Select a name from the list below to view their information.
Lakshman Velupillai
PFID Management Team (LSU Ag Center)
Phone: 225 578-6963
Fax: 225 578-6775
E-mail:
lvelupillai@agcenter.lsu.edu
;
Web site:
http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/inst/International/
Dr. Lakshman Velupillai, director of International Programs at the LSU AgCenter, has 28 years of experience in the field of international agricultural project design, development and implementation. In his current capacity, he has managed numerous international development, training and research projects, including programs in Jamaica, Senegal, West Africa, Indonesia, Ukraine, Moldova, Vietnam, Honduras and other countries. Dr. Velupillai directs USAID-funded programs for improvements in the food industry in Ukraine and Moldova (PFID Phase I), in agricultural extension in Ukraine and in beef cattle development in Indonesia. He recently concluded activities in two projects in Honduras involving forestry and strategic planning for the ministry of agriculture.
Reporting directly to the LSU AgCenter chancellor, Dr. Velupillai has close ties with a number of high-level administrators and world-class faculty and specialists at the LSU AgCenter who could provide useful technical assistance to international development programs. In conjunction with the development of the food industry, Dr. Velupillai has traveled in South Africa and Namibia.
Dr. Velupillai has technical qualifications at the doctoral level in agricultural engineering and is recognized in the field of crop processing and grain post-harvest technology. He has written or contributed to several books and scientific research articles.
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Michael Moody
PFID Seafood/Processing/Food Safety Specialist
(LSU AgCenter)
Phone: 225-578-2366
Fax: 225-578-5300
E-mail:
mmoody@agcenter.lsu.edu
Web site:
http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/foodscience/
Dr. Moody is the chairman of the Department of Food Science at LSU and was previously the extension specialist in seafood processing, providing technology and educational assistance to producers and processors in Louisiana and throughout the nation. He has nearly 30 years of experience in food regulations, food safety, microbiology and processing technologies for seafood products. He is a member of the steering committee of the National Seafood HACCP Alliance and chairman of the HACCP Train-the-Trainer national committee. He has taught at a number of HACCP and sanitation certification courses. Before coming to LSU in 1976, Dr. Moody was a food technologist with the Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C. In this capacity he was responsible for addressing regulatory issues associated with seafood and other products. During his tenure as the seafood extension specialist in Louisiana, Dr. Moody established an exemplary extension/industry outreach program for producers and processors and interacted intensely with the industry.
In addition to leading the Food Science Department, Dr. Moody has written numerous research and extension publications, including book chapters. He is active in professional and scientific organizations and served in leadership positions in the Tropical and Subtropical Fisheries Technology Conference and the Institute of Food Technologists. He has served in various positions with the Gulf of Mexico Program, ECOP/ESCOP Food Safety Subcommittee and Food Safety (Aquaculture) for the Animal Health Institute. In recognition of his work, Dr. Moody was the co-recipient of the 1997 National Performance Review Vice President Al Gore’s Hammer Award for HACCP educational activities and the recipient of the 1999 USDA Group Honor Award for Excellence.
Dr. Moody has completed international assignments as well as traveled in Eastern Europe and Africa and has participated as a cooperating scientist for USDA/OICD/IRD in Keelung, Taiwan. As the seafood/food safety specialist, Dr. Moody has provided excellent technical support and training to PFID Phase I programs in Ukraine and Moldova. This program has resulted in the certification of over 100 individuals in basic seafood HACCP and several trainers certified to train locally. In addition to in-plant technical assistance to improve processing and food safety, Dr. Moody has established the interest of FDA in PFID’s Eastern Europe programs. This has resulted in Dr. Moody organizing training and support by three FDA specialists for the PFID program in Ukraine and Moldova. Recently, Dr. Moody has traveled in South Africa and Namibia to assess fisheries industries and discuss programs.
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Kenneth W. McMillin
Meats/Processing/Food Safety Specialist (LSU AgCenter)
Phone : 225-578-3438
Fax : 225-578-3279
E-mail :
kmcmillin@agcenter.lsu.edu
Web site :
http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/en/communications/authors/KMcmillin.htm
Dr. McMillin is a Diplomate in the American College of Animal Food Science, a registered animal scientist in the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists, a certified HACCP instructor with the International HACCP Alliance, a Registered Sanitation Control Procedures Trainer of the Seafood HACCP Alliance and Association of Food and Drug Officials, and a food safety trainer registered with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and National Restaurant Association. He brings more than 20 years of experience as a meat scientist, having conducted research on meat quality, processing, modified atmosphere packaging and shelf life for many different meat species. More recent research efforts by Dr. McMillin include functional and physicochemical properties of raw materials including mince meat; processing of meat, seafood and poultry; improvement in shelf life. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities, Dr. McMillin works closely with state and national meat and poultry processors and participates in professional organizations including the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Meat Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science. Dr. McMillin has written more than 160 publications and has made more than 25 presentations at state, national and international venues.
In addition to his travels and assignments in Taiwan and Indonesia, Dr. McMillin was the meat and poultry specialist for the ongoing PFID phase I program in Ukraine and Moldova, as well as the recently awarded Phase II of the PFID program in Nicaragua, South Africa, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Kazakhstan. In Ukraine and Moldova, Dr. McMillin led efforts in assessment, training (food safety), processing plant assessment and technical assessment. He will provide similar assistance as a member of the technical team in southern Africa.
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Hector Zapata
Business/Marketing Specialist (LSU AgCenter)
Phone: 225-578-2766
Fax: 225-578-2716
E-mail:
hzapata@agcenter.lsu.edu
Dr. Hector Zapata is a professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the LSU AgCenter. Dr. Zapata has extensive international experience in economic development assignments with the government of Honduras, including a macroeconomic analysis of the agricultural sector in Honduras; a study of the dairy industry of Honduras and its potential for export markets; a study of the competitiveness of Honduran agriculture; and a formulation of an economic development action plan for the agricultural sector of Honduras. He has considerable experience in the use of focus group methodology to elicit stakeholder input into the formulation of strategic action plans for local problem solving. Dr. Zapata has presented numerous seminars and trained personnel on topics related to financial risk management, agricultural marketing, agricultural competitiveness, price analysis and risk modeling.
Dr. Zapata is involved in the management and reporting of agricultural statistics in cooperation with the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (NASS/USDA) for Louisiana and has built user-friendly computer software to provide access to historical agricultural statistics for Louisiana. Further, he has developed a spreadsheet financial simulator for financial analysis in the U.S. rice industry and developed economic optimization models to study resource allocation issues in the Louisiana rice and sugarcane industries. He has experience in building models to study the technical efficiency of sugarcane factories and to study the technical efficiency of termite control firms in the United States. He has built a computerized system to forecast prices for a risk management (futures trading) firm in the United States.
Dr. Zapata was a member of numerous international delegations to pursue academic and research agreements between Louisiana State University and the government of Honduras. He has conducted scientific research on the relationship between export expansion and economic growth in Honduras. Dr. Zapata is developing a research program on the strategic marketing of food products to U.S. Hispanics and the formulation of marketing plans for ethnic (Central American) food products in the United States.
Dr. Zapata has been a member of research teams for rice policy research in the United States, agricultural development in Honduras, statistical data collection and reporting, and various professional organizations. He has received awards for outstanding teaching, including outstanding teacher in the College of Agriculture 2002 and the LSU Foundation Outstanding Teacher 2004.
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Randall T. Fortenbery
Agribusiness/Finance Specialist (LSU AgCenter)
Phone: 608-262-4908
Fax: 608-262-4376
E-mail:
fortenbery@aae.wisc.edu
Dr. Fortenbery’s experience covers business development, development of export markets, market and risk management education, and academic program development.
In early 1996 Dr. Fortenbery worked in Lugansk, Ukraine, developing the business plan for a grain elevator that purchases and exports wheat from both private and collective farms. This was a VOCA project and involved six weeks of work, three of which were in country.
Later in 1996 Dr. Fortenbery worked on a USAID-funded project contracted through Chemonics. The project involved the development of forward and futures markets in Kiev for the trading of heating oil, wheat and sunflower seeds. His role included working on contract design, exchange organization and market education. He worked about three months on the project, with five weeks in country. The market education component included the development and delivery of four week-long market training schools. The participants were future exchange traders, including direct investors and employees of trading companies. In this project, Dr. Fortenbery simulated an electronic market through a computer network, and a large part of the training involved trading in the simulated market.
More recently, Dr. Fortenbery worked on a USAID-funded project through International Programs, LSU AgCenter in Honduras. In this program, he developed an empirical cropping diversification computer model to be used by Ministry of Agriculture employees involved in helping individual communities identify and evaluate opportunities in agricultural markets. He conducted several workshops on its application for the Ministry of Agriculture in Honduras.
He is involved in a project in Bangladesh developing an agribusiness MBA program at a private university. This involves aiding in the development of the curriculum and teaching a course in international agribusiness management. In addition, he will be involved in the development of case studies of Bangladesh agribusiness enterprizes that will then be used in the agribusiness MBA program.
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Michael Reed
Agricultural Marketing Specialist (LSU AgCenter)
Phone: 859-257‑7259
Fax: 859-323-1913
E-mail:
mrreed@uky.edu
Dr. Reed performed a marketing study of the beef industry in East Java, Indonesia, for Louisiana State University in July 2003. The study was part of a USDA-funded project to assess and improve the market for cattle genetics, feed and other livestock products and services. He also provided analysis and consultations for LG&E Energy concerning markets for a byproduct from a new process to clean emissions from their generating plants. In December 2001, he assisted in the development of an economic development strategy for southern and eastern Serbia for the Community Housing Foundation.
Dr. Reed evaluated research performed under USAID’s project for “Improved Capacity to Formulate, Evaluate, and Implement Economic Policy” during January and December of 2000 in South Africa. As the agricultural economist for the Assessment of Haitian Hillside Agriculture (USAID-Haiti) in 1999, he helped gather field data to suggest ways to improve and enhance USAID’s role in the sector. He evaluated the USDA’s Faculty Exchange Program (FEP) in 1997 and the USDA’s Cochran Fellowship Program in 1996.
Dr. Reed performed many different statistic analyzes for Marketing Horizons, Inc. from 1994-1998, many of which were used to predict market share for particular herbicides as their relative prices changed. As a member of the USDA Agricultural Assessment Team for the Republic of South Africa in 1994, he helped investigate potential trade and investment linkages for U.S. agribusiness firms. In 1988-1994 he performed economic analyzes of marketing and distribution systems for specific products in Europe and Asia. He analyzed the operations and pricing policies of the board and made recommendations on changes that could increase the effectiveness of the Gambia Produce Marketing Board.
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Joseph McGee Howell
PFID Coordinator (LSU AgCenter)
Phone: 225-578-8113
Fax: 225 578-6775
E-mail:
jhowell@agcenter.lsu.edu
;
Web site:
http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/inst/International/
Joseph McGee Howell was appointed by the LSU AgCenter’s International Programs as assistant coordinator of the U.S. Agency for International Development-funded Partnerships for the Food Industry Development in Meat, Seafood and Poultry (PFID-MSP) Project, concentrating on project activities in the southern Africa region (Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Malawi).
Mr. Howell received his master of science degree in animal science from Oklahoma State University in 1980. He has nearly 20 years of agricultural development experience, including seven years of project management. He has three years of project management experience in the southern African region, primarily in the Republic of Moçambique. He has personal knowledge of livestock and agriculture in Zambia, South Africa and Malawi – three of the target countries for PFID.
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J. William Hudson
Management Team Member (WFLO)
Phone: 703-373-4300
Fax: 703-373-4301
E-mail:
bhudson@IARW.org
Web site:
www.wflo.org/wflo/
J. William Hudson is president and CEO of the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), an international food logistics trade association, which he has served since 1982. He is also president and CEO of the World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO) as well as president and CEO of the International Association of Cold Storage Contractors (IACSC). He has expanded the association’s membership to nearly 50 countries with three international offices. He has been asked to lecture on the food warehousing and distribution industry in numerous countries and has served as the organizer and team leader for many study and consultation missions abroad.
Mr. Hudson holds B.A. and law degrees from Louisiana State University and is a member of the Louisiana Bar Association, American Bar Association and District of Columbia Bar Association. Mr. Hudson has been a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) since 1976, serving as a member of the planning committee, insurance committee, chairman of the international section and chairman of the international committee. He has also served on ASAE's board of directors. He was the founding chairman for the Foundation for International Meetings from 1988-1990, has served on the board of directors of the Small Business Legislative Council and is a member of the U.S. Chamber's Committee of 100 Top Association Executives. In 1994, Hudson was named as one of the "top 50 trade association leaders" by
Washingtonian
magazine.
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Geralyn C.Contini
Management Team Member (SAIL)
Phone: 225-343-9262
Fax: 225 343-0420
E-mail:
gcontini@fcschaffer.com
Web site:
www.fcschaffer.com
Ms. Contini has over 33 years of international experience with F. C. Schaffer & Associates, Inc., in sugar-related operations. As vice president/general manager, she is responsible for administration; personnel and projects scheduling, financing, coordination and preparation/presentation of studies and proposals. She assists the project or marketing team in liaison with the funding agencies on study and project funding/financing. She attends various dignitary functions as corporate representative for business development.
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Mima Medelcovych
(SAIL)
Phone: 225-343-9262
Fax: 225-343-0420
E-mail:
MimaN@africaglobal.com
Address: 1020 Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70802
Dr. Nedelcovych is an expert in international finance, marketing and project development in emerging countries with over 25 years' experience living and working in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, where he addressed policy issues and supervised the execution of a wide range of highly complex economic, monetary and financial matters. In that position, he played a key role in helping the African Development Bank (AfDB) to formulate and establish the Private Sector Department and the African Export – Import Bank.
As senior vice president of Schaffer & Associates International Ltd, Dr. Nedelcovych coordinates all international financing and sales activities, spanning over 30 countries. He is responsible for directing a core team of regional directors in marketing efforts, new business development and project financing. As co-founder and partner (representing Schaffer interests) in AfricaGlobal, a Washington- based government relations and investment advisory firm, he develops investment and trade opportunities, and structures financial packages for a wide ranging client base that includes telecommunications, media and infrastructure sectors.
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Alonzo K. Dority, Mr. K.
(SAIL)
Phone: 225-343-9262
Fax: 225-343-0420
Web site:
www.fcschaffer.com
Mr. Dority is a professional in international finance, marketing and project development in emerging countries with four years' experience living and working in Africa. He started with AfricaGlobal as an associate, handling research and client relations. He has since managed contracts in project development, trade promotion, financing and capacity building for U.S. and African governments, associations and firms, including USTDA, the Port of Houston and the Export Promotion Association of Cote d’Ivoire.
As senior associate of the Schaffer Global Group, the holding company of Schaffer & Associates International, LLC (SAIL) and AfricaGlobal Partners, LLC (AfG), Mr. Dority develops, manages and supports projects concerning trade development, finance or capacity building. He is responsible for gathering information assessing the commercial value of projects in countries of interest as determined by the board of the Schaffer Global Group. He participates as co-chair of the Agricultural Working Group in the Partnership to Cut Hunger on Africa and on AGOA working committee for the Corporate Council on Africa.
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Lémaye Favitsou-Boulandi
(SAIL)
Phone: 225-343-9262
Fax: 225-343-0420
Web site:
www.fcschaffer.com
As a senior associate and consultant for AfricaGlobal Partners/Schaffer Global Group’s Economic Development Department, Mr. Favitsou-Boulandi initiated an agro-industrial project involving cultivation and processing into bio-fuel of high-performance bamboo species in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also assists in mobilizing funding for projects initiated by U.S. corporations in Africa, including the Markala Sugar Project in Mali. He is working with a Chadian business group to develop an aquaculture project in southwestern Chad.
In previous positions, Mr. Favitsou-Boulandi assisted in the preparation and submission of funding and insurance applications for major projects with the Export-Import Bank of the United States and the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation. As deputy chief of mission and first counselor of the Embassy of Chad, he addressed key political and economic matters, including disseminating information on investment opportunities in Chad.
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Louw Hoffman (Uts)
Phone: 27-21-808-4747
Fax: 27-21-808-4750
Email:
lch@sun.ac.za
Dr. Louw Hoffman has been Professor in Department of Animal Sciences, University of Stellenbosch since 2003. He has conducted research and teaching courses in meat science, management systems of pigs and poultry, processing of animal products, aquaculture production and processing, farmed animals’ management strategies. Dr. Hoffman’s duties also include the supervision of one doctoral student and twenty-six masters students from the Departments of Animal Sciences, Genetics, Food Science & Consumer Sciences. Dr. Hoffman published has 76 scientific papers in refereed journals (57 since 1995) and has 100 presentations/posters at national and international conferences/symposia since 1996.
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Corey Rosenbusch
(WFLO)
Phone: 703-373-4300
Fax: 703-373-4301
Email:
crosenbusch@iarw.org
Corey Rosenbusch serves as the Director of Business Development for three cold chain industry organizations: The International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), and the International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA). In this position, Rosenbusch is also the director of international programs where he oversees all international programs in nations around the world that operate under the WFLO umbrella. Rosenbusch also holds primary responsibility for managing the International Refrigerated Transportation Association, and assists the organization with its government affairs.
Rosenbusch lived previously lived in Indonesia where he served as project director for a cold chain development program under a USDA grant through Texas A&M University and Winrock International. Corey has also served as an international development consultant in the Ukraine, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and El Salvador in the fields of education and training, agribusiness development, rural youth programs, university capacity building, and postharvest horticulture and cold chain development in .Corey served as president & CEO of the Rosenbusch Institute of Leadership, a company that he founded that delivers programs in organizational behavior, leadership theory, team development, management techniques, and coaching.
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Likando Mukumbuta
Mr. Likando Mukumbuta, an agricultural economist currently serving as CEO of ZATAC Ltd, brings with him over 16 years of professional experience in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects, predominantly in the Agricultural sector. Prior to joining ZATAC Ltd., Mr. Mukumbuta served as the Program Economist in the USAID/Zambia Mission for five years with sustained recognition for outstanding performance by USAID. He also served as the USAID/Zambian Mission's principal Monitoring and Evaluation officer. Mr. Mukumbuta is a respected economist in the Zambian professional community, particularly for his contributions in the area of PRSP. In addition, Likando brings his deep knowledge of and experience in working with the Ministry of Agriculture and other line agencies directly from within, and most recently as a partner organization through ZATAC Ltd. Mr. Mukumbuta holds a M.Sc. degree in Agricultural economics (from Romania) and GIS in Rural Development from Wageningen Agricultural University in Holland. Mr. Mukumbuta is also experienced in working with other donor institutions and programs and as such is conversant with donor regulations and procedures.
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Louis Augusto Mutomene Pelembe
Prof. Pelembe graduated from the Postgraduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development, of the University of Pretoria (South Africa), with a PhD in Food Science and he also holds a MSc in Food Science & Technology and a B. Eng. (Hons) in Chemical Engineering with thesis in Food Processing. He is affiliated with UEM for more than 15 years. His research interests focus mainly on tropical food species. He is interested in Food Processing, Food preservation techniques aiming the improvement of physico-chemical, nutritional and functional properties of food crops and the manufacturing of low cost and highly nutritious foods, Food and Nutrition Security, Food Quality and Safety. He is currently involved in an international project with CRSP researching readily applicable developmental technologies in production, consumption of beans and cowpeas, where he is a Principal Investigator (PI) for Mozambique. He has worked within a regional and international research and development consortia with institutions like University of Pretoria (South Africa) and Texas A & M University (USA). Prof. Pelembe has also been Scientist in Charge and Coordinator of many local, regional and international research/extension projects.
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Stephen C. Barrion
Mr Barrion research interests are mainly in selected topics of fermentation technology, sensory evaluation and cereal science and technology. Projects that he has been involved with include the utilization of indigenous Namibian veld fruits for making country wine, the mapping of consumer preferences for selected cola drinks and has been involved in looking at the effects of the traditional Namibian and industrial milling processes on the nutritional quality of pearl millet flour. He has worked for the breweries in Namibia, where he was actively involved in the trials and product launch of Becks beer in Southern Africa.
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Nigel Williams
Mr. Williams has over 25 years experience in international project development, management and finance. He is director of overseas business development for Schaffer & Associates and is the lead executive for all activities and operations in Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and Madagascar. Mr. Williams is a chartered accountant and economist with project operation experience in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia. He has developed business plans and arranged financing for multimillion dollar projects including sugar factories, rice mills, aquaculture projects and cogeneration energy solutions. He has also managed multiple industry studies and led several trade and investment missions in numerous African countries for U.S., foreign government and multilateral agencies such as USTDA, OPIC and the African Development Bank. Mr. Williams has also designed and coordinated international training services and a variety of technical courses for the global sugar industry.
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