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      • Dairy Economics and Unit Operations in Dairy Processing
      • Yogurts, Fermented Milks and Probiotic Dairy Products
      • Cheese Trivia with the Daphne Zepos Teaching Endowment
      • Dairy Basics: Fundamentals of Quality & Safety Workshop
      • Hazard Analysis & Preventive Controls for Small-Scale Dairy Processors Workshop
      • ACS Webinar: From Insights to Opportunity: Consumer Trends Driving Cheese Sales in 2024
      • ACS Webinar: Advances in Dairy Cattle Welfare Science
      • Vermont Cheese Summit
      • Affinage: The Art and Science of Maturing Cheese course
      • Affinage: The Art and Science of Maturing Cheese course
      • Affinage: The Art and Science of Maturing Cheese course
      • Affinage: the Art and Science of Maturing Cheese course
      • Dairy Products Innovation Conference
      • Hispanic and Mediterranean Short Course
      • Vermont Cheese Week Kickoff Celebration
      • Vermont Cheese Camp: The Land of Milk & Mountains
      • Vermont Cheese Camp: Cheese as a Way of Life
      • Dairy Plant Food Safety Workshop-Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
      • Dairy Plant Food Safety Workshop-Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
      • Biosecurity for On-Farm Dairy Processors
      • ACS Webinar: Evaluating the New Small Ruminant Mastitis Vaccine
      • Cheese Making Practical Shortcourse
      • ACS Webinar: Cutting Through the Quat: Tackling Dairy Wastewater Challenges
      • ACS Webinar: Shaping the Future of Artisan Cheese Through Today's Consumer Trends
      • The Dairy Connection on Milk and Cheese defects (Columbus, OHIO)
      • ACS Webinar: Brie-lliant Ideas: Building a Conference Proposal with the Education Committee
      • ACS Webinar: Two Approaches to the History of Ancient and Medieval Cheesemaking
      • Introduction to Artisan Cheesemaking: Milk to Make to Market
      • Affinage: Techniques, Microbes and Facilities
      • Advanced Cheesemaking: Simplifying Difficult Cheeses
      • 2025 Dairy Products Process & Packaging Innovation Conference
      • Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy Supplier Management Food Safety Workshop
      • ACS Webinar: The Insider's Guide to Entering ACS Judging & Competition
      • Introduction to Cheese Making Technology short course- Hands on!
      • Los Angeles International Dairy Competition
      • The Science & Craft of Raw Milk Cheese Conference
      • Dairy Pasteurization Short Course
      • Cheesemaking Short Course
      • Three-Day HACCP Short Course
      • Artisanal Cheesemaking
      • ACS Webinar: Latest Updates on Avian Flu Issues
      • Bolstering Your Dairy Foods Business, Through Successful Third Party Audits - NC State University
      • Introduction to Cheese Making Technology (spring, annually)
      • ACS Webinar: Unlock Salumiere Certification with the Charcuterie Professional Exam
      • Dairy Products 201
      • Counter Culture - Raleigh NC
      • Vermont Cheesemakers Festival 2025
      • ACS Certification - Live Ask Me Anything
      • ACS Conference Registration Opens!
      • ACS Conference Price Increase
      • ACS Conference Price Increase
      • ACS CCP® and ACS CCSE® Application Deadline
      • ACS J&C Entries Deadline
      • ACS Scholarship Application Deadline
      • ACS Award Nominations Deadline
      • ACS Judging & Competition
      • ACS Annual Conference
      • Vermont Cheese Week 2025
      • Frozen Desserts Innovation
      • Counter Culture Tampa - May 6, 2025
      • Counter Culture - San Diego May 16th
      • Dairy Plant Food Safety Workshop-Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
      • Dairy Plant Food Safety Workshop-Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
      • Dairy Plant Food Safety Workshop-Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
      • Dairy Plant Food Safety Workshop-Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
      • Summer Fancy Food Show
      • ACS Member Meetup at IDDBA
      • Crafting the Perfect Creamer: From Formula to Foam
      • ACS Webinar: EDIJ Audit Survey Results, Part 2: Caseinic Boogaloo
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  4. 2024 Key Volunteers

Meet the volunteers

Official Conference Cheesemongers

Meet the 2024 Official Conference Cheesemongers (OCCs). This team is a vital part of making ACS Annual Conference successful!

photo Alli Keyser Marti

Alli Keyser-Marti, CCP®

Gold Ridge Organic Farms

Building on a culinary career starting in her teenage years, in 2014 Alli Keyser-Marti fell in love with exploring the world of milk, salt, enzymes, and microbes. Her cheese journey includes managing Cowgirl Creamery’s original Pt Reyes shop, overseeing the Oliver’s Market Stony Point cheese department, as well as being awarded an ACEF Scholarship to attend the Portland conference in 2022, where she successfully completed the CCP® exam. She has followed this passion from her backyard in California to small farms all over France, rural Ohio, roadside stands in Sardinia, and ferries in Croatia. Most recently you’ll find her skillfully pairing cheese with olive oil or apple tastings at the farm in Sebastopol. 

Jennifer Cox Bio Pic

Jennifer Cox, CCP®

Gourmet Foods International

Jennifer Cox is a native of San Antonio and has a passion for all things cheese including a south Texas favorite, queso!  She started her food journey in catering and quickly discovered her passion for cheese when she became the deli and cheese shop manager at Central Market.  After a few years in the role, she decided to further her education through the Mons Academie so she flew to France to learn affinage, milk goats and make cheese in the countryside.  It was here that her passion for learning everything she can about the process of cheesemaking and supporting cheesemakers was really solidified.  She earned her CCP in 2019 in Richmond, Va and is also an IDDBA Certified Salumiere.  Some of her favorite people are American Artisan cheesemakers and her goal in life is to make sure their cheeses are in every home in Texas!  She is currently an Account Manager for Gourmet Foods International. 

Maria Rojas Picture 2023

Maria Rojas, CCP®

Whole Foods

Maria’s love of cheese started in Colombia while growing up.  She enjoyed eating fresh cheese bought directly from the local farms.  Her professional career started in the design world but she decided to leave that life to follow her passion for food.  She managed a small organic garden in Arizona where she worked with volunteers and taught classes in desert gardening.  Her career in cheese began with a cheesemaking course in Murray’s Cheese, New York.  Her curiosity and eagerness to keep learning about cheese led her to apply for a position in the Specialty Department in Whole Foods, and then she found her forever home with cheese.  She has worked her way from team member to cheese buyer into a lead position, and she also has completed the ACS CCP Exam.  Maria loves traveling and learning from other cultures and people. 

Meet the volunteers

Back of House Team

Meet the 2024 Back of House Key Volunteers. This team is a vital part of making the ACS Annual Conference successful!

Erin Connolly

Erin Connolly, ACS CCPⓇ

Receiving Manager

Erin is thrilled to be returning in her role and brings a wide range of food and beverage experience. Originally from Philadelphia, she grew up professionally with Whole Foods Market as a Specialty retail buyer, monger, trainer, and team leader in Denver. Since relocating to Minneapolis last year Erin has been working with Alemar Cheese Co. and other Midwest makers to deepen her knowledge and provide them with sales and marketing support through education, events, and in-store demonstrations. Erin achieved ACS CCPⓇ certification in 2017 and is also a CiceroneⓇ CBS and Cheese State Scholar. When not slinging cheese, you’ll find her at home in the kitchen, garden, or library.

Jake Sigl

Jake Sigl, ACS CCP®

Inventory Manager

Jake is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Service Management and an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts. With over fifteen years of progressive culinary and food service management experience, he is an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional®, ACS CCP®, Level One Sommelier, and a Freelance Cheesemonger.

Joe Karasch photo

Joe Karasch

Volunteer Coordinator

Joe has been at the Cheese Shop of Salem in Massachusetts since the store opened in 2015 (on the charcuterie counter), but has been working with cheese since the start of the pandemic. Now the lead cheesemonger, Joe has competed at the Cheesemonger Invitational NY in 2023 and plans to again in 2024. Joe’s most recent adventure was to Spain as an Essex St intern to learn about Manchego. When Joe isn’t in the shop, he’s coaching high school track & field, or trying to wrangle friends into playing some ridiculous board games.

Past Key Volunteers

2023

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Liz Steeves, ACS CCP® 
    • Nicole Pinch, ACS CCP® 
    • Austin Banach, ACS CCP® 
  • Inventory Manager
    • Jake Sigl, ACS CCP®
  • Receiving Manager 
    • Erin Connolly, ACS CCP®
  • Volunteer Coordinator
    • Katie Quinn, ACS CCP®

2022

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Lynne Affleck, ACS CCP® 
    • Alicia Baldwin, ACS CCP® 
    • Joshua Collier, ACS CCP®
    • Kyra James, ACS CCP®
  • Inventory Manager
    • Jake Sigl, ACS CCP®
  • Receiving Manager 
    • Erin Connolly, ACS CCP®

2019

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Devin Lamma, ACS CCP® 
    • Noreen Mayer 
    • Evan Talen, ACS CCP®

2018

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Jordan Edwards, ACS CCP®
    • Katie Grice 
    • Alex Armstrong, ACS CCP® 

2017

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • James Danforth, ACS CCP®
    • Brian Gilbert, ACS CCP® 
    • Katie Quinn, ACS CCP®

2016

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Meredith Fitzgerald, ACS CCP® 
    • Joe Green, ACS CCP® 
    • Arielle Neher, ACS CCP®

2015

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers 
    • Erin Clancy, ACS CCP® 
    • James Gentry, ACS CCP® 
    • Janee’ Muha, ACS CCP®

2014

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Randall Felts, ACS CCP®
    • Kelsie Parsons, ACS CCP®

2013

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Jason Herbert, ACS CCP®
    • Leah McFadden, ACS CCP®

2012

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Alexander Kast, ACS CCP® 
    • Rachel Perez, ACS CCP®

2011

  • Official Conference Cheesemongers
    • Jeanne Rodier
    • Kelly Sheehan 

2010

  • Official Conference Cheesemonger
    • Paige Lamb 
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PO Box 3406

Englewood, CO 80155

phone: +1 720-328-2788

email: info@cheesesociety.org

  • Contact Us
  • American Cheese Education Foundation
  • Bylaws
  • Member & Events Code of Conduct
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Search
  • Sitemap

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