NPA’s vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, Daniel Fabricant, PhD, said while Dr Sundlof’s comprehensive industry knowledge and accessibility would be missed, his acting replacement Michael Landa was well known to industry and unlikely to deliver any shocks in the way in which CFSAN operates.
Landa has filled the role of deputy director for regulatory affairs at CFSAN since 2004 and will himself be replaced by Roberta Wagner and Donald Kraemer, who will become acting joint deputy directors.
“Steve and Michael are both outstanding individuals,” Fabricant said. “Steve will be missed but he is leaving to do some very positive work in the academic area and will continue in an advisory role to CFSAN so he is not completely lost to the agency and the industry.”
“We look forward to working with Michael and his new team and don’t expect any great shake-up to occur.”
Of Dr Sundlof’s new role at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine which will include heading up a regulatory science training program in conjunction with the University of Minnesota and the Ohio State University, Fabricant observed: “His knowledge and the fact he is a great speaker make him a perfect choice for that role.”
Highly competent professionals
In an open letter the FDA’s commissioner for food and drugs, Margaret A Hamburg, MD and deputy commissioner for foods, Michael R Taylor, stated: “We are particularly pleased that Steve will be developing a program that will directly benefit FDA by providing a continuous source of highly competent professionals to meet our food safety and public health goals.”
“The programs will be designed especially for government employees and will offer a blend of science, policy, leadership, and non-technical skills necessary to be successful in today’s complex regulatory environment.”
Before taking up his role at CFSAN Dr Sundlof spent 14 years as the director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM), after being appointed by former FDA commissioner, David Kessler.
Wagner joined FDA in 1987 as a lab analyst and since 2008 has served as Ddirector of CFSAN’s Office of Compliance. Kraemer has been with the FDA since 1977 as a consumer safety officer and took the role of deputy director of CFSAN’s Office of Food Safety in 2007.