Upcoming Events

Below is the list of events for the current Ohio Valley IFT year. Please note that dates and locations may be subject to change. Click on the event info link for detailed information.

There are no upcoming events at this time.

Officers

Office	Name
President	Kathleen Irwin
Kathleen has a B.S. in Nutrition in Industry from Ohio State. She has 11 years of experience in operations, food safety and quality and is currently the Director of Production, Quality Assurance and Food Safety at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus. In her free time, Kathleen enjoys hiking, running and spending time with her husband, sons and dog.
Past President & Nominations Chair	Matt Teegarden
Matt is the Senior Researcher in the Foods for Health research initiative at Ohio State, where he is responsible for the development and advancement of scientific operations and communications. Matt’s technical expertise is in food chemistry and analysis, but he is also a passionate leader and science communicator. He served as the IFT Student Association President, member of the IFT Board of Directors, Trustee of Feeding Tomorrow, several IFT task forces, and is now the host of IFT’s podcast IFTNext Food Disruptors. Matt completed his BS, MS, and PhD in food science at Ohio State. In his free time, Matt enjoys baking, traveling, and participating in LGBTQ+ intramural leagues in Columbus.
President-Elect	Amy Bethel
Amy holds a B.S. with a double major in Marketing and Business Administration. She is currently an R&D Project Manager at Nestle supporting the Coffee and Coffee Enhancers categories. Amy joined IFT in 2017 and has held several positions on the OVIFT board over the years and is looking forward to rejoining the board this year as President Elect. Outside of work and volunteering, Amy enjoys all things coffee, reading, baking, spending time with her son, Asher, and traveling the world with her husband, Miles, (over 70 countries and counting!).
Treasurer & Golf Chair	Erica Boyd
Erica holds a Food Science and Technology degree from Virginia Tech, class of 1997 as well as an MBA in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University. She spent the early years of her career in the meat processing industry, focusing specifically on innovation and new product development. In 2015, Erica started work at Givaudan Taste and Wellbeing as a Senior Applications Scientist, using her product development expertise to assist various CPG animal and plant protein customers to develop improved eating experiences for the end consumer. In 2021, she pivoted to a role within the sales team as a Key Account Manager. Erica has been a member of IFT since 1995 and has served on the Ohio Valley Section IFT board since 2016 in various roles. She has also served on the Muscle Foods Division IFT, and Women in Flavor and Fragrance Leadership boards. In her free time, Erica enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, attending sporting events, and golfing.
Secretary	Kari Nowiski
Kari is a Senior Buyer – Innovation at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Columbus Ohio. Her career began in food production back in 2014 and has since evolved into over 10 years of experience in supply chain and food production. Originally from Tennessee, she has found a home and family here in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys baking and spending time with her son and dogs.
Website Editor / LinkedIn / Scholarship Chair	Kaylee Doran
Kaylee is the Marketing Specialist for Nestlé Quality Assurance Center (NQAC) Dublin and holds a dual BS in Microbiology and Anthropology from The Ohio State University, as well as an MBA in Marketing. She started her career at Nestlé in the Microbiology lab at NQAC, eventually moving into a customer-facing role working with factories to manage sample submission for food safety testing. In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, cooking, reading, and learning about different cultures. She currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, two dogs and two cats.
Director at Large	Josh Grimm
Results driven Account Manager with 19 years of experience and a diverse and exceptional sales, technical, management, and business-oriented skill set selling flavors and natural solutions. Previous experience consists of R&D at WILD Flavors/ADM and sales at ADM, Naturex, Symrise/Diana Foods/IDF, and Citromax Flavors.
Director at Large	Gabe Kahan
Gabe is a Quality Program Specialist with Talking Rain which is based out of Preston, Washington. Her career began back in 2016 as a shopkeeper at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and from there evolved into her working as both the Food Safety Manager and Quality Systems Manager with the Food Safety Team at Jeni’s. In 2023, Gabe made a career switch to working in beverage and joined poppi as the Quality Compliance Manager. From there she made her transition to her current role with Talking Rain where she works remotely and specializes in onboarding new suppliers and document control. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, exploring, and trying new cuisines with her husband.
Director at Large	Sonia Turtaro
Sonia joined IFT in 2003 and was previously part of the Board of Directors for 5 years, where she was the Newsletter Editor. She has a BS in Chemistry from Mackenzie University in Brazil and over 30 years of experience in the Flavor Business, currently working for Givaudan Flavors. As a good Brazilian, she does not like cold weather but got used to the Cincinnati lifestyle and really enjoys living here now. Sonia spends a bit of her free time also volunteering. She loves spending time with her husband and their 2 dogs; and having friends over for dinner parties.
Director at Large	Ellen Welcome
Ellen Welcome is a Senior Sales Director at GPI Global, where she has spent the past two years helping food and beverage partners innovate with clean-label ingredient solutions. She began her career at Mitsubishi International Food Ingredients, where she gained eleven years of experience in food ingredient sales and customer development. Ellen holds a degree in International Relations with a minor in International Commerce from UNICA. Outside of work, Ellen enjoys traveling, cooking, zumba, weightlifting, and getting out into nature. She also loves spending time with her family and staying active in her community.
Director at Large	Linda Lopez
With over 27 years of experience in the food industry, Linda Lopez has built a career dedicated to promoting safe and trustworthy consumer food products. She has held leadership roles in laboratory management, quality assurance and food safety, as well as regulatory compliance and labeling management. Her expertise ensures that food products are accurately represented, regulatory compliant, and safe for consumers. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Linda is deeply committed to community service. She has been an active 4-H volunteer across three states and currently serves as an advisor in Ohio. She also has contributed her time to local food banks and the Ronald McDonald House, supporting families and communities in need. A lifelong advocate for youth development, Linda enjoys promoting horsemanship and livestock management through 4-H programs and her local county Horse Committee, where she serves as Vice President. Combining professional excellence with a passion for mentorship and community engagement, she continues to make impactful contributions in both the food industry and her community.
Director at Large	Katie Nixa
I have been in the food industry for 20+ years. I have been with Givaudan for the last six years and am currently the Global Quality Systems Manager. I have worked in quality and food safety roles throughout my career spanning 3 IFT districts (Chicago, Dogwood, and Ohio Valley). I hold a BS in microbiology from Michigan Technological University and an MS from Illinois Institute of Technology. I also have 3 boys that keep me busy driving them to a multitude of activities.
Director at Large	Ashley Ramudit
Ashley Ramudit received her BSFCS in Consumer Foods from the University of Georgia and her MS in Food Science, concentration in Sensory Analysis and Consumer Research from Kansas State University. With 13 years industry experience in Sensory Science, she is currently a Sr. Sensory Scientist with The Kroger Company running consumer acceptance panels as part of Kroger’s product development process. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys walks outside, exploring new cities, reading, and spending time with her husband and two children. This is Ashley’s first year as part of the OVIFT Board of Directors.
Director at Large	Debbie Strozier
Deborah Strozier has a BA in Chemistry from Miami University. In addition, she has a MS in Medical Dietetics and a MS in Food Science both from Ohio State, and over 25 years of product development experience working as a Research Scientist for Abbott Nutrition. Her technical expertise is in successfully developing new nutritional products (liquids, powders, bars). She is a member of IFT and a Registered Dietitian. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, drawing, photography, and painting watercolors.