Catching up with Nikeya Thomas

Nikeya Thomas was a member of Cohort V. At that time, Ms. Thomas was a Food Safety Inspector with The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).

Since completing the Fellowship, Ms. Thomas became the Manufactured Foods Regulatory Program Standards Coordinator (MFRPS) in 2016. In her time as the MFRPS Coordinator, she brought the Food Safety Program into full conformance and implementation.

In March of 2017, she took on a new role as the Northern Virginia Regional Manager in the Food Safety Program at VDACS and was the first African-American woman in that position, which she held for 3.5 years.

Nikeya earned a Master’s of Science degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Biosecurity in May of 2017.  Most recently she co-authored an article titled “A Series of Papaya-Associated Salmonella Illness Outbreak Investigations in 2017 and 2019: A Focus on Traceback: Laboratory, and Collaborative Efforts” that was published in the Journal of Food Protection.

Currently, Nikeya serves as the Industrial Hemp Program Coordinator for VDACS’s Office of Policy and Planning and Research. 

“The fellowship allowed me to find value in research and building networks. It provided new opportunities professionally by connecting with individuals from all over the country.” - Nikeya Thomas