Jim Gorny
The Produce Marketing Association has hired Jim Gorny, senior adviser for the Office of Food Safety at the Food and Drug Administration, as its vice president of food safety and technology, starting on May 1.

Gorny will be in charge of helping members with science and technology, including food safety research, biotechnology, agricultural innovations, process and packaging technology and environmental sustainability, PMA said in a news release.

Gorny has had a long-standing role with the Center for Produce Safety at the University of California at Davis and will continue to be associated with the center. After an initial orientation phase at PMA’s headquarters in Newark, Del., he will return to his home base in California.

Before his role at FDA, Gorny was the executive director of the Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center at UC Davis. He also served as senior vice president of food safety and technology for the United Fresh Produce Association/International Fresh-Cut Produce Association, which merged in 2006.

He received a doctoral degree in plant biology from UC Davis and bachelor and master degrees in food science from Louisiana State University.

• Produce Marketing Association