Marler Clark, the nation's food safety law firm, has donated $50,000 to the Dave Theno Food Safety Fellowship, a partnership between Stop Foodborne Illness and Michigan State University Online Food Safety Program. The fellowship was created in 2017, to support young food scientists, enabling them to work closely with Stop Foodborne Illness and learn from members who have experienced the consequences of failures in food safety firsthand. The Fellow will work full-time for Stop Foodborne Illness and complete a 12-credit Online Food Safety Certificate with Michigan State University.
"We have been honored to donate a total of $200,000 to this worthy cause. I would ask that all that care about food safety consider doing the same", said Bill Marler.
Dave Theno became head of Jack in the Box’s food safety shortly after the 1992-1993 outbreak. Bill Marler litigated cases in this outbreak and personally witnessed how this tragedy affected Dave and served as a lifelong guide in his career and how he strived to make food safer.
Marler stated, " We will all miss his humanity and leadership."
Dave Theno's Awards and Memberships:
- NSF Lifetime achievement award
- American Association of Food Hygiene Veterinarians
- American Meat Science Association
- International Association of Food Protection
- International Meat & Poultry HACCP Alliance
- Institute of Food Technologists
- National Advisory Committee on Meat & Poultry Inspection
- National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods
- National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Beef Industry Food Safety Council
- National Meat Association
- Black Pearl Award by the International Association of Food Protection
- Innovator of the Year Award from Nation’s Restaurant News
- California Environmental Health Association’s Mark Nottingham Award
- Nation’s Restaurant News “Top 50 Players”
- STOP’s Hero Award and Scholarship