RFA Technical Webcasts
The RFA hosts quarterly Technical Webcasts on timely food safety and regulatory topics affecting See below for details on the latest Technical Webcast. RFA Members can access slide presentations from past Technical Webcasts at anytime in the Member Center. September 2, 2026 RFA Webcast:"Succession Planning: The Most Important Plan for the Long Term Success of Your Company"
REGISTER HERE for this live, interactive Event that you can join from your office! Date and Time: * Wednesday, September 2, from 2:00 p.m.- 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
The Blount Fine Foods Story Effective succession planning can separate your business from the competition and ensure long-term success, stability, and continued growth. In this webcast, Blount Fine Foods will share their approach to building a strong succession planning culture from the ground up as well as the top down. Hear how Blount approaches succession planning at all levels of the organization—from developing future leaders and creating internal mobility opportunities to using tools like the 9-box model to identify and support talent development. The discussion will also explore the importance of management and executive development in building a pipeline of leaders ready to step into key roles. The conversation will continue with Blount’s experience navigating succession planning at the board and CEO level, including preparing the organization for future needs, strengthening leadership readiness, and aligning succession efforts with the company’s long-term vision. Join Blount Fine Foods leaders as they share their journey, lessons learned, and the importance of taking a proactive approach to succession planning to build a resilient organization for generations to come. Presenters: Todd Blount, CEO and Owner, Blount Fine Foods Todd serves as President and CEO of Blount Fine Foods, a 5th generation company headquartered in Fall River, MA, with other facilities in Rhode Island and Texas. The company produces premium refrigerated soups & sides for restaurants and retailers nation-wide. Todd began working for Blount Fine Foods after graduating with a MBA from Boston University, in 1994. He won the Providence Business New’s Strategic Leadership award in 2015 and was an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the year regional winner in 2011, and Providence Business New’s 40 under 40 in 2007. Valarie Ball, Vice President of HR, Blount Fine Foods Valerie Ball is Vice President of Human Resources at Blount Fine Foods and a strategic advisor to the Executive Leadership Team. With more than 18 years of HR leadership experience across manufacturing, technology, aviation, defense, and industrial sectors, she leads the company’s people strategy, including talent development, organizational effectiveness, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and workforce planning. Prior to joining Blount, Valerie led Textron’s Global Leadership Development Program. She is known for building strong leaders and high-performing teams while aligning talent strategies with business growth. Valerie holds degrees from Fitchburg State University and Framingham State University and is an active member of SHRM and NEHRA. George Veth, Strategic Advisor George Veth is an advisor and consultant specializing in strategy execution. He began his career as an equity analyst and co-founded two professional services firms, advising Fortune 500 clients like Wal-Mart, Staples, and EMC on performance management and analytics. Mid-career, he earned a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. He co-developed the Public Value Toolkit and led cross-boundary collaboration programs for city governments across North America and Europe. He also founded a nonprofit fund in Uganda that currently provides debt financing to more than 125 small and medium enterprises. Veth is brought in across sectors to lead tough-to-deliver strategic initiatives.
How does the Webcast work? It's easy and convenient! A virtual seminar is one that you can "attend" and participate in right from your offices. There is no travel time, and now provided at NO COST to RFA members! The RFA Webcast will include live audio along with a slide presentation on the Web. You just need a phone connection for the audio and an Internet connection. In addition, the webcast will allow you to comment and ask questions at specified times during the event using your phone. You can invite staff members to listen and participate too! To get the most out of a webcast, it is recommended that you have no more than five people at any one computer connection. If you have multiple locations, please register each location separately.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and the Research Chefs Association (RCA) have confirmed that continuing education credits are available for numerous RFA technical functions. Depending on the specific educational criteria of these two organizations, credits will be accepted for attendance at 1) RFA Webinars, 2) the RFA Fall Symposium and 3) the RFA Annual Conference. Contact the RFA office for more information or for proof of participation.
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