Salumi’d Application

Lisa Ali began her career at a young age at Gelson's Markets. Through the span of 28 years, she moved up the ranks from clerk's helper to becoming a Cheesemonger, where she discovered her passion for Specialty cheese.

Being entrenched in this category, she fulfilled a desire to continue learning and connect that passion with her customers. As a result, she has built her expansive career from behind the counter to growing their Specialty cheese department through the expansion of 18 to 27 stores, overseeing category growth and merchandising, facilitating educational virtual wine and cheese pairing classes, and training future Gelson's cheese talent.

In 2017 she earned her American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional certification. Later, she paired that knowledge and became an IDDBA Certified Salumiere.

When she's not working, you can find her spending time with her two kids and husband, watching Netflix while enjoying cheese and charcuterie or cuddling with her three cats and dog!

Greg Hardin is currently an Account Manager for Gourmet Foods International and has been working in the specialty food industry for 10 years focusing on cheese and charcuterie. He received his IDDBA Salumiere certification in 2022 and is excited to be back at the IDDBA conference in 2023.

Jewel Hunt began her career at Safeway while attending college in 1981 as a part-time bakery clerk and cashier in the company’s former Salt Lake City Division. Today, as Group Vice President Fresh Merchandising of Bakery, Deli Food Service, Branded Concepts and ReadyMeals at Albertsons Companies, she is the merchant lead for several departments of the nation’s second largest traditional grocer.

Along the way, Jewel earned a reputation as an expert merchant and grew into executive-level roles in Safeway’s Bakery, Deli Food Service, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice departments. She advanced to Group Vice President of Pharmacy, Health & Wellness in 2011. Following the Albertsons-Safeway merger in 2015, she returned to her roots as group vice president of Bakery. Jewel advanced to Group Vice President Ecommerce in October 2017 through February 2021. Jewel now leads Fresh Merchandising for Bakery, Deli Food Service, Branded Concepts and ReadyMeals for Albertsons.

Jewel serves on the advisory committees with the board of the International Dairy, Deli, and Bakery Association. She was chairman of the association’s board from 2016 – 2017.

Jewel is a passionate advocate for female leadership in the workplace. Jewel serves and volunteers for NorCal NEW as Partnership Pillar Lead. Jewel is a board member for Open Heart Kitchen a non-profit providing “equitable access to nutritious food, while building a food secure tomorrow.” She is an active advisor in the company’s Women’s Inclusion and Inspiration Network and was one of several key leaders featured in an HR Magazine article, “Cultivating Female Leaders.” Jewel was named one of the most influential women in retailing by Mass Market Retailing in 2018. She was named a “Top Woman in Grocery” by Progressive Grocer five times before being inducted into the publication’s Hall of Fame for Top Women in Grocery in 2017.

Jewel and her husband, Bruce, live in Pleasanton, Calif. and have three sons: Clark, Jon, and Darryl. They are the proud grandparents of several grandchildren.

Katherine Wilkey-Herrera has been a part of the Columbus Craft Meats/Hormel team for 6 years.

She has over 30 years in the food industry retail and restaurant. She has represented many brands in sales & merchandising at the retail level as well as working in the grocery industry.

Although, her focus & passion lies in the culinary world. She attended culinary school in 2004. After school she assisted in many kitchens working her way up to Head Chef. She then pursued her desire to own and run a private chef & catering business for 5 years. Her present focus is representing a food forward experience with Hormel representing all brands. She is a certified IDDBA Salumiere and Serve Safe certified. She enjoys the art of crafting charcuterie and loves demonstrating the knowledge she has gained of craft meats over the years with Columbus.

In addition to her career in the culinary world, she has traveled in and outside the US focusing on amazing culinary experiences. She continues exploring new cuisines, cultures, & different cooking techniques to further her knowledge. When she is not travelling, she enjoys following travel & food influencers. She hopes one day to join the world of travel & culinary influencers herself.

What she has enjoyed the most over the years has been entertaining family and friends and creating new culinary experiences for them.

Kathy’s background can create for a sophisticated or even the most casual food forward experience with her knowledge & education.

Known to many as The Salami Samurai, Evan Inada has more than earned the title after working each day to share his love of Columbus® Craft Meats with the world. Early in his career, Evan joined the sales team in charge of starting new business and launching accounts across the country as the company grew. That’s where he gained his love for food, as he soaked in the culture of all the cities and the local food. He earned an appreciation for the salami and deli business to build a genuine passion for his craft and saw there was an opportunity to highlight the artisan attributes in salami through charcuterie. Evan is Charcuterie/Partnerships Director 13 years later, creating marketing solutions to support sales in the marketplace, and lead food design and creative for major projects, events and presentations. He is dedicated to making charcuterie fun for the masses through his media, innovation, and creative work around building the perfect charcuterie bite to highlight every salami experience.

Lorenza Pasetti is the CEO of Volpi Foods, the St. Louis-based, 4th-generation family-owned and operated producer of award-winning specialty cured meats. Growing up in the family business she learned the art of charcuterie first in the company owned retail store, then later came to lead the scaled craft. Eventually, Lorenza transitioned to the role of CEO, increasing the manufacturing capabilities to over 400,000 square feet of production capabilities. During her tenure, Pasetti has led Volpi Foods to the forefront of quality and safety for dry-cured meat production, eliminating sodium nitrites, reducing ingredients to no more than 4-5, implemented a Responsibly Raised Program for incoming meat supply and was the first to introduce environmentally sustainability in the packaging of charcuterie. Lorenza’s most recent awards include the Specialty Food Association: 2021 Hall of Fame, and Top Women in Grocery: Senior-Level Executive, 2022.

I have worked in specialty foods with a focus on the deli arena since the ‘90’s. I’ve held several positions from working in a deli, managing deli operations, and S&OP positions for producers. I’ve been involved in successful training, marketing and merchandising for charcuterie for more than 25 years. My work with Volpi Foods began in 1992 in Chicago which was a uniquely strong market for Volpi. One of my unique differences has been working with customers and channels across the country, I have lived in 6 states and have had strategic and tactical charcuterie acumen for success in Retail, Club, Convenience, B&I, Foodservice, Alt Channel, Mass Merchandisers and Gift

• IDDBA Certified Salumiere, (Inaugural Class ’22)
• SQF Certified Practitioner
• Culinary Institute of America -San Antonio Basic Skills
• Cornell University – Certified Women in Leadership

Chris has been a Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Federation for the past 25 years and currently serves as Director of Culinary Innovation/Corporate Chef for Albertsons companies which includes 13 divisions and multiple banners across the country.

Chris has been in the Food industry for over 35 years. His Supermarket experience as a Corporate Chef spans over 24 years. 2 years as National Culinary Director and 22 years as Market Street, United Supermarkets, Amigos, and Albertsons Markets as Director of Innovation/Corporate Chef. Overseeing operations and development of total store innovation, recipes, menus, concepts, and product lines for all retail banners. He was crucial in the development of the Market Street store Concept for more than 20 years which was named as the national “Deli/Food Service Operator of Year” by In Store Buyer Magazine and American Culinary Federation Achievement of Excellence award for excellence in food service. Prior to the supermarket industry Chris has served as Executive Chef for Texas Tech University and Vice President of Texas Culinary Academy as well as chef for a variety of restaurants and clubs.

Katie Yan is a valued member of the Columbus Craft Meats team, bringing nearly three years of dedicated service to the company. With a remarkable 13 years of experience in the food industry, Katie's expertise and passion for her craft make her an invaluable asset.

Katie's commitment to excellence is evident in her professional achievements. She is an IDDBA (International Dairy Deli Bakery Association) certified salumiere, demonstrating her deep knowledge and proficiency in the art of crafting fine meats and charcuterie.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Katie is a vibrant individual with diverse interests. She is an avid traveler, continuously seeking new experiences and cultures to broaden her horizons. Exploring different culinary traditions is a particular joy for Katie, with her favorite dish being the irresistible Korean fried chicken.

In addition to her culinary pursuits, Katie is an enthusiastic fan of BTS, the internationally acclaimed South Korean music group. She appreciates their artistry, talent, and the positive impact they have on their global fanbase.

Katie Yan's multifaceted background, combined with her dedication to the food industry and her diverse interests, contribute to her vibrant personality and make her an exceptional team member at Columbus Craft Meats.