Tiffinie Corona, MBA, PCQI
Tiffinie Corona, MBA, PCQI, is a distinguished Quality Assurance Manager with extensive experience across manufacturing and distribution environments. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and an MBA from Strayer University. Although she began her career intending to pursue science, she discovered a profound passion for quality assurance at Smithfield, which set the foundation for her leadership trajectory. Over the past 14 years, she has cultivated deep expertise in food safety, SQF implementation, regulatory compliance, internal and external auditing, warehouse operations, and customer-focused quality leadership through roles at Nitta Gelatin, EJ Cox, American Woodmark, and now NFI.
At NFI, Tiffinie oversees quality programs across distribution operations, ensuring regulatory alignment, food safety integrity, and operational effectiveness within 3PL processes while strengthening customer partnerships. Beyond technical excellence, she is a key driver of quality culture, employee engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives across the site. As the only woman on the senior management team, she is a vocal advocate for equity in the workplace and leads with authenticity, resilience, and faith.
Tiffinie’s journey is equally defined by personal strength—having overcome cervical cancer twice, she credits these experiences with shaping her determination, empathy, and commitment to serving others. Outside of her corporate role, she is deeply engaged in community service, mentorship, and entrepreneurship. She co-runs a growing baking business with her daughter, volunteers with Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, and helps manage her church-based food bank, which has expanded from two donation outlets to a multi-church network. She is also an aspiring Christian speaker and mentor dedicated to empowering women through stories of purpose and perseverance.
Currently pursuing her PhD, Tiffinie embodies lifelong learning, service, and mission-driven leadership, inspiring those around her to pursue excellence with courage and compassion.
• Implementing SQF Systems
• Strayer University - MBA
• Outstanding Achievement Award /NFI
• Employee Engagement Committee
• ALPHA PI OMEGA SORORITY INCORPORATED
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a combination of perseverance, faith, and the example set by strong role models in my life—especially my mother and father. Their sacrifices, resilience, and unwavering belief in me taught me the value of hard work, integrity, and serving others. Professionally, staying curious, committed to lifelong learning, and leading with both empathy and accountability have allowed me to grow and create impact in every role I’ve held.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Early in my career, a mentor told me: ‘Lead with your values, not your title.’ That advice has stayed with me through every role and challenge, reminding me that success isn’t only about what you accomplish—it’s about how you impact others along the way
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I’d encourage women to consider careers in this industry and embrace the opportunities it offers. While it can be challenging, approaching it with resilience, curiosity, and determination allows you to grow, make an impact, and bring valuable perspectives that are needed. By stepping in and leading with confidence, women can shape the future of the field and inspire others along the way.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges right now in quality assurance is balancing increasingly complex regulatory and food‑safety demands with rising consumer expectations around transparency, sustainability, and speed. At the same time, there’s a huge opportunity: leveraging digital transformation — like AI, IoT, and blockchain — to build smarter, more resilient quality systems. By investing in predictive analytics and real-time monitoring, we can shift from reactive quality control to proactive risk management. I also see a major opportunity in closing the skills gap by developing training pipelines and ‘talent factories’ that prepare the next generation of QA and food safety professionals
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are integrity, resilience, and service. In my work, integrity ensures that quality and safety are never compromised, while resilience allows me to tackle challenges with determination and a solutions-oriented mindset. In my personal life, service and empathy guide how I support my family, community, and colleagues. Together, these values shape how I lead, make decisions, and strive to make a positive impact every day
Locations
NFI
Wagram, NC 28396
NFI
2610 Clark West Road, Fayetteville, NC, 28312