Melissa Hoffman is a self-professed lifelong learner who has put that motto to practice in her more than thirty years of experience in the food and dairy industries. In her role as Food Safety & Quality Specialist, spends time in the field as a customer-facing technical extension of the Nelson-Jameson Lab Department. As a Food Safety & Quality Specialist, Melissa serves customers by providing training and solutions through a broad assortment of supplies and equipment. Hoffman’s first job in the dairy industry was as a dairy cattle nutritionist and has also held positions as lab department manager, quality assurance manager, and technical support analyst among others. Hoffman has been on the board of Wisconsin Lab Association for 6 years, including the role of board member at large for the first 3 years and the secretary position for the past 3 years. She also has a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture and a Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Agricultural: Dairy Science. Hoffman has also appeared in publications such as QA Magazine. “We are surrounded by agriculture and dairy in Wisconsin. This industry consists of hard-working, amazing people who are passionate about the business. I love how there are always challenges and the industry is forever moving forward.”