Daniel Ballard

Detailed Quality Manager specializing in the spirits industry, with experience in food safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement. Focused on leading quality initiatives, driving process optimization, conducting audits, and ensuring material and product integrity from production to bottling.

Quality Control Manager Western Kentucky Distilling Co.-Beaver Dam, KY May 2023 to Present

• Established & Led Quality Program – Created the distillery’s first quality control program, developing all protocols, testing methods, and in alignment with FDA and TTB compliance procedures and record-keeping.
• Analytical & Process Application – Designed, implemented, operated and trained operators on sampling and testing protocols. Utilizing instrumentation such as DMA 4501, gas chromatography (GC), pH meter, ebulliometer, turbidimeter, and moisture analyzer to monitor and improve product safety and quality performance.
• Safety – Active member of the Safety Committee, creating and implementing a comprehensive safety program aligned with regulatory and food safety standards. Developed a collaborative internal audit program to monitor safety performance, ensuring compliance with FDA, TTB, and state regulations. Pairing interdepartmental teams to identify safety risks, conduct root cause analysis, and implement continuous improvement initiatives aimed at reducing incidents.
• Leadership & Team Development – Trained and led staff in quality procedures, sensory analysis, and laboratory operations. Mentored a quality minded and safety first mentality across all departments. Developed and implemented an operator testing qualification program for ongoing compliance and education. Promoted continuous improvement in quality, but also across all departments. 
• Regulatory Compliance –  Maintained compliance with TTB, FDA, and state regulations. Conducted root cause analysis and corrective actions to reduce defects and optimize production.
• Environmental Compliance & Monitoring – Oversaw wastewater, air, and well water monitoring and record-keeping, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and sustainable production practices.
• Inter-department Collaboration – Worked closely with production and operations to streamline performance, improve efficiency, and uphold high quality standards.
• Data-Driven Decision Making – Applied advanced analytics to track ingredient effectiveness, optimize time staging and equipment efficiency to lead ongoing process initiatives, enhancing product quality, process reliability and resource usage.
• Marketing and Product Development – Contributed to branding and product development by providing input on bottle, liquid and label designs, as well as new product concepts.

Quality Chemist Hill's Pet Nutrition-Bowling Green, KY Mar 2022 to May 2023

• Conducted chemical and nutritional analyses on finished products, utilizing techniques such as pH measurement, fat extraction, ICP-OES for nutritional mineral determination, LECO for protein analysis, and NIR for ash, moisture, and protein content. Performed microbiological sampling to also ensure product safety and complying with safety regulations.
• Raw material receiving and analysis by mycotoxin detection, ash, moisture, protein determination by NIR, and Peroxide Value titration.
• Participated in internal audits to ensure compliance with regulatory standards, identify areas for improvement, and implement corrective actions to safety and maintain product quality.
• Managed the organization and retention of finished product samples, ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality standards.

QC/Lab Technician Green River Distillery-Owensboro, KY Feb 2020 to Mar 2022

• Performed chemical analysis of bourbon throughout all production stages, including raw materials to finished products. Ensuring all phases meet or exceed quality standards.
• Utilized instrumentation like the DMA 5000, Auto sampling Metrohm for total acidity, Ebulliometer, Gas Chromatography, Turbidimeter, UV/Vis Colorimeter, Moisture analyzer.
• Quality inspections of production raw ingredients, raw materials, finished product, and on the production line. Specifically ensuring liquid and bottle standards are met or exceeded for each respective product.
• Designed and implemented a Mondays.com Customer Service Portal and Dual-facility processing and communication system for Green River Spirits.
• Assisting in creation and implementation of a HACCP Program.
• Led training and mentorship of incoming Lab Technicians and QC inspector positions.

Lab Technician Moss McGraw Environmental Laboratories-Henderson, KY Jul 2018 to Feb 2020

• Set up customer scheduling and collection of waste water samples.
• Sample analysis, including Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Nitrate, Nitrite, Total Suspended Solid (TSS), etc.
• Processing results and providing summary reports to customers.
• Time management was crucial due to short deadlines, turn-around times for customers, sample preservation and on-call or emergency sampling requests.
• Managing the company cars to ensure sampling can be done on time.

Bachelors of Science - Biology - Kentucky Wesleyan College