Cynthia James

Cynthia James is originally from Reading, Pennsylvania and relocated to the Finger Lakes with her family in 2017. She received her BA in Design of the Environment from the University of Pennsylvania, and her MS in Sustainable Food Systems from Green Mountain College. As an Extension Support Specialist at the Cornell Food Venture Center, Cynthia works with the Process Authority in helping to validate value-added packaged food products for safety and stability and consults with manufacturers about the steps they need to take to bring a safe product to market. Cynthia also managed the content development and currently facilitates the online “Food Product Development” certificate program through eCornell, which covers product ideation, food safety and quality, packaging & processing, regulatory compliance, and commercialization. She has been involved in the development of several other online and in-person educational programs including Current Good Manufacturing Practices and Regulatory Requirements for Small Food Processors.

Cynthia holds certifications for Better Process Control School, HACCP, PCQI, cGMPs & the Science of Yogurt and Fermented Dairy Products. She currently serves on the Board of the New York State Association for Food Protection and served as Secretary of the Board for Ithaca based Groundswell Center for Food and Farming for two years.

Cynthia has been working in the field of sustainable food systems for over 20 years with extensive experience in organic food production for direct-to-consumer markets in both urban and rural settings, as well as developing and conducting education programs for new farmers, urban gardeners, food processors, adult learners, college students, and youth as a program manager at the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, PA and adjunct professor at Lehigh University and Delaware Valley University.