NYIFT Chair
Spencer Sullivan
Retired – PepsiCo
Twelve months ago, I was looking forward to my second opportunity to serve as chair for NYIFT. My first term coincided with the COVID pandemic, which presented a series of interesting challenges for the organization but dampened many of the activities that make section membership fun and professionally fulfilling. As I now consider the 2023-2024 program year, I think that it is safe to say that we are back! A combination of great topics and great venues resulted in full capacity for every event. Our biggest challenge was finding room for an extra five or ten people every time we met – that’s the kind of challenge we like!
The beauty of each meeting’s success was the range of contributors who took responsibility for a particular meeting and made it happen. Subcommittees worked through corporate mazes to make our events at Mondelēz and PepsiCo successful. The work done to create expert panels on subjects like AI was incredible. IFT President Sean Leighton’s in-person presentation at the March meeting was compelling while at the same time, it demonstrated that we are indeed pushing past pandemic limitations; and, as our capstone event of the year, Suppliers’ Day 2024 provided both a showcase for 166 vendors and a highly relevant technical program for attendees.
Less apparent but just as important, we were able to bolster the internal structure of the organization so that the New York IFT can continue its mission into the second quarter of the twenty-first century. Our bylaws have been updated to reflect best and current practices. Our financial “deep dive” brought on by the stress of the COVID years has resulted in improved investment strategies and financial management.
Before I move on to my second term as Immediate Past Chair, I would like to thank the entire board and all the committee members for making this a great year. Chair-Elect Suzanne Mutz-Darwell and Immediate Past-Chair Sophia Jin both made my job as Chair incredibly easy. Additionally, Gerri Cristantiello, as our Chapter Administrator, provided a helping hand with everything we do.
I am looking forward to working with our new board to make our 2024-2025 program year even better. The Board will be a great mix of new talent and seasoned veterans. Our planning efforts for the fall are already underway.
CNJIFT Subsection Chair
Carol BoNey
Retired – IFF
When I heard from our elected Chair for 2023-24 that she would not be able to continue for the year due to her new job position, my immediate reaction was “oh no what do we do now?” This section is very near and dear to me as it was started when General Foods relocated me from Dover, DE. I worked closely with Gary Wheelock and Marijan Boskovic to get the section started and I could not see it dissolved on my watch. So, I stepped in as Chair for the remaining calendar year.
We had a very successful Trivia Night at Rutgers University, and a wonderful Holiday Meeting with Gary Pavlis, Wine Expert from Rutgers University and Eric Schmoyer, Senior R&D Manager – Technical Services from Barry Callebaut. Nothing can ever go wrong with Wine and Chocolate!
We had another exciting Student Night held at Rutgers University. The program was expanded this year to include professionals from the food industry to speak with students one-on-one to learn about their company and for possible internship positions.
And lastly, we had a wonderful day for the golf outing. Included in this newsletter are some photos; it was a beautiful day for golf.
I would like to thank everyone on the CNJIFT Board for their support throughout the year. I welcome and also thank Debbie Levine from Ingredion for accepting the Chair position for the coming year. Kerri Goad-Berrios from Kalustyan has accepted our secretary position and Salvatore Mastriani will be moving from Director-at-Large to Treasurer. Thank you to Ronnie McBurnie for her many years of service as our Treasurer. Ronnie will be moving into the position of Director-at-Large.
Have a wonderful summer and we both look forward to seeing you all in September.
June 2026
NYIFT Section Chair
Margaux Mora
Senior Associate, Global Sensory Ingredion, Inc.Dear NYIFT and CNJIFT Members,
I hope you are all enjoying the start of summer and gearing up to enjoy more time outside, the wonderful foods of the season, and time with friends and family.
I would like to take a moment to celebrate what has truly been an outstanding year of community for NYIFT! This is truly thanks to our incredible Executive Committee volunteer team members, from both NYIFT and CNJIFT, for creating and delivering a year full of impactful programs. Your passion and commitment truly bring these experiences to life, and I am deeply grateful.
Thanks also to our IAMI administration team for supporting us through this year as we try to position our organization for a sustainable future. As we wrap up this programming season, I can’t help but feel energized and proud of everything we’ve accomplished together. We hit the ground running with a full calendar of events that brought our community together in meaningful ways (and at many exciting places) – both new and old. Each event reinforced what makes NYIFT so special: our shared curiosity and commitment to advancing the science of food.
A recent standout moment was our dinner meeting co-hosted with the Nutmeg IFT section at PepsiCo, Shifting Tides: Changes in Consumer Behavior. A huge thank you to the PepsiCo team who pulled this together: Mohamed Najjar, Dahee Lee, Elisabeth Weir, Becky Crouse, and John Behrens. This event brought our community together for a highly engaging discussion on how consumer preferences are evolving, particularly toward natural and functional foods, and the opportunities that this presents for us to push our product innovation to meet these demands. Our wonderful speaker, Dr. Damian Browne, covered a lot of ground in his presentation and left the audience inspired to reflect on where existing technologies can do more. Paired with great networking and an engaging atmosphere, it was a perfect example of how NYIFT blends relevant science with meaningful connection.
Throughout the year, we also explored a wide range of timely topics including leveraging AI for product development, reformulating with natural colors, and emerging technologies all while keeping consumers at the heart of these discussions. The level of engagement, thoughtful discussion, and knowledge-sharing at each event has been nothing short of inspiring.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the incredible dedication of our volunteers and partners who work tirelessly behind the scenes. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to our event hosts: Microsoft, Mondelēz, and PepsiCo for opening their doors to the NYIFT community; and to our sponsors, whose support enables us to deliver impactful programming and invest in students, the future of our industry.
The excitement doesn’t stop here! We are already looking ahead to another dynamic year. We’re building on this momentum with even more opportunities to connect, learn, and grow together. If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved, we would love to have you join us. We would also love to hear any ideas for programs and topics, and you can share yours with us by getting in touch.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer. I can’t wait to see you again this fall for another exciting season ahead!
Warm regards,
Margaux Mora
Chair, NYIFT
Senior Sensory Scientist
Ingredion, Inc.
May 2026
CNJIFT Section Chair
Debbie Levine
Director, Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs Ingredion, Inc.Dear NYIFT and CNJIFT Members,
Spring is in full swing, and with it comes a great lineup of opportunities to connect, learn, and engage with our NYIFT and CNJIFT communities. Thank you to everyone who continues to support our sections—through attendance, volunteering, sponsorship, and sharing your enthusiasm for food science. The momentum we built in April is carrying us right into a busy and exciting May and June.
Act fast! One of our most anticipated events is just around the corner—our upcoming meeting at PepsiCo on Wednesday, May 13th.
Registration closes Wednesday, May 6th, with this newsletter landing in your Inbox only one day before registration closes. If this event is on your radar, be sure to register immediately so you don’t miss out. NO walk-ins or late registrations will be allowed.
Looking back, April was a standout month for both sections. Our Suppliers’ Day at a new venue was a huge success, featuring strong attendance, outstanding speakers covering timely and relevant topics, and an engaging panel discussion that sparked great conversation. Events like our Somerset Patriots baseball outing show how our local section builds connections outside formal programming. We will be sharing photos from both events in upcoming newsletters—so stay tuned!
We also encourage you to check out and follow our NYIFT/CNJIFT LinkedIn page if you haven’t already. A huge thank‑you to Jordan Allen, Akino Tomizawa, and Sri Karthi for bringing our page to life—highlighting speaking events, sharing updates, and profiling the incredible volunteers who make these sections thrive.
Finally, don’t forget our June 1st Golf Outing! There is still time to register, and plenty of opportunities for companies to get involved through sponsorships, awards, door prizes, and more. It’s a fantastic way to support our sections while enjoying a great day of networking. Registration details for the Golf Outing and all other events mentioned can be found elsewhere in this newsletter.
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event—and thank you for being such an engaged and vibrant part of the NYIFT and CNJIFT communities.
Warm regards,
Debbie Levine
Director, Global Scientific & Regulatory Affairs
Ingredion, Inc.
CNJIFT Chair