Deborah McKenzie
Joining AOAC INTERNATIONAL in 2003, Deborah is the Senior Director of Standards and Official MethodsSM, including method approval processes. Her responsibilities include overseeing implementation and execution of voluntary consensus standards portfolio and the Official MethodsSM program. She and her team coordinate and administer associated science programs and activities that include standards development and method approval in support of food safety, food integrity, and public health. In support of her responsibilities, Deborah is the staff liaison to the AOAC Official Methods Board, the AOAC Technical Division on Reference Materials, and the AOAC staff liaison to other standards developing organizations. She develops educational materials and orientations on processes for standards development and for AOAC’s method conformity assessment programs and services. Additionally, Deborah also serves as Administrator of the US Technical Advisory Group to ISO/TC 34 (Food products).
Before AOAC, Deborah was a chemistry teacher and STEM educator and served as co-project director for state and federally funded grants for student and teacher development in STEM education with a focus on socioeconomically underserved communities. Deborah holds M.S. and B.A. degrees in Chemistry from SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University respectively. She is also an ordained rabbi, with a certificate of rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute. Deborah is member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), International Association for Food Protection (IAFP), Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), American Institute of Parliamentarians (AIP), Society for Standards Professionals (SES), National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE), and AOAC INTERNATIONAL.