Rutgers Food Innovation Center Board of Advisors
The Food Innovation Center Board of Advisors represents the agricultural organizations with the greatest number of members in the state, and the state entities that represent the highest grossing commodities produced in New Jersey based on annual cash sales, as well as a number of strategic partners that the Center has developed. In addition, this group includes representatives of each of the sectors that are served by the Food Innovation Center- namely farmers, food entrepreneurs and startups, and established small and mid-sized food companies. A listing of the Center’s Advisory Board is as follows:
- USDA Rural Business Services
Andrew Law, State Director - USDA Agricultural Research Service - Eastern Regional Research Center
John Cherry, Director
C. Gerry Crawford, Technology Transfer Coordinator - NJ Department of Agriculture
Alfred Murray, Director Division of Markets - New Jersey Commerce, Economic Growth & Tourism Commission
Celeste Armenti, Vice President, International Trade and Protocol
JoAnn R. Ritter, Account Executive - NJ Farm Bureau
Peter Furey, Executive Director - NJ State Grange
Franklin L (Pete) Pompper, Jr., Master - NJ Nursery and Landscape Association
Noble McNaughton, Past President - NJ Vegetable Growers Association
John R. Banscher, President - NJ Blueberry Industry Association
Denny Doyle, President - Grain and Forage Producers Association of New Jersey
James Etsch, Past President - NJ Food Processors Association
Samual L. Ragusa, President - NJ Food Council
Linda Doherty, President - Farmer Client of Rutgers Food Innovation Center
Santo John Maccherone, President, Circle "M" Farms - Food Processor Client of Rutgers Food Innovation Center
Pearl Giordano, President, Limpert Brothers - Industry Expert/ Advisor
Al Clausi, Food Research & Development Consultant - Cumberland Empowerment Zone
Jeannine Cavagnaro MacDonald, Acting Executive Director - City of Bridgeton
Mayor James Begley - New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES) Board of Managers
Douglas Zee, Jr., President
- Rutgers University Representatives
Robert Goodman, Executive Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Executive Director of the NJAES, and Dean of School of Biological and Environmental Sciences
Mark Robson, Director, NJAES
Margaret Brennan, Assoc. Dean of Research, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Assoc. Director, NJAES
Daniel Kluchinski, Chair, Department of Agricultural and Resource Management Agents
Louis Cooperhouse, Director, Food Innovation Center
