Personnel
| The Food Innovation Center's in-house staff of industry professionals is dedicated to providing solutions for our clients. Our staff brings a wealth of experience from both the private and public sectors to help solve a variety of business challenges. Simply scroll down to read through all of the biographies. |  |
Lou Cooperhouse
Director
Cooperhouse@NJAES.rutgers.edu
Lou Cooperhouse is Director of the Food Innovation Center, a unique economic development outreach program based at Rutgers University, which services farmers, cooperatives, startups and small to mid-sized food companies with business and technology expertise. He is also a founder of the Food Business Innovation Network, FoodBIN, an association that provides resources and best practices to food and agribusiness innovation and incubation organizations so that they can deliver the highest quality services possible.
Lou has extensive business and technology expertise in the food industry, in both entrepreneurial settings and in larger corporate environments. Previously, he was the Co-Founder, President and CEO of MenuDirect Corporation, a venture-capital-backed nutritional foods company, which was chosen by its peers as one of the top 10 Industry Innovators by Nutraceuticals World Magazine in 2000. Earlier in his career, he held senior management positions at ConAgra, Campbell Soup Company, and at Nestle-funded Culinary Brands in areas of business development, product development, quality assurance, and operations.
Lou also serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Fresh Cut magazine, where he is a regular contributing author of marketing and technology columns. He also served for a number of years on the Board of Directors, as Conference Chairman, and as Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Refrigerated Foods Association, an international organization of refrigerated foods manufacturers and their suppliers. He also serves on the External Advisory Board of the School of Biological and Environmental Sciences Food Science Department, and has served on the Cook College Strategic Plan Visioning Committee and on its Board of Managers.
He also speaks frequently at industry conferences, typically discussing business strategies, marketing trends, and quality assurance, food safety, and product development technologies in the refrigerated and frozen food industries. Lou received a MS in Food Science and BS in Microbiology, both from Rutgers University.
Diane Holtaway
Associate Director of Business Development
Holtaway@NJAES.Rutgers.edu
Along with her lifelong passion for the culinary arts, Diane also brings with her over 20 years of business experience with food manufacturers and consumer publications. Most recently she held the position of Group Manager in the Global Consumer Food Center at Campbell Soup Company. In that position, Diane melded her strong business background and culinary experience to build new business opportunities and strengthen existing brands. Prior to Campbell, Diane held similar positions at Best Foods and Thomas J. Lipton. She also held food editorial positions with Ladies’ Home Journal and Redbook magazines. Throughout her career, Diane has been intricately involved in the broad array of tasks required to bring and sustain new products in the marketplace, from new concept design to sales and marketing.
Diane received her B.S. degree in Foods and Nutrition from Douglass College at Rutgers University and her M.A. in Food and Business from New York University.
Julie Elmer
Associate Director of Food Technology
Elmer@NJAES.Rutgers.edu
Julie has always had a passion for food and nutrition. A Bridgeton, NJ native, Julie has worked in food product development and technical services for 19 years. Most recently she worked with Johnson and Johnson, supporting the start up of several nutritional product companies. Previously she was Director of Food Product Development and Regulatory Affairs for the Wardley Corporation and Hartz Mountain. During her college days she had the opportunity to work for small local businesses that produced products such as French goat cheese and European style wines. Her responsibilities with the Food Innovation Center include providing technical support to all food technology activities for client projects.
Julie received her Bachelor's Degree from Cook College's program in Food Science. Later, she completed the Master's program in Human Nutrition at University of New Haven.
Bernadette Gill
Administrative Assistant
Gill@NJAES.Rutgers.edu
Bernadette joined Rutgers University in 1988 providing executive level support for the Family and Consumer Sciences Educator of the South Jersey regional division. During her assignment with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, she managed multiple grant-funded accounts including federally funded Children, Youth, Families At Risk and Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program initiatives. She conducted comprehensive training sessions and provided technical support to statewide RCE faculty and staff in Rutgers University and Cooperative Extension procedures and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program.
Since it’s opening in January 2001, Bernadette has been the Administrative Assistant for the Food Innovation Center. In that capacity, she has been responsible for the management and administration of contacts with the Center’s clients, suppliers, consultants and vendors. She has provided day-to-day administrative support to the Center director and staff and has coordinated and managed the many seminars and workshops sponsored by the Center.
Tom Orton, PhD
Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Biology and Pathology
Orton@NJAES.Rutgers.edu
Tom has been involved extensively with the development and management of programs for the production, harvesting, handling, and packaging of processed vegetable crops. He was Senior Director for DNA Plant Technology Corporation from 1986-1994 and worked closely with strategic partners such as Campbell Soup, Kraft, and DuPont.
A geneticist and breeder by training, Tom has served on the faculties of two land grant universities, UC Davis and Rutgers. He was the Chair of the Department of Extension Specialists and Assistant Director of Extension at Rutgers from 1995-2002, and is currently Professor with tenure in the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences . Academically, Tom has published over 100 books and research papers, and has been invited to present his research results internationally. He has served on scientific journal editorial boards, grant review panels, and national advisory committees. In addition to his interests in plant breeding and production and post harvest systems, Tom is also involved with exchange programs between the U.S. and Central Asia.
Tom received his Ph.D. in Botany and Genetics from Michigan State University in 1979, and B.S. in Biology in 1973. He looks forward to bringing his experience and abilities to the FIC team.
Regina Plaire |
 |
Regina Plaire is a business specialist with 20 years of experience in financial management, budget administration and information technology. Most recently, she was employed with New Jersey Institute of Technology. In that position, Regina was able to use her combined experience in Finance and Information Technology to perform grant receivable analysis, grant and information technology management. Prior to NJIT, Regina worked for many years with the U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit in Finance and Budget Administration. Regina is responsible for the management of financial and administrative activities at the Food Innovation Center.
Regina received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Computer Information Systems from Bernard M. Baruch College.
Shofiul Islam |
 |
Sho is a business development associate with experience in consumer research, data analysis and webdesign. Sho earned his BS Enviornmental Business Economics and his MS in Food and Business Economics from Rutgers University. Sho has assisted in survey design and data analysis for project involving New Jersey Department of Agriculture and has conducted consumer interviews on various topics to track consumer behavior. He also has experience designing webpages, as he currently maintains Rutgers Food Innovation Center’s website and has designed and maintained websites for various other organizations.
Carol Coren |
 |
Carol Coren has 25 years experience in community and economic development, public affairs and business development. She has founded two US Treasury certified Community Development Financial Institutions to finance low-income and ethnic entrepreneurs' business ventures, raised venture capital for emerging technologies, worked with real estate developers, community action agencies, and nonprofit organizations, operated a chocolate candycrafting business, and, developed E-Commerce and Internet programs to provide entrepreneurs with access to new markets. As a BAM Program Mentor, she works with New Jersey area microenterprise entrepreneurs and agricultural producers on a variety of planning and program operations projects. These are typically in areas such as product branding, distribution, marketing and early stage financing. She is knowledgeable in areas of cooperative business management, business incubation, and e-commerce, and, has been recognized for this by the US Department of Commerce and the USDA.
Michael Ryan |
 |
Mike has over thirty years of experience with association management and leadership in the consumer goods industry. For the past several years he has held the position of Executive Director for the Eastern Frosted Foods Association. He also serves as Executive Director for the Eastern Perishable Products Association. This organization comprises membership from a wide array of food categories, including dairy, deli, seafood, bakery, meat and food service. Mike has also held leadership positions with the Organic Valley Cooperative, Horizon Organic Dairy, General Mills, Deep Foods and Rosina Food Products.
