Jalesa Gray is a force of nature within the food safety industry. As quality manager at Genpak, a leading food-packaging solutions company, Gray has proven her meddle as a leader as well as a strategic thinker. Her background demonstrates that she is also a self-starter, a lifelong learner, and an advocate of a growth mindset in everything she does.

As one of the newest professionals to earn the Certified SQF Practitioner credential, which was established by SQFI in 2024 and is administered by Exemplar Global, Gray has demonstrated that she has what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of food manufacturing and packaging. We were proud to feature her story in our recent Online Expo; you can watch her recorded session here.

A drive to succeed

Gray’s story demonstrates that persistence and focus are the keys to reaching one’s professional goals.

“I have a bachelor’s degree in business,” she relates. “When I graduated, I started with a temp job as a data entry clerk at a food-packaging company. I was then hired as a quality technician, then a quality engineer, and then a quality manager.”

All that advancement happened over the course of a few short years, and it was largely driven by her growth-mindset outlook.

“When I was hired as a quality tech, I wanted to know more about it, so I enrolled at school again for a master’s degree in quality and engineering management,” she says. “And that’s when I got my promotion to quality engineer. I dove in because I wanted to know more and be competent.”

The SQF springboard

For the past year, Gray has worked with Genpak, an opportunity that would not have come her way is she had not had a background working in the SQF system.

“A recruiter reached out to me and saw my previous experience in SQF, and that was a requirement for our [Genpak] plant,” Gray recalls.

In fact, she holds numerous SQF certifications and credentials going back several years, with more being added to her resume all the time.

“I will soon be fulfilling all requirements as an SQF Consultant,” she says. “I’m just waiting on the five-year time frame required, which will happen in December.”

As she awaits confirmation of her SQF Consultant status, however, Gray saw the Certified SQF Practitioner credential and jumped at the chance to achieve it.

“When I saw the practitioner credential, I realized it was something I could obtain right away, and I was really, really excited!” Gray mentions.

The testing confirmed that she knew her stuff, and no onerous preparation was required.

“You don’t have to study for the test,” she says. “If you’re already a site practitioner, you know what’s on the test, especially if you have some years of experience. For me, I didn’t have to study for it, and that just really boosted my confidence in knowing that I know about the SQF Code. It validated my position and brought confidence to my workplace, also.

“Getting this credential gave me the opportunity to work across the company and not just at my site. So now I’m able to meet with other quality managers and plant managers at other sites and share my knowledge. It’s helped me be known throughout the company.”

Looking forward

Young and fast-rising professionals like Jalesa Gray are obviously deeply invested in the future of food production and food safety. She has some clear ideas about what’s to come.

“Regulations are always changing, our customers’ expectations are always changing, and AI is in the system now,” Gray says. “We have to make sure that we are upping our preventative controls and upping our traceability, because there’s so much automation. That means we must keep continuously learning and evolving, looking at our practices, our documentation, and monitoring the technologies we’re using. It’s never going to stop because we can always do better. I’m happy that the industry is moving to more quality assurance because that means we’ll be better able to prevent food safety hazards and quality issues. It’s a forever-evolving thing.”

It goes without saying that Gray is an optimist, and for good reason.

“I am really proud of my journey. From a temp to a tech to an engineer to a manager—I see my pathway and I’m excited where it’s going,” she says. “Doing cross-functional work at multiple facilities is an additional step, so maybe one day I can become a corporate food safety manager. And with my upcoming consultant certification, I’ll be able to network and consult, too.”

Ultimately, she’s a big believer in SQF certification.

“My advice to people at the beginning of their careers would be to get everything that’s out there,” she says. “It not only benefits you, it benefits the company you’re working for, too. And that is the purpose when we’re working for an employer. We want to bring the best. So, get the credential, learn more, share your knowledge with your company, and flourish!”

Ready to elevate your food safety journey?

Learn more about how the Certified SQF Practitioner credential can advance your career and impact. Visit the SQF training page to get started.