TAFP Officers

Cindy graduated from Dallas Baptist University with a BBA in Management in 1986. Cindy started her food career in the soft drink industry working with 3 great companies over a 20- year span. Her tenure has always been in the Quality end of the business. In 2008, Cindy had the opportunity to move to Conroe Texas and got her start in the dairy business at Borden Dairy. She took on the role of Quality Assurance Manager and it has been very rewarding. She lives in Montgomery, TX with her husband of 40 years and they have two daughters and one granddaughter.

As part of the continuous educational program, Cindy Anderson has also received many certifications. Dairy Technology Workshop (Randolph), SQF 2000 Systems (HEB), HACCP trained (NCIMS), Appendix N Workshop – (State of Texas and Charm), TAFP Laboratory Session – (State of Texas), Laboratory Analysis of Dairy Products (FDA), Chemical Training (from Ecolab, Choice, Afco), Industry Sealer Training – (State of Texas), Micro workshop (Afco), CIP Workshop (Afco), Preventive Controls for Human Food Workshop and Borden Lab is a Certified Lab.

Ann is a graduate of Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dairy Science. She is currently the Lab Manager with the Federal Market Administrator’s office, USDA, order 126 in Carrollton, Texas.

Ann is a native Texan, with over 30 years of service with the USDA. She grew up in the agriculture industry mainly in dairy farming.

Ann has been a member of the Texas Association for Food Protection for over 20 years. She has been involved with many activities including the planning committee as well as sub committees including vendor and silent auctions.

Ann and her husband currently reside in the Fort Worth area. She enjoys, cooking,
gardening, reading and spending time with her two daughters.

Dr. Alejandro (Alex) Castillo is associate professor in the Department of Animal Science. He is also a member of the Intercollegiate Graduate Faculty of Food Science and Technology, and chair of this faculty since May of 2010. He teaches the graduate course in Microbiology of Foods at Texas A&M University. Before joining the Texas A&M faculty in 2002, he was a professor in the Department of Biology and Pharmacy at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico. Alex has taught courses in food safety at the graduate level as guest professor at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, the University of Guatemala Valley in Guatemala and the University of Central America in Nicaragua.

Alex’s research interests include the development of control measures for minimizing and reducing pathogens in fresh and fresh-cut produce and on beef carcasses, the prevalence of pathogens in fresh produce and the use of electron beam irradiation for food safety purposes. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals, has authored or co-authored 6 book chapters and has published two books as editor. Is active member in various professional organizations and assists as reviewer in different scientific journals.

Pat began his career in the dairy, beverage and food industry in 1969 as a very young child learning the farming business on the family farm in Louisiana. Over the next several years, he began paying attention to more and more details as he aged knowing that someday the knowledge he gained would pay off in leading a successful business.

In 1985, he entered the dairy processing industry in a fluid milk processing plant in Lafayette, LA. working for Borden, Inc. he was mentored by a man whom he considers to be the “BEST” plant manager to ever live “Hardy H. (Gus) Lawrence” whom was named to the LSU Dairy Science Department Hall of Fame many years ago.

Over the course of many years of service in the industry, Pat has assisted many food manufacturers with resolving processing concerns and continues to do so today. He is a member of the Texas Association for Food Protection where he has volunteered to assist wherever needed by past officers for several years. He also a member of the Louisiana Dairy Products Association and the Louisiana Food Processors Association.