Mandy is the Sr. Executive Director for the Science, Culinary and Outreach team at National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. This department includes programs focusing on human nutrition research and influencer outreach, product quality, sustainability, and beef safety research as well as the culinary program. This talented team provides key information needed by influencers and industry decision makers to continually improve beef production, processing, consumer options and perceptions about beef. The team also provides foundational insights that other checkoff programs including marketing, communication and issues management utilize in science-based responses to consumer and media questions about beef. Mandy also leads the beef safety research program and facilitates the functions of the Beef Industry Food Safety Council, a group of industry food safety professionals working together to provide industry driven research, guidance materials and educational programs. Mandy was raised in the small rural community of Sudan, Texas where her family still lives and raises beef cattle. Mandy is a graduate of Texas Tech University with an undergraduate degree in Food Science and Technology, a Master’s Degree in Food Science, and a Ph.D. in Animal & Food Science specializing in food safety. In 1999, Mandy joined the faculty at Angelo State University. During her almost 8 year tenure at Angelo State, Mandy developed a meat and food science undergraduate and graduate teaching program and designed and managed the federally inspected ASU Meat Laboratory. Mandy joined NCBA in 2007. Mandy and her husband Todd, originally of KS and a Kansas State University graduate, live in Highlands Ranch, CO.