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.
April 2025
CNJIFT Section Chair
Debbie Levine
As we wrap up our final newsletter of the season, we are excited to share that our activities will continue into June with a series of engaging events.
On Tuesday, April 15th, we invite you to join us for the Suppliers Day event, starting with a Technical Seminar from 9 AM to 2 PM, followed by an afternoon with over 150 suppliers showcasing their latest product innovations.
Next, on Thursday, May 15th, we have a dinner meeting at the Sahara Restaurant in New Brunswick, where Dr. Laura Rokosz will speak on “Eating for a Healthy Brain: The Connection Between Gut Health and Cognitive Well-Being.”
Dr. Rokosz, a registered dietitian and owner of EGGLRock Nutrition LLC, is an enlightening and engaging speaker you won’t want to miss.
Finally, we conclude our season with the CNJIFT Annual Golf Outing on Monday, June 2nd! Enjoy a fun-filled day of golf, exciting prizes, delicious lunch, and a celebratory dinner at the beautiful Meadows Golf Course in Plainsboro, NJ. The event kicks off with registration at 11:30 AM, followed by lunch at noon, a 1 PM shotgun start, and a dinner to wrap up the day.
Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to relax, network, and have a great time! We are looking for sponsors for this event; please contact the NYIFT Office if you are willing to provide sponsorship for this event. We can’t wait to see you there!
While NYIFT and CNJIFT take a break from meetings over the summer, our board officers and executive committee members will be planning an exciting lineup of events for the 2025/26 season. We invite you to join our board and planning committees! This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute your talents, make a meaningful impact, and help shape the future of our organization. If you’re interested in making a difference and being part of a dynamic team, we would love to hear from you!
Thank you for your continued support and participation. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!
Warm regards,
Debbie Levine
Chair, Central New Jersey Sub-Section
March 2025
NYIFT Section Chair
Suzanne-Mutz Darwell
In alignment with IFT’s Overall Mission: “Connecting global food system communities to promote and advance the science of food and its application,” NYIFT is proud once again to support the local Food Technology Students in our section, from both Rutgers University and Montclair State University, who are working on projects that will truly help advance the science of food in the future!
The Annual Student Night and Panel Discussion was held on February 20, 2025 in the IFNH Building at Rutgers University. An open and lively discussion on the topic of “Uncovering Artificial Ingredients: Risks, Regulations and Revolution” was moderated by Dr. Donald Schaffner, Food Science Department Chair at Rutgers.
There were three panelist presenters: Debbie Levine, Director of Global and Scientific Affairs at Ingredion; Dana Daneker Gasiorowski, Creative Director and Principal Flavorist with IFF; and Patrick Riolo, Product Development Manager with Allen Flavors.
The NYIFT and CNJIFT Subsection Scholarship Committee reviewed over a dozen applications from both graduate and undergraduate students, as well as their individual contribution to the Section. That evening we awarded 5 Graduate Student awards, valued at $2,000 each, and 3 Undergraduate Awards valued at $1,500 each.
In addition, we also hosted a Poster Competition, where the scholarship judges reviewed all the posters and determined the three top winners for which they received a cash award of $750 for First, $500 for Second and $400 for Third place. Find the names of all the award winners elsewhere in this newsletter.
Suzanne-Mutz Darwell
Firmenich, Retired