In 2014, Alli Keyser-Marti began her cheese journey, exploring the world of milk, salt, enzymes, and microbes. With a culinary career that started in her teenage years, she has managed Cowgirl Creamery’s original Pt Reyes shop and overseen the Oliver’s Market Stony Point cheese department. Alli was a 2022 ACEF Scholarship recipient and ACS Certified Cheese Professional®. In 2024 she was selected as an ACS Official Conference Cheesemonger, and travelled to Viseu, Portugal to volunteer for the World Cheese Awards. In 2025 she became an ACS Certified Cheese Sensory Evaluator®. Alli has pursued this passion from her backyard in California to small farms all over France, rural Ohio, roadside stands in Sardinia, and ferries in Croatia. When not volunteering, you can find her leading cheese board workshops and pairing cheese with olive oil or apple tastings at Gold Ridge Organic Farms in Sebastopol.

Alyssa Gilbert, ACS CCP is the Executive Director of the California Artisan Cheese Guild, where she brings her love of California’s cheesemakers and her knack for building community to the heart of the Guild’s work. With a background in specialty cheese retail, she’s passionate about lifting up the people, farms, and flavors that make California’s artisan cheese so special. Alyssa founded Ollie’s American Cheese + Provisions in 2019 on a mission to help her beloved Bay Area community eat more American cheese (craft, not kraft). She opened her brick-and-mortar cheese shop in Downtown Oakland in January 2022, and is eternally grateful to be able to provide her community with a space dedicated to supporting artisan products + makers.

Brandon Wood worked at Whole Foods Market from 2009 to 2022, ten of those years spent behind a cheese counter. He has written, traveled, studied, read, grown, and developed in and for cheese. From Cheese Camp, to multiple CMI’s to getting his CCP certificate in 2016, and tons in between. On February 11th, 2022 Brandon opened his own cheese shop in Livermore, CA called the Cheese Parlor. Cheese is literally now his life!

An avid world traveler with an entrepreneurial spirit, Christy Khattab joined Cypress Grove after realizing that her career wasn’t quite satisfying her appetite — literally. Now, almost a decade later and serving as the marketing director, Christy’s training expertise, management skills, and team-building mentality come from global experience: retail marketing manager in Cairo, cafe consultant and owner in California, a stint in high tech, and Director of Alumni and Engagement at a university. Since her very first day beginning at the Annual ACS conference, Christy has been committed to the industry and continues to bring her robust experience, enthusiasm for cheese and passion for artisan foods to Cypress Grove, a pioneering and award-winning Northern California specialty cheese producer. She not only shares the cheese love with consumers but her two daughters are bonafide cheese fanatics, too. 

Dr. Carmen Licon is a professional with a deep expertise in dairy products. In August 2023, she assumed the role of Director at Cal Poly’s Dairy Products Technology Center, where she continues to drive innovation for dairy manufacturers. Prior to this, her academic career began in October 2017 as an Assistant Professor for Food Processing and Engineering at Fresno State’s Department of Food Science and Nutrition. She holds a M.S. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Science and Engineering from the **University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, and a B.Sc. in Food Engineering  from Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico. She is also a Certified Cheese Professional by the American Cheese Society. 

Dr. Licon’s international research experiences, particularly in Poligny and Lyon, France, enhanced her focus on cheese aromas and emotions. Her work on developing a Manchego-type cheese with saffron, which has won multiple medals at the World Cheese Awards, is a testament to her innovative contributions to the cheese industry. Her commitment to artisanal and culturally diverse dairy production is also evident in her role as Director of the Pacific Coast Coalition, a position she has held since Fall 2021.

Dr. Licon is also deeply committed to education, consistently striving to share knowledge and inspire the next generation of cheese makers and dairy professionals. 

In addition to her academic and research accomplishments, Carmen has been featured in Culture: The Word on Cheese magazine in 2024, a recognition of her thought leadership and support to the dairy industry. She is the 2024 recipient for the Daphne Zepos Teaching Award for her commitment to develop a vocational program for cheesemakers. 

Through her work, Dr. Licon actively champions innovation and empowers the artisanal cheese community. Her passion and leadership serve as a driving force, inspiring the next generation of cheese makers and dairy professionals.

FM Muñoz is a growth marketer who partners with high-potential, mission-driven brands to unlock their next chapter. He began his journey in dairy at Vermont Creamery, where he led brand and product as Director of Marketing.  There he built the company’s first marketing team and stewarded the brand through its acquisition by Land O’Lakes.

Today, FM serves as a strategic marketing advisor to national and global brands, working closely with founder/owners and executives and sales and marketing teams on growth strategy, brand management, and insights and analytics. His portfolio includes beloved California brands like Cypress Grove, Cowgirl Creamery, and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., as well as national and global brands such as Athenos, Emmi, Roth, Wellful Brands, Vermont Glove and Effie’s Homemade.

FM holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and a M.Ed. from the University of Vermont.

FM is a member of the American Cheese Society and the California Artisan Cheese Guild. In his spare time, he can be found scheming in the kitchen, wrangling his grumble of pugs, and digging in the dirt.

Agriculture degree in hand Jane pondered the question; how do I combine my love of all thing’s food with my passion for agriculture? The answer was and always will be CHEESE! After graduation Jane sought to immerse herself in cheese. From that time on, she was introduced not only the world of bloomy rinds, cheese wires and affinage but also to the most amazing community of people, the California Cheese peopleand her cheese life exploded! She first dipped her toes into the proverbial fondue pot back in 2011 as the first intern at the Cheese School of San Francisco. She then hopped over to Maui for some time on a goat dairy. Upon returning to Oakland, CA she landed a job as a cheese monger (and eventual cheese department manager) at Market Hall Foods. Five years at Market Hall were spent filling her brain and belly with all things cheese! Days passed quickly behind the counter where she shared tasty morsels with customers and regale them with the stories behind the cheese. The cheese counter is where she first learned about Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company (PRFC) and their story. From then on, she was hooked, even using Toma on stage to introduce herself at the 2015 Cheese Monger Invitational! She yearned to work for a dairy and creamery and have her own part in the cheeses’ story. In 2017 she joined the PRFC team, where she has been fortunate to help with sales, lead farm tours and tastings, serve as part of the quality assurance team, logistics and operations and is now the Direct-to-Consumer manager. Jane and her husband live in Petaluma and are part owners of Civilization Brewery in Santa Rosa. To this day Jane’s favorite thing about cheese, is swapping tasty tidbits, finding a perfect pairing with a California wine or beer and sharing the stories and histories of California’s rich cheese tradition.

Janne Rasmussen is the Senior Marketing Manager for Cypress Grove in Arcata, CA, and a proud Humboldt County, CA native. With more than fifteen years at Cypress Grove, she’s helped grow the brand’s national presence and developed a deep and ever evolving understanding of cheese consumers and the broader specialty industry.

Known for her curiosity, enthusiasm, and comfort in a group, Janne loves welcoming visitors, leading trainings, and sharing the story behind Cypress Grove’s cheeses. Her background in competitive dairy products evaluation and her inherited Dutch devotion to rich, full-fat dairy fuel her. She’s been a committed partner to the work leading strategic marketing initiatives, especially in brand management, portfolio optimization, new product development and innovation, and marketing strategy for Cypress Grove over the last 15 years.

Janne is happiest surrounded by good people and good food, ideally with her husband and kids nearby — though she’ll never turn down an evening spent watching a show with ice cream.

Julia Lowry is the Quality Compliance Manager for Clover Sonoma, a leader at the forefront of the dairy industry in
Northern California. She first developed a love of artisan cheese behind the counter at Saxelby Cheesemongers in
New York, and eventually moved into production, becoming a cheesemaker for Meadowood Farms in Cazenovia,
New York and Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station, Calif. Today, her work at Clover includes food safety
program management, new product development, and regulatory compliance.
Julia believes that you can’t make good cheese without good milk, and Clover makes the best milk! As a past
volunteer with the CA Artisan Cheese Guild, she is excited to represent fluid milk processors and looks forward to
learning from each of the board members.
A San Francisco native, Julia now lives in beautiful West Marin with her husband Dylan (who works for Point
Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.) and dog, Dash. Her favorite local cheese is Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk, and not
just because she used to make it!

As the Marketing Manager at Cowgirl Creamery, Kaya has a strong background in communications, marketing, public relations, events, and trade show management. In addition to her role as Marketing Manager for Cowgirl Creamery, she has the privilege of representing top specialty cheese companies including Roth Cheese, Emmi USA, and Kindred Creamery. She has more than 20 years of experience in communications and marketing, specializing in public outreach, sustainability, and diversity, equity and inclusion. She has previously worked in food and beverage, journalism and at trade associations. 

Kaya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a member of the American Cheese Society and the California Artisan Cheese Guild. She enjoys spending time with her family, youth sports, travel, cooking, baking, recipe development, and gardening. 

A California native with deep roots in the North Bay, Leigh treasures the remarkable food culture and natural beauty that has surrounded her throughout her life. Her family’s tradition of cooking has always centered around celebration and togetherness – a joy she continues to share with her own children, now young adults, who have discovered the same happiness in cooking together and gathering around the table.

Leigh’s love for artisan foods led her to Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., where she serves in Marketing & Communications. Over the past four years, she has connected with fellow cheese makers, vintners, and food artisans throughout California, helping bring together the community through specialty food and wine events. Her earlier work in craft brewing and specialty coffee cultivated her appreciation for the care that goes into creating something special. When not chatting about cheese or planning events, Leigh can be found hiking North Bay trails, enjoying live music, or hosting game nights where local cheeses and wines always take center stage. Whether sharing food with loved ones or working with fellow artisans, she remains passionate about California’s vibrant food and wine community.

Lizzie has spent more than a decade immersed in the world of specialty food, marketing, and business development—though like many in the cheese world, her journey started simply with loving great cheese. As the Director of Retail for the California Milk Advisory Board, she partners closely with retailers and California’s 200+ cow’s-milk cheesemakers to help their products shine in cheese cases across the country.

Before joining CMAB, Lizzie spent over eight years at Murray’s Cheese, where she grew from the training team into the Director of National Brand Marketing. In that role, she helped bring the iconic NYC cheese shop experience to more than 1,100 Kroger locations nationwide. Originally from New York City and now happily rooted in sunny Southern California, Lizzie loves traveling, discovering new foods, and is always in search of her next favorite restaurant. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies from Boston University and is a proud Certified Cheese Professional.

With a career spanning diverse industries and coasts, Luciana has cultivated a passion for fostering connections and embracing new challenges. Her journey has led her from startups to Fortune 500 companies, always driven by a love for exploration and shared growth. After two decades in the corporate world and a meaningful chapter of caregiving, she found herself drawn to the vibrant and collaborative world of artisanal cheese.  Her cheese odyssey began at Market Hall Foods, where she honed her skills as a cheese monger. Now, as the monger/director at Gus’s Community Market, overseeing five locations in San Francisco, she continues to nurture her passion for exceptional cheese and community building. Having served on the Guild’s Board from 2018 to 2022 and contributed to the Executive Council, she has developed a deep appreciation for our cheese community. Her commitment to supporting its growth remains unwavering, and she is eager to bring her experience and enthusiasm back to the board.

Rob Graff is a cheese monger and the Director of Events at Venissimo Cheese in San Diego as well as the founder of Cheese & Libation Expo. Rob is a husband, father, PTA member, and art lover who spends his free time reading, running (sometimes at the same time!), and hanging with his family. Rob grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to San Diego to go to college in 1998.  After graduating, Rob took a job with a distribution company in San Francisco. He spent a couple of years learning the business before returning to San Diego. Interested in learning about cheese, Rob took a job at Venissimo in 2008. It was meant to be a bridge back to the corporate world but turned into much more.

In 2009, Rob started Venissimo’s Academy of Cheese (AoC). Over the next several years, he led dozens of intimate tastings as well as large corporate events. Over the last decade, Venissimo has collaborated with hundreds of other San Diego businesses – breweries, wineries, distilleries, etc. – anything and everything that you can pair with cheese!

In 2017 Rob helped launch Veni Voyages, customer cheese trips. This was largely built on the trust of the Venissimo brand and the Academy of Cheese program. To date, Rob has taken groups to Northern Italy, Southern France, Normandy, Sicily, the Alps, Paso Robles, and Northern California.

Rob established Liquid City in 2019 with the purpose of advancing the artisan cheese industry in Southern California via two large cheese events – a trade-focused event called Makers Night and a consumer-focused event called Cheese Expo. Rob rebranded this event in 2024 which is now called Cheese & Libation Expo. 2025 will be the fifth installment and every year gets bigger and better.

Today, Rob continues to oversee Venissimo’s Academy of Cheese and Veni Voyages while also producing the annual Cheese & Libation Expo.