Join us on Tuesday, October 22nd for a conversation amongst industry insiders sharing their '30,000 foot view' of the food & beverage industry - the trends, regulatory impacts, and political changes that will affect us all - from a perch nearly as high!
In partnership with IMEC (the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center) we are excited to explore the major impacts that will be coming at the food and beverage industry in 2020 - locally, regionally, and beyond. Join us for a high-level conversation into the trends, regulatory changes, political and legal impacts that may affect manufacturers in Illinois in 2020.
Come for the conversation - but make sure you stay for the view! Our host for the evening, Segal McCambridge, is welcoming us into their brand new bar and reception area with outstanding views from Willis Tower! Don't miss this opportunity to talk about Chicago and see it all lit up at night!
Our speakers & moderator for this conversation:
Rob Newbold, Client Engagement Manager - IMEC
Rob has more than twenty years of project management experience in government, construction, quality implementation, and organizational change initiatives. As Deputy Secretary of IDOT, Rob was responsible for implementing an agency-wide Balanced Scorecard Strategic Plan for over 7,000 employees covering five transportation modes, ten divisions, and hundreds of partnerships - the first of its kind in any Illinois state agency. As a leadership consultant for five years, he led non-profit statewide associations through organizational change and team-building programs that resulted in increased membership and fundraising efforts, along with improved efficiency through better communication internally. Rob led two renewable energy companies that developed solar and wind projects in Illinois and Arizona with responsibilities for sales, cash flow, engineering / design, permitting / construction and project closeout. Most recently, Rob was Quality Manager for a Class I medical device manufacturer. In eleven months, he created the policies, work instructions, training programs, and SPC’s necessary to retain a major retail pharmaceutical customer account after three previous failed audits. Rob has a BA from UIS in Legal Studies and is a certified Paralegal.
Donovan Griffith, Director of Government Affairs, Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA)
Donovan Griffith joined the Illinois Manufacturers' Association as the Director of Government Affairs in early 2018. In this position, Donovan manages the IMA's legislative agenda at the State Capitol, oversees the Manufacturers' Environmental Group and runs a legislative outreach program connecting Illinois legislators to local manufacturing companies in their districts. Donovan has more than a decade of experience working in and around state government for both the private and public sector. Previous to joining the IMA, Donovan served as the Deputy Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, held the position of Senior House Liaison under Governor Rauner and has advocated for state and national membership-driven organizations. Donovan is from Galesburg, Illinois, and went to Knox College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.
R Delacy Peters, Jr., Chair Food & Beverage Practice - Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney
R Delacy Peters, Jr. is Chair of the Food & Beverage Practice at Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney. Mr. Peters is a business litigator and corporate compliance attorney who provides strategic counseling on Food Safety and Quality; Labeling; Product Research & Development; Government Affairs and Corporate and Business initiatives that raise legal questions. He assists clients in conducting business within FDA, USDA and State food regulatory frameworks and provides litigation defense of food manufacturers and other businesses within the food industry.
His clients include prominent Fortune 100 Companies as well as innovative startups. He has represented global food and beverage companies, as well as food processors, manufacturers, suppliers, growers and producers, retailers, restaurants, warehouse clubs, wholesalers and distributors. He is also a Chef and graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. For several years, he has been selected as one of the Illinois Super Lawyers® and has been designated as an Illinois Leading Lawyer®. Mr. Peters was named as a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and The National Black Lawyers selected Mr. Peters as one of its Top 100 Lawyers in Illinois.
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Laurie Hainley, RD, Account Supervisor - Food & Nutrition Affairs; FoodMinds
Laurie is an account supervisor and registered dietitian at FoodMinds, a division of Padilla. Laurie’s expertise is in domestic and international food and nutrition affairs. Through her work, Laurie has helped clients navigate global public health policy issues that affect their business, including nutrition labeling, dietary guidelines, responsible marketing to kids, and nutrient profiling. She has helped clients define and socialize their position on such key issues through the development of corporate messaging, internal educational tools, and conference presentations, among other means. In her current position, Laurie serves as a nutrition expert and strategic counselor for a variety of clients, including Nestlé, The Coca-Cola Company, and Disney.
Prior to joining FoodMinds, Laurie worked as the social media consultant for the company Honest Tea, where she developed nutritious recipes, blogs, and photographic content for the brand’s various media platforms. On the side, she offered her scientific communications expertise as a media consultant for a dietetics private practice for 4 years. Laurie is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and she has held leadership positions with both the Virginia Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (VAND) and the DC Metro Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (DCMAND). Laurie earned her bachelor’s degree in foods and nutrition from Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, and completed her dietetic internship with Virginia Tech.
Elieke Kearns, PhD/RD, Principal Nutrition Scientist - KeVita & The HIVE; PepsiCo
Elieke Kearns, PhD, RD loves sharing her passion for nutrition and science with those around her – she’s on a mission to make food less confusing through her nutrition research expertise, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) background, trade association experiences, innate curiosity and appreciation for all things food. She believes that we all deserve to be confident in what we eat and that new technology/data should be embraced & properly communicated to allow for the innovation of new products and brands that are grounded in science. Currently, Elieke is a Principal Nutrition Scientist at PepsiCo where she provides nutrition support for KeVita and all e-commerce brands. Prior to joining PepsiCo, Elieke worked at RXBAR as the Manager of Scientific Affairs, and at the National Dairy Council as a Director of Nutrition Research. Recently, Elieke launched a side project called @Nosh_it_FoodFacts, an Instagram platform where she’s able to answer the complicated questions that her friends, family, and strangers often ask about nutrition, labeling, and production in an easy to digest (pun intended) format that is grounded in science.
Elieke received her doctoral degree from the University of California, Davis where she completed her Ph.D. in Nutritional Biology with an emphasis in both Immunology as well as Biotechnology. She has a bachelor’s degree in Clinical Nutrition from UC Davis and is a Registered Dietitian (RD). Elieke is an active member of various professional societies including; Chair of the Professional Development Committee for the Chicago Section of Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Operations Officer for the Nutrition Translation Research Interest Group of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), as well as the Chicago Food and Nutrition Network (CFNN). When not at work Elieke enjoys spending time in the great outdoors with friends, family, and dog, whose name is Brussel Sprout.
(Moderator) Alan Reed, Executive Director - CFBN
Networking events with The Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network are an opportunity to access an inclusive network dedicated to bringing together all of the industry players of the greater Chicagoland area to develop meaningful and mutually beneficial business connections. The event provides a great opportunity to enjoy drinks and appetizers and an opportunity to mingle - forging new connections and circling back with contacts from other events, all while experiencing the power of the CFBN network!
Happy Hour beverages and light refreshments will be provided following the presentations in a brand new event space at Segal McCambridge with gorgeous views of the skyline from their offices in the Willis Tower - please plan to stay for a drink and networking!
We appreciate the support of our event sponsor, Segal McCambridge.
We appreciate the support of our event partner, IMEC.
