Willette M. Crawford

I am a food safety scientist, regulatory consultant, and nonprofit leader with a deep commitment to advancing food safety, health equity, and diversity in the healthcare professions, currently serving as President of the Board of Directors for Lillie-Kate, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing scholarships, mentorship, and outreach to aspiring African American PAs, increasing minority representation in the PA profession. I am also a Principal Consultant at Katalyst Consulting LLC, a role I have held since June 2017, where I provide food safety, regulatory compliance, and crisis management consulting specializing in FSMA, import and produce safety, leveraging my extensive knowledge of food law, food safety, quality, organic compliance, and research and development.

I also served as a USDA Advisory Committee Appointee on Minority Farmers, where I advised the USDA on strategies to maximize minority participation in programs and services, and as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for Works Little Garden, a nonprofit providing fresh fruits and vegetables through food donations to underserved persons in the Metropolitan Atlanta area.

Prior to my consulting work, I served as Senior Scientist and Director of the 1890 Center for Food Safety and Health at South Carolina State University for over two years, where I established a premier nationally recognized food safety and health research institute focusing on food safety, functional foods, nutrition and wellness, and food security, bridging agriculture, food production, food protection, and community health.

I hold a PhD in Food Science and Food Microbiology from Purdue University and a Master of Public Health in Public Health and Health Administration from East Tennessee State University, where I was a member of Delta Omega.

Across my career in food safety science, regulatory consulting, and nonprofit leadership, my work has been driven by a commitment to protecting public health, advancing food safety through science and policy, and creating opportunities for underrepresented communities in healthcare and agriculture. Whether I am consulting on food safety compliance, leading research institutes, or serving on nonprofit boards, I bring a strategic, science-driven, and community-focused approach that creates lasting impact. I am proud of the work I have done throughout my career and excited to continue advancing food safety, health equity, and diversity through my consulting practice and board leadership.