Meet our leadership team.
- James F. Schurman President and Founder
- James P. Williams Executive Vice President and COO
- Henry Nahmad Executive Vice President
- Jeff Mitchell Director, Food Safety
- Steve Wood Director, Customer Service
- Mingzhong Su, Ph.D. Director, Research & Development
- Lydia Strayer, MS Director, Regulatory Affairs
Jim Schurman has been providing food safety, sanitation, and hygiene solutions to his clients for over 40 years. As a pioneer and innovator, Jim has been instrumental in the development of much of the equipment, products and industry best practices that are accepted as today's global standards in Food Safety and Sanitation. An avid traveler, Jim and his family reside in South Florida.
Since 1996, Jim Williams has been responsible for all day-to-day operations of Chemstar Corporation, including: Manufacturing, Research & Development, Distribution, and Finance. Jim's background includes extensive experience in chemical-related industries. Prior to joining Chemstar, Jim was Vice President of Operations for Novamax Technologies, Inc. - a multi-plant specialty chemical firm that provided a variety of high tech chemical applications to the metal finishing and fabricating industries. Prior to Novamax, Jim worked for Oxford Chemicals from 1970 to 1993, during which time he held a variety of positions from Chemist to Vice-President of Operations. He was heavily involved in the development of Oxford's "Spectrum Program" which became the standard that today's food safety and sanitation service programs are designed upon. Jim holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Georgia State University. Jim resides outside of Atlanta, Georgia where he enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter, and grandchild.
Contact Information
Mr. James P. Williams
jwilliams@chemstarcorp.com
Henry Nahmad has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer since 2008, responsible for the development and execution of Chemstar's long-term business strategy. During his tenure, the customer base has expanded considerably; the company has entered new verticals and grown its geographic footprint. The success of these initiatives has resulted in significant revenue and profitability increases.
Henry's background includes extensive experience in strategic and financial endeavors. Prior to joining Chemstar, Henry held positions as Operations Controller and Director of Corporate Development for Watsco, Inc., the largest independent distributor of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration products in the United States. As Operations Controller, Henry was responsible for monitoring the operating performance of over four hundred distribution facilities and ensuring alignment with the company's strategic objectives. As Director of Corporate Development, Henry executed and integrated multiple acquisitions of HVAC/R distributors ranging in size from $10mm to $100mm in enterprise value.
Henry holds a B.S. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Babson College, with concentrations in management and finance. Henry is a Board Member of the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety and an active member of the Florida Association for Food Protection, the International Association for Food Protection, and several other organizations.
Contact Information
Mr. Henry M. Nahmad
Office: (305) 508-4918
hnahmad@chemstarcorp.com
Jeff Mitchell is the Director of Food Safety and Sanitation at Chemstar Corporation, where he is responsible for all operational and strategic initiatives related to food safety and sanitation. Jeff brings to the company over twenty years of experience in food safety and sanitation with the United States Department of Defense ("DoD"), where he last served as the Command Food Safety Officer for the DoD. In this position, Jeff had oversight of over 4,000 commissaries worldwide, performed and oversaw food safety audits of food processing facilities, and helped shape current and future food safety policy by working with various regulatory agencies, research institutions, and industry representatives. During his time at the DoD, Jeff also served as Lead Auditor for the Approved Sources Division and was selected to serve as the Consumer Safety Officer. In these positions, Jeff helped to establish a military audit scheme comparable to BRC, SQF, and ISO 22000 and was the sole agent responsible for coordinating all food recalls for each branch of the United States Military. Through his work, Jeff has acquired vast experience with contract compliance, regulatory requirements, traceability and recall procedures, and food protection within the food industry. He has worked closely with the USDA and the FDA regarding food safety policy, HACCP, and regulatory reform. In recognition of his contributions to food safety, Jeff was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, among other awards, and is recognized by industry as a source of food safety and sanitation expertise.
Jeff's experiences and achievements illustrate his wide-ranging capabilities to work with retailers, processors, and all food safety authorities in the United States and globally. At Chemstar, we are passionate about food safety and sanitation, and we are committed to delivering world-class customized food safety and sanitation solutions that meet or exceed even the highest of food safety compliance measures. In that pursuit, we are confident that Jeff's passion, leadership, experiences, and relationships in the industry will not only be a valuable asset to our organization, but also to yours.
Jeff earned the degree of Bachelors of Food Science and the degree of Master of Food Technology from the University of Georgia. He holds professional certifications in Food Defense, HACCP, ISO 2200, and SQF, is member of the Board of Advisors at the University of Georgia Center for Food Safety, and maintains affiliations with various industry and regulatory associations.
Contact Information
Mr. Jeff Mitchell
Mobile: (760) 812-0752
jmitchell@chemstarcorp.com
The Food Safety Experts and Customer Service Technicians are the face of Chemstar. For over 19 years, Steve Wood has been a part of the service excellence for which Chemstar Corporation has become so well-known in the industry. More experience. More focus. More smarts. More responsiveness. Steve leads the team of dedicated people that actually live "The Chemstar 4-Point Promise"...everyday. Steve is a native of Kentucky and has 33 years experience in the retail supermarket industry. Prior to Chemstar Steve was a regional manager for National ICEE Corporation. Steve is a Certified Professional Food Manager and an authorized CPFM instructor for NSF. Steve is also a graduate of the food store sanitation course through Cornell University, and a member of the Florida Association for Food Protection. Steve has 3 daughters and lives in Hampton, GA with his wife of 26 years. They enjoy camping and outdoor activities.
Contact Information
Mr. Steve Wood
swood@chemstarcorp.com
Since 2005, Dr. Su leads Product Development, Quality Control, and EPA Registrations for Chemstar Corporation. As a Ph.D. in Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry from Baylor University, Dr. Su holds two patents. Prior to joining Chemstar, Dr. Su held the position of Director of Research & Development for SiShield Technologies, Inc. Before SiShield, he held a similar position at BioShield Technologies. In each organization, Dr. Su led Product Development, Manufacturing Control, EPA Registrations, and Asian Market Development. Dr. Su began his career in the commercial chemical sector by working as a Research Chemist for Zep/Enforcer Products. While at Zep, his research led to the development of the Home Depot line of products. Dr. Su enjoys travel, cooking, and competitive tennis. He lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
Contact Information
Dr. Mingzhong Su
msu@chemstarcorp.com
Lydia Strayer is Director of Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs for Chemstar Corporation. A native of Mississippi, Ms. Strayer holds a Master's Degree in Food Science from Mississippi State University. Lydia is the former Director of the Mississippi Bureau of General Environmental Services, as well as the past Chair of the Conference for Food Protection. She is currently active in AFDO, AFDOSS, Southeast FDA and NEHA and holds training certifications for SuperSafeMark, ServSafe and the National Registry. Lydia is charged with helping Chemstar provide its customers with up-to-date knowledge on food safety best practices, industry issues, and regulatory compliance. Through active participation in many of the important industry conferences that impact food safety, Lydia Strayer is able to help drive knowledge, innovation, training, and improvements to Chemstar and their customers.
Contact Information
Ms. Lydia Strayer
lstrayer@chemstarcorp.com
