Ron Tanner is president of Tanner Food Group, a specialty food consultancy focused on international trade, industry preparedness and regulatory activities.

Ron is a former executive team member of the Specialty Food Association, the leading trade association for the $158 billion specialty food industry. His last role after a 33-year career with the trade group was Vice President, Education, Content and Advocacy. Ron worked for the SFA and its 3,900+ members from 1987 – 2020, helping them understand and succeed in the specialty food business. His responsibilities included education, content, marketing, public relations, industry relations, awards, government relations and philanthropy.

Ron served as the SFA’s liaison with numerous trade associations, university food programs, food incubators and government agencies. He has been a member of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) since 2007, and also served on the Steering Committee of the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA). He is a member of the Regulatory & Academic Committee of the American Cheese Society. Ron is on the Board of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and the Advisory Board of the Good Food Foundation.

Ron is a frequent speaker on the U.S. specialty food market and food trends and has presented seminars, lectures and workshops at key national and international industry conferences and events, including FoodEx Japan, Anuga, CIBUS, the Fancy Food Shows, the National Grocers Association Show, Natural Products Expo, the National Restaurant Association Show, and more.

In addition to overseeing more than 40 educational programs each year, Ron served as association spokesperson for many years. He has appeared on The Today Show, CNN and Food Network, and has been quoted in Newsweek, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He has an M.S. degree in Journalism from Columbia University in New York, and a B.A. in English and Communications Studies from Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio.