·Coordinate and execute New Product Concept Screener consisting of 20 items. In addition, coordinated and developed “Project Starfish” consumer packaging concept screener.·Direct corporate New Product Development Stage-Gate initiative. Currently 25+ items in various phases of Stage-Gate funnel.·Coordinate and conduct sweetener related product development projects at customer’s facilities. Projects include glaze and icing development for largest retail donut manufacturer in United States.·Direct product development efforts related to Steviacane retail and industrial products. Steviacane is a compound crystallized product consisting of pure cane sugar and Reb-A.·Developed three flavors Baker’s Supreme Gourmet Frosting product line. Product currently in test market in HEB stores in Texas and Bi-Lo locations in North and South Carolina and Georgia.·Developed premeasured liquid sweetener for use in brewed sweet tea products. Versions include liquid sucrose and mixture of liquid sucrose with high intensity sweeteners. Currently in test market.·Determine needs for upgrading and updating current packaging including product displays and current product package modifications.·Coordinate and monitor all contract packaging vendors. Responsible for contract negotiation, business model development, and on-site monitoring of operations. ·Coordinated and conducted concept screener for new products and new packaging concepts.·Developed Product Development Sweetener 101 course to present to customers Purchasing and Research & Development team.·Serving on Industry Advisory Boards to Food Science Departments at Texas A&M University and Louisiana State University.·Supervise and mentor one Food Science Laboratory Technician and one Food Scientist. Mentoring plant operations personnel during pilot production runs.

•Monitored Mintel and Nielsen market trend analyses to track industry and consumer trends.•Developed 20+ retail rice mixes including the first whole grain brown rice mixes in the retail marketplace. Time from concept to market for brown rice mixes was 5 months resulting in $1.6 million annual sales. •Developed 12 rice mix items for food service customers including Dave & Buster’s, Darden Group, Cracker Barrel, YUM!, and Brinker International. Annual sales are approximately $1 million.•Reformulated existing rice mixes to provide a healthier product for consumers, e.g. contain no MSG, fewer allergens, no or lower sodium/salt, lower fat, and other characteristics.•Evaluated and recommended co-manufacturers for 3 product lines. Monitored co-manufacturer performance from receipt of ingredients to finished product.•Developed and formalized ingredient and finished product product specification packages. Information included product description & formulation, nutritional information, ingredients, kosher, allergens, and packaging information. Separate packages were developed that contained non-confidential information for wholesale and retail customers.•Coordinated and conducted in-house sensory panels that evaluated potential new products, existing and competitive products.•Developed cost models for current and new products. Implemented Least Cost Formulation to provide a minimum of 7% annual cost savings.•Coordinated development of HACCP and US FDA paperwork for thermal processing facility in Seville and Jerez, Spain. Filed US FDA paperwork for 50+ thermally processed rice items produced in Spain.•Directed cross-functional teams consisting of Operations, Quality Assurance, and Sales when product improvement and new product projects were planned and implemented.•Supervised and mentored one Food Technologist. Supervised and mentored Operations and Quality Control personnel during product start-ups and packaging change implementation.

•Led development from concept to implementation of 60+ beverage items including 35 Parrot-Ice fruit and juice concentrates; 12 Parrot-Ice CO2 frozen carbonated beverage items; 10 Daiquirita alcohol beverage bases; 11 Java Frost frozen cappuccino product line; and 5 AmaZone nutraceutical based frozen beverage concentrates. Total annual sales for all product lines approximately $40 million from 1998 to 2004.•Designed and implemented existing and new product testing protocol. Procedures included physical, chemical, microbiological testing. Shelf-life was tested for an equivalent of 18 months. •Coordinated and implemented in-house and consumer sensory panels and procedures for testing new products. All products were sampled quarterly by in-house panel consisting of Sales & Marketing and corporate management. Products were sampled by consumers annually or as new products introduced.•Developed least-cost formulation practices for purchasing ingredients for existing and new products. Implemented goal of reducing ingredient cost by 10% where possible.•Prepared technical specification packets for all ingredients and finished products. Packets included product description, labeling information, technical data, dispenser performance parameters, and product handling procedures.•Identified and evaluated potential co-manufacturers for Java Frost and Parrot-Ice Smoothie product lines. Recommended candidates based on manufacturing and business parameters. Monitored operations of four co-manufacturing operations between 1998 and 2004.•Developed and incorporated Total Quality Management (TQM) system into beverage and logistics groups.•Supervised five beverage production members in team “ownership” style quality system. All team members were responsible for monitoring, testing and reporting daily quality and production data.

•Research areas included gamma processing of products for the food service industry; product development and innovation; and food safety and sanitation issues for the food, beverage, and food service industries.•Research project clients for the Institute included Uncle Ben’s Foods, Tyson Foods, Minute Maid Foods, Hilton Corporation, Baskin-Robbins/Dunkin Donuts, Sterigenics Inc. and Parrot-Ice Drink Products.•Served as trainer in the National Restaurant Association Serve Safe Train the Trainer program.

•Research projects included gamma irradiation of food, and modified atmosphere packaging of food.•Teaching responsibilities included: Cereal Technology, Food Microbiology, Food Processing, Food Packaging, Food Color, Food Quality Assurance, Food Ingredients, Food Product Development.

• Research projects included thermal processing and alternative methods for thermally processing ; characterization of compounds in Tabasco peppers; and modified atmosphere packaging of food items.• Teaching responsibilities included courses in Food Preservation and Food Product Development.