Chuck Cato has over 15 years of experience in quality assurance, food safety, and laboratory management. He is currently the Quality Assurance and Food Safety Manager at Farmers Cooperative Creamery in Oregon, where he oversees testing and auditing. Prior experience includes positions as a Laboratory Technician, Quality Assurance Manager, Production Supervisor, and Lab Director at various dairy, food processing, and laboratory companies. He has extensive experience implementing and maintaining food safety programs and certifications like SQF, ISO, and HACCP. Cato received a BS in Microbiology from Boise State University and holds multiple relevant training certifications.

1. Chuck Cato
Microbiologist BS
28800 Salmon River Hwy #98
Grand Ronde, OR 97347
208.999.0467
chcato59@yahoo.com
Objective: To obtain gainful employment with a Team orientated company
Prior Experience:
Aug 2015 to Present
Farmers Cooperative Creamery, McMinnville, Oregon
Quality Assurance and Food Safety Manager
I oversee the Laboratory with 2 direct reports in the testing and grading of Nonfat
Dried Milk Powder both Conventional and Organic. I train and supervise the Lab
Techs in testing protocols and review all results for the testing. I follow up on all
Out of Spec results with retesting and investigate when needed. I am responsible
for all auditing from either customer or 3rd
party. I conduct internal audits of the
plant to include Food Safety and Sanitation. I have implemented the FSMA
regulations for the new HACCP plans and all Preventive Process Controls program. I
revise and review all of the SOPs and SSOPs with the assistance from the
production supervisors input when needed. I am responsible for all of the State
and Federal Regulator agencies when they perform their audits and write and follow
up with the Corrective Action Reports as necessary. I am responsible for SQF
implementation and Organic certification for the plant operations.
I am SQF certified and HACCP trained. I have attended the FSMA regulations course
and will be taking the FSMA (2.5 day) course in June.
Jan 2015 to July 2015
Sorrento Lactillus American Group, Nampa ID.
Laboratory Technician II
I receive and test Cheese Samples using Foss Food Scan, FT120 to test for Fat%,
Moisture %, and Salt %. I receive CO-OP milk samples in which I perform testing
using the Bentley ESSC testing for Somatic Cells, and use the FT 120. I perform

2. multiple testing procedures to include Babcocks, TA, CEM oven, and pH meter. I
verify and validate procedures and assist other techs in the lab when deviations
occur, CAPA program is used. ISO 22000 standards are in place.
May 2014 to November 2014; Sandy Farms, LLC
Quality Assurance and Food Safety Manager, Production Supervisor
Quality Assurance and Food Safety and the Production Supervisor in the making of
fruit purees and IQF products. I achieved and maintained a high quality standard
for the lab and production personnel. I supervised 2 Lab Technicians and 12
production employees. I trained techs with new testing procedures in regards to
Petri Film and Salmonella, Listeria testing. I was involved in the production team
ensuring that the product was within the customer specifications. I monitored the
HAACP and Food Safety programs; I revised the testing methods and safety
programs. I revised the testing, safety and GMP/GAP programs and brought them
up to date. I achieved the recertification for Kosher, Organic and Good Agricultural
Practices for the farm and plant operations. I achieved SQF practitioner
certification. I responded to customer complaints, rejection of product(s) that did
not meet that standards for processing into a puree.
January 2014 to April 2014; Gem State Staffing, Nampa, ID
As a forklift driver, I moved products from the production floor to cold storage. I
achieved my fork lift certification within the 6 week training program. Maintaining a
clean, safe environment, observed other ensuring proper PPE was being used.
January 2011 to January 2014; Self Employed Consultant
During this three year period I was self-employed as a consultant assisting
companies in preparation for third party and/or customer audits. I would train the
staff in proper documentation, validation, and verification of what was required to
pass the audits. I would assist in revising protocols, policies and GMPs to a ISO/SQF
standard.
Recently, I contracted to a bakery in Santa Ana, CA, in preparation for a customer
audit. I was responsible for revising and bringing up to date their HAACP, Food
Safety, and Testing policies and Protocols. I was responsible for rebuilding the
Quality Assurance Department to bring it up to standards required. I trained the
techs in testing, sampling, and documentation for their products. I trained the techs
in the use of 3M Petri film test from setup to reading and proper recording of the
numbers for the dilution factors being used. I was able to complete this project in
the 6 week time. The bakery was able to pass the audit with a 98% score. The only
deficiencies had to do with minor problems in the production area.

3. I contracted with Dickensen Frozen Foods, to pass a SQF II audit, I had one week
to perform a GAP audit. The deficiencies found were able to be corrected in time for
the audit and the score was 95%.
I worked with a fertilizer company in setting up a Lab to test the products and set
base standards to be used by the techs performing the tests. We were able to pass
an FDA audit for Organic Fertilizer with a 95% score.
March 2011 to August 2011; Glanbia Foods, Gooding, ID
I was the Lab Manager, in a Dairy environment; the lab was responsible for
Microbiological and Chemistry testing of Cheese, Lactose and Whey Concentrate
Powder. I supervised 13 Lab techs, working 7 days a week, ensuring the
specifications were met to customer standards. I was responsible for budgetary,
human resources, stocking supplies and cost savings. I was able to revise and write
new SOPs, GMPs and HAACP plans and assisted in the quarterly training of all plant
personnel. I was part of a team that would solve manufacturing problems. I would
hold toolbox meeting with my staff for new concepts and safety issues. I achieved
a cost savings of $6000.00 in changing a supplier for a media. I was a coach and
mentoring team members to improve the quality and proficiency, performing
monthly internal audits. I developed equipment maintenance and calibration logs
because there were none in place prior to the audit. I developed the CPAR program
to ensure that any deviations were handled and followed up within 90 days. This
was to ensure that deviations were completely handled without any repeating
issues.
January 2011 to March 2011; XL 4Star Beef Company
The Vice President of XL 4Star Beef Company, I contracted as a consultant, I
performed intervention, preventative and corrective action programs to assist the
company with contamination problems in the processing of beef. I found many
problems on the Kill Floor in which we made corrections and were able to reduce
the contamination problem by 90%. I left the company with a new job offer. The
plant closed in June 2011.
July 2008 to December 2010; IEH Laboratories, Nampa, ID
As the Lab Director, I was responsible for maintaining, training and supervising 5
techs. We perform DNA extraction of beef samples looking for pathogens, i.e. E. coli
0157H7, Salmonella sp., and Listeria sp. Using gel electrophoresis and PCR
techniques. My responsibilities included: ensuring that the testing was performed
correctly and issued COAs to customers, customer complaints, training, mentoring
and coaching of the technicians. I performed monthly performance testing of techs
and yearly API testing. I would validate and verify the testing procedures being

4. used on a daily basis. When I took over the Lab Director position, the lab
proficiency was at 57% and within 4 months I brought the proficiency to 97%. I
worked for 6 months to prepare for a A2LA ISO 17025 certification audit, we were
able to pass with a score of 97% and only 7 deficiencies due to paperwork issues.
February 2003 to July 2008; Boise State University, Boise, ID
Forensic Human DNA Lab Technician
I researched the possibility of putting together a Forensic Human DNA Lab at Boise
State University. I did the research to put together the lab as far as equipment and
protocols needed. I presented the findings to a Department Chairman; the process
took 6 months from start to finish. I received the training and then trained more
techs as they came to work in the lab. We worked with the Innocence Project in
assisting inmates in cases of wrongful convictions.
SQF Trained and Practitioner 2015 #A 0025673;HACCP Training 2011/2016
FSMA Training 4/2016
Graduated Boise State University 2009 B.S. Microbiology