Dr. Barb Masters of Tyson Foods elected as Board Chair, Ashley Eisenbeiser of FMI – The Food Industry Association elected as Vice Chair
The Partnership for Food Safety Education (PFSE) announced Dr. Barb Masters was elected as its new board chair during the October Board of Directors Meeting. Dr. Masters brings a wealth of experience and passion to the role of board chair. She succeeds Harold Chase of NSF, who served as chair since 2022.
Dr. Masters serves as vice president of regulatory policy, food and agriculture with Tyson Foods, Inc. She has a proven track record in advancing food safety from farm to fork.
Dr. Masters holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Mississippi State University and a Food Animal Internship from Kansas State University. She has served on PFSE’s board since 2020.
“With more people eating at home, combining their meals with prepared and fresh foods for convenience, it’s so important to work across sectors to support information disseminators with science-based resources so they can be effective at influencing food handling behaviors,” said Dr. Masters. “I believe the Partnership is well positioned to provide such leadership.”
Additionally, Ashley Eisenbeiser, senior director of food and product safety programs at FMI – The Food Industry Association, was elected as vice chair of the PFSE Board of Directors. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in food science and technology, and earned a master’s degree in food science and technology from Virginia Tech. Eisenbeiser has served on PFSE’s Board since 2020.
As a previous family and consumer sciences extension agent with Virginia Cooperative Extension, Eisenbeiser is particularly passionate about food safety education.
“We will continue leading the way in consumer food safety education, all with one goal: to serve our communities and reduce the risk of foodborne illness,” said Eisenbeiser.
Dr. Masters and Eisenbeiser, alongside the full Board of Directors, are both committed to advancing the mission and expanding the Partnership’s reach to ensure that everyone has access to essential food safety education.
Under the leadership of its Board of Directors, the Partnership spearheaded a Collective Day of Action on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in observance of National Food Safety Education Month. The event united food industry, federal agencies, health, nutrition and food safety educators, garnering more than 150 posts across social media channels and internal communications with an estimated reach of 4 million people in one day.
Thirteen thousand community-based health, nutrition and food safety professionals rely on the Partnership for science-based resources and tools. PFSE has hosted educational webinars and events on topics such as the importance of food safety in nutrition, food safety for older adults, and perceptions of flour risk. Nearly 90 percent of respondents report that they are likely to share the information they learned from these events in their outreach efforts.
The Partnership will host the Consumer Food Safety Education Conference (CFSEC) on March 13-14, 2025, at the Sysco Headquarters in Houston, Texas. The CFSEC is the only conference in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to food safety education. This interactive two-day event will bring together forward-thinking leaders in food safety for dynamic discussions, provide opportunities to network with notable industry professionals, and offer new tools and resources to enhance food safety practices. For more information, visit cfsec.org or contact PFSE at cfsec@fightbac.org.
Visit the PFSE’s website to view the full list of the Board of Directors.
About the Partnership for Food Safety Education
The non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education is the creator and steward of the popular Fight BAC!® national food safety education campaign and the national leader in disseminating information around the linkage of food safety consumer education with positive health outcomes. Food safety and health educators, and consumers, can download free food safety education information from the Partnership’s website at fightbac.org.
Contact PFSE Communications Associate Shawnte Loeri for more information.
