FMI – The Food Industry Association has named Jessica Tanner as its director of legal operations, where she will serve as a key advisor to the organization on legal operations, regulatory strategy and policy.
Specifically, Tanner will work alongside FMI counsel and Safe Quality Food Institute (SQFI) and FMI leadership to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and governing bodies.
Tanner also will assist with the management of the association’s legal operations framework to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations and internal policies, as well as monitor regulatory and policy developments relevant to the industry and advise FMI leadership on their legal implications.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jessica to FMI’s legal and regulatory affairs team, and we look forward to the contributions she will bring to FMI as we proactively advocate on regulatory developments of importance to the food industry,” said FMI Chief Regulatory Officer and General Counsel Stephanie Harris.
“Her extensive experience working in government on complex legal issues will bring a deep knowledge to our work on regulatory and legal matters that impact our members and their ability to best serve their customers.”
Prior to joining FMI, Tanner served as senior counsel for the U.S. Agency for International Development, where she coordinated legal issues regarding vaccine donation initiatives, managed Office of Inspector General and Congressional oversight inquiries and strengthened USAID’s capacity for disease outbreak response.
Before joining USAID, she was an attorney for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Virginia Supreme Court and Alexandria Circuit Court.
Tanner has a law degree from Washington & Lee University and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.
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