Cory Hedman

Cory Hedman has a long and diverse work experience in various roles related to food safety and quality assurance. Starting in 1977, they worked at the Will County Health Department, where they were responsible for supervising the environmental health program. In 1986, they moved on to Dominick's Finer Foods, where they served as the Director of Food and Workplace Safety, focusing on implementing policies and practices to ensure food safety and prevent illnesses. During their time at Dominick's Finer Foods, they also took on the role of Director of Public Affairs.

In 1997, Hedman joined Delhaize America as the Director of Food and Workplace Safety, responsible for developing and implementing food safety and workplace safety programs for Hannaford and Sweet Bay Supermarkets. They also oversaw the quality of private brand products and played a key role in developing global food safety standards for Delhaize Group. From 2010 to 2015, they served as the Vice President of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Meijer, where they reduced regulatory critical violations and implemented a behavior-based food safety inspection program. They continued to reduce FDA critical violations overall until 2020.

Cory Hedman holds a Master of Public Health degree in Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety from Benedictine University, which they obtained from 1989 to 1994. Earlier, they received a Baccalaureate of Science in Zoology/Animal Biology from Eastern Illinois University between 1975 and 1977. Before that, they completed their Associate Arts & Sciences degree in Biology at Joliet Junior College from 1973 to 1975.