De Ann Davis, PhD, joined Western Growers in June 2020 as Senior Vice President, Science. Davis has more than 25 years of experience in the development and execution of technical global programs, including food safety, quality assurance and regulatory compliance.
Following an impressive run in consumer products safety, Davis transitioned to packaged and fresh produce safety nearly a decade ago. Prior to Western Growers, she served as Food Safety Director for Commercial Food Sanitation, a provider of strategic consulting services, expertise and training that addresses food safety and sanitation challenges for food processing plants. Davis also served as Vice President of Food Safety and Quality for both Church Brothers Farms and Earthbound Farm, and earlier as Chief Food Safety Officer for Kraft Foods Group, where she was engaged in the development of the regulatory framework for Food Safety Modernization Act.
Davis earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Chemistry from Point Loma Nazarene University and her PhD in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University. She is also a certified Diplomat of the American Board of Toxicology, where she has served since 1996.
Davis holds several committee appointments within the produce industry, including having recently served as the Chair of the Board of Advisors for the Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia. In 2018, Davis was appointed to the USDA National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Food.
