Jon Woody is the U.S. National Fisheries Institute's new Chief Science Officer.
Photo: Jon Woody's LinkedIn profile.
The U.S. National Fisheries Institute (NFI) announced the appointment of Jon Woody as its new Chief Science Officer to succeed the current CSO, Lisa Weddig, who is retiring after heading up the NFI's regulatory and food safety work for nearly twenty years.
According to the NFI statement, Weddig will help facilitate the transition to her successor, and to that end, the two will coordinate work on regulation and food security through the 2026 World Fisheries Market Conference, to be held in January.
Director of the Emergency Preparedness and Programs Division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) until recently, Jon Woody adds to his 24 years of experience at this institution a deep knowledge of the industry, since, after obtaining his master's degree in food science at Penn State, he also worked at the United States National Food Processors Association and its education arm, the Food Processors Institute.
At the FDA, Woody led food safety preparedness and response initiatives, including the agency's food defense program, and played a key role in developing and implementing Food Safety Modernization Act regulations such as the Intentional Adulteration and Food Traceability rules.
"Jon is a recognized food safety expert and will be a tremendous resource for our members," said NFI President and CEO Lisa Wallenda Picard. "Regulatory compliance, policy development, and emergency preparedness are a Holy Trinity in food safety. We couldn't be more pleased to have him join our team."
Lisa Weddig is the U.S. National Fisheries Institute's outgoing Chief Science Officer.
Photo: Lisa Weddig's LinkedIn profile.
As mentioned above, Jon Woody will take over from Lisa Weddig. With a degree in food science and technology from Virginia Tech and a master's in nutrition education from Hood College, she worked for the Food Processors Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers Association before joining the U.S. National Fisheries Institute, where she has spent nearly twenty years leading regulatory and food safety work.
"Lisa is admired, respected, and relied upon by the seafood community and has been for almost two decades," Picard said about Weddig. "Her professional reputation is sterling but her personal demeanor and approach to things has always been a comfort to those who've worked with her."
"Let's be honest, if you're an NFI member calling Lisa, and it's not to talk about National's baseball, you've got a challenge. She's been our go-to specialist with solutions for a long time, and we congratulate her on a well-deserved retirement," the NFI President and CEO concluded.
