NACS Food Safety Forum

Amy Costello is the Director of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Casey’s, where she oversees all facets of food safety for the organization, including regulatory compliance and food safety programs for supply chain, distribution, transportation, and retail operations. Before leading the company’s Food Safety and Quality Assurance Department, Amy served as Assistant General Counsel for Casey’s. She earned a J.D. from Drake University Law School in 2013 and an MS in Food Safety Regulation from Johns Hopkins University in 2024.

Jon Cox is vice president of retail foodservice for McLane Company, Inc., one of the largest distributors in America serving convenience stores, mass merchants, and chain restaurants. Jon leads McLane’s foodservice strategy for its retail customers, driving innovation and helping customers implement programs tailored to their specific goals.

Jon oversees the McLane Fresh team, which manages the McLane Fresh suite of foodservice programs including Cupza!, McLane’s award-winning beverage program, Central Eats, fresh grab-and-go products for all dayparts, the groundbreaking freezer to oven program, Prendisimo, and McLane’s private label brand, CVP. Jon also led development and launch of McLane’s Innovation Kitchen, a full-scale c-store showcase for customers to explore the latest in foodservice menu and equipment innovation.

Jon joined McLane in 2023 and has more than 25 years of extensive leadership experience across retail, grocery, and convenience store organizations including Giant Food, HEB, Target, and Sears Holding Corporation. Prior to McLane he served as chief merchandising officer for Giant Eagle’s subsidiary Getgo Café + Market and WetGo.

In 1995, Dr. Ellingson received his Ph.D. in molecular microbiology from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. From 1995-1997, Dr. Ellingson did his postdoctoral fellowship training with the USDA, Agriculture Research Service, National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa, where he developed and patented a molecular diagnostic method for the detection of Johne’s disease in dairy cattle. This method has also been applied to the detection of the specific bacterium in both meat and dairy products. From 1997-1999 he then served as a staff molecular microbiologist with the USDA, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Center for Veterinary Biologics, heading up the written regulatory requirements for both molecular-based animal diagnostic tools and vaccines.

From 1999-2006, Dr. Ellingson served as the Director of Marshfield Clinic Laboratories - Food Safety Services, Marshfield, Wisconsin. During this time, Dr. Ellingson developed and patented molecular diagnostic methods for detection of E. coli 0157:H7 and Salmonella. Starting in 2004 he also served as Chief Scientific Officer for the Marshfield Food Safety, LLC, a network of on-site process control food safety laboratories.

2006-Present, Dr. Ellingson is currently the Chief Science Officer for Kwik Trip, Inc. He is responsible for the development and execution of Kwik Trip, Inc’s Food Protection Management System, which includes all aspects of Food Protection: Food Safety, Food Safety Science, Food Regulations, and Food Defense/Security.

Dr. Ellingson is an adjunct professor in the Microbiology Department of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse and has mentored and graduated several “Masters of Science” students in the Microbiology program. Dr. Ellingson has been a member of numerous State and Federal Food Protection and Food Safety boards and associations. He has authored numerous scientific manuscripts, articles, and publications.

Dr. Jennifer Cleveland McEntire left the role of chief food safety and regulatory officer at the International Fresh Produce Association in May 2023 to launch Food Safety Strategy, LLC, a consulting firm focused on developing critical thinking skills within the food industry and facilitating action-oriented initiatives that will have the greatest impact on public health. She held previous food safety leadership positions with the Grocery Manufacturers Association, The Acheson Group and the Institute of Food Technologists. While with IFT and TAG, McEntire led the FSMA 204 traceability pilots. She earned a PhD from Rutgers University as a USDA National Needs Fellow in Food Safety and received a Bachelor of Science with Distinction, magna cum laude, in food science from the University of Delaware. She’s a member of the technical committee for the Center for Produce Safety, serves as a peer reviewer for several food safety journals, and was the 2020 recipient of the NSF International Food Safety Leadership Award and 2023 recipient of the Harold Barnum Industry Award from IAFP. She has published numerous peer reviewed articles and books, most recently “Food Traceability: from binders to blockchain”.

TXB, previously Kwik Chek Food Stores, Inc., is a chain of over 50 stores across Texas and southern Oklahoma, offering unique, fresh-made food and a robust line of TXB private label products. Kwik Chek’s rebrand to TXB (short for Texas Born) emphasizes the Texan roots and values the brand was built upon – authenticity, hospitality and integrity. Kevin is also the managing member of Taylor-Smartt, LLC., an investment company that owns a variety of companies in industries ranging from fuel, propane, technology, banks, real estate and food production.

Beyond serving as the CEO of TXB for more than two decades, Smartt has also served as Chairman of Conexxus, a retail technology association that sets the technology standards in convenience retail, was Chairman of the Coca-Cola National Retailing Research Council and was Chairman of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) 2020-2021. Smartt currently serves on the Board of Directors for P97 Networks, as well as, various advisory boards serving companies within the industry.

Dr. Scott Zietlow has been Chair of the Board of Directors of Kwik Trip since 2000. He assumed the roles of President and CEO after his dad, Don, retired in 2022.

He earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Science Degrees in Chemistry and Microbiology and his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Zietlow is a graduate of the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine where he completed a residency in General Surgery. He was appointed to Mayo Clinic Staff in 1989. Dr. Zietlow is the past Chair of the Division of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery within the Department of Surgery. He holds board certifications in both general surgery and surgical critical care and has been in numerous leadership roles for surgery, trauma, and prehospital care associations promoting high quality patient care. Dr. Zietlow is Professor Emeritus of Surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and Science, and is the author of over one hundred scientific manuscripts, abstracts, and book chapters. He was the recipient of the Mayo Distinguished Clinician Award in 2021.

Additional leadership roles include medical director for Mayo Clinic Medical Transport for three decades and prior Chair of the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Board of Directors. He also serves on the Boards for multiple philanthropic foundations.

As the Vice President, Health and Safety at EG America. In this role, Jeremy oversees all aspects of Food and occupational Safety, including regulatory (OSHA, USDA, FDA, State, Local) compliance, retail and commissary food safety operations, and supply chain integrity. Jeremy has worked with a variety of different product categories, including Refrigerated, High Risk RTE Foods (meat, poultry, pork, fresh cut fruit and produce), chocolate and confectionary. Due to his diverse background, Jeremy has gained a wide range of knowledge of different food products and has become an expert in setting-up, executing and managing complex food safety and food defense systems for large domestic and international food manufacturers. He is an active member of the International Association for Food Protection and enjoys lecturing on food safety at Northeastern University and mentoring other food safety professionals in his spare time. Jeremy received a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and an M.B.A from Northeastern University.