TN Department of Health
• Food Safety ConnectED Workforce Development Initiative – Dr. Clint Stevenson, Professor and Distance Education Coordinator, NC State University
• Food Safety in a Modern Low-Acid Canned Food Facility – Katherine Stack, Quality Manager, Bush Brothers & Company
• A Swamp Story: The Alligator Industry's Evolution from Recovery to Added Value and Food Safety – Dr. Evelyn Watts, Associate Professor/Seafood Extension Specialist, LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant
• Non-Alcoholic/Low-Alcohol Beer Safety – Alex Thompson, Brewing and Fermentation Associate, Clemson Cooperative Extension

Wednesday Presentations

• Ozone Cleaning of Produce – Dr. Al Baroudi, Vice-President Quality Assurance & Food Safety, The Cheesecake Factory
• Produce Safety Rule Equivalent Curriculum – Sars Runkel, Local Food Program Director, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
• A Public Health Challenge: Salmonella in Dry Food and Feed Processing Environments – Jon Wheeler, Senior Special Processes Analyst, SC Department of Agriculture

Continuing Education

The 2026 AFDOSS AEC was granted Continuing Education Credits (CEUs) through NEHA. Attendees were eligible for 16 CEU contact hours. Forms to claim CEUs were available at the registration desk for conference attendees

Live Auction

Our 2026 Live Auction benefitting the Mary Logan Scholarship was able to raise over $14,000 in winning bids and generous contributions!

A very special Thank You! to all who supported the scholarship fund; either by donating an item for auction, placing bids, or simply pledging a donation to the fund. Your generosity was vital to the overwhelming success of the auction!

Exhibitors & Sponsors

THANK YOU! to our 2026 AEC Sponsors:

And a HUGE THANK YOU! to AFDO. Their continued support to our association is integral to our success! Please check out their website and see the important work they are doing. Become a member of AFDO to gain access to even more benefits and resources.

From the very first day of business, I have trusted Softax with all of my accounting needs. They are professional, reliable, experienced and so easy to work with.