3-A SSI Volunteer Service Works for You!

Volunteers are the heart of the Working Groups for 3-A SSI. They give their time, energy, and knowledge to advance the 3-A SSI consensus document development process and their own career. The 14 Working Groups in 3-A SSI consist of experts representing fabricators of related types of equipment, systems, and materials and representatives of the users and regulatory sanitarian stakeholder groups.

What motivates volunteers to serve? And how does it benefit their organizations and their careers? A few have shared more about their experience:

Jedd Taylor, Senior Process Engineer, Leprino Foods Co.:

“Leprino Foods is taking an active role in 3-A SSI, Inc. for several reasons. First, it is critical that the dairy industry continues to produce products that are safe and anything we can do to help with that is important us. Second, it gives us the opportunity to work side by side with industry and regulatory innovators and thought leaders so that our processes continue to get better with each build. Third, we have a voice regarding relative standard importance and prioritization based on our vast experience in our plants.”

Juan Paulo Hidalgo Rios, Director Process Engineering, Danone North America

“As a food producer, it is key to have participation in the 3-A Working Groups, this is the right place where your voice is heard. Since I joined the 3-A Working Groups, I have had the opportunity to expose design concerns, to provide ideas to improve standards and to address process engineering opportunities that can benefit other food producers. I definitely encourage other food producers to join the 3-A Working Groups. There is a great educational and knowledge sharing opportunity where you will have the opportunity to exchange with OEM suppliers and systems integrators on hygienic design topics. While participating in the 3-A Working Groups, you are exposed to different engineering professional expertise specific to Hygienic design, you participate on the draft revisions and have the opportunity to provide important feedback. Joining the 3-A Working Groups will equip you with a different set of skills on hygienic design."

Tara Schuelke, Portfolio Manager, Hilmar Cheese Co.

“3-A SSI’s Working Groups grow your connections with subject matter experts in the sanitary standards community across numerous industries and a range of participants from equipment manufacturers to regulatory and consumer product producers. The Working Groups support the professional development of participants, as participants are active contributors to the rationalization of each word in the standards. The Working Groups are a path for individuals to be subject matter experts themselves in sanitary design. It’s a key opportunity to participate in expectations for all of us as key stakeholders in sanitary industries to write our future expectations that we will deliver against to produce sanitary products for consumers.”

Learn more about all of the ongoing 3-A SSI activities. Make 2023 the year to grow in your career. Sign up for a Working Group where you can learn and share. Use the online sign-up form or contact Eric Schweitzer at erics@3-a.org for more details.