Los Angeles International
Dairy Competition Judges

John Braga is a wholesale cheesemonger with ten years of experience in the cheese industry. He joined Murray’s in 2016 and rose through the ranks during his six-year tenure. After a stint at the French Cheese Board, he left the shop to become a wholesale cheesemonger at Food Matters Again, all while documenting his adventures on his Instagram account, @oqueijonista. Braga has also written dozens of articles for two Brazilian magazines, Profissão Queijeira and Revista do Queijo. Most recently, he was invited for the second time to serve as a supreme judge at Brazil’s largest cheese competition, Mundial do Queijo, as well as a judge at France’s Le Mondial du Fromage.

Lissa Knudsen, MPH, CCP, is the Acting Executive Director of the New Mexico Cheese Guild and a lifelong advocate for handcrafted local food. Her deep-rooted understanding of artisanal cheese began in Paso Robles, California; as the daughter of a veterinarian, she gained early expertise in animal science and nutrition through 4H and FFA. She later formalized this technical foundation with Animal Science coursework at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Lissa now holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Public Health, specializing in nutrition and food sovereignty. Her work in public health—ranging from school nutrition initiatives to community garden advocacy—informs her holistic approach to the artisan cheese industry. A Certified Cheese Professional (CCP) and professional cheesemonger, Lissa was named to Culture Magazine’s 2025 “Hot List.”

Her contributions to the field bridge the gap between policy and education, notably through her successful championship of raw milk legislation in Albuquerque in 2023 and the development of K-12 flavor science curricula. Lissa brings a rare perspective to the 2026 judging panel, evaluating dairy through the combined lenses of animal science, sensory excellence, and community impact.

Steve Christensen has become an authoritative voice and thought leader in the frozen dessert community, both in the United States and internationally.
After opening and operating a chain of frozen custard stores in his native Australia, Steve was invited by a major U.S. equipment manufacturer to the United States and moved with his family in 2004. Taking up a position as the self-appointed Headmaster of Scoop School in St. Louis, Missouri, Steve has trained tens of thousands of current and “would be” ice cream business owners (both independent and franchise) in the art of making ice cream and growing a retail and wholesale frozen dessert business.
In fact, Steve has had such a hand in opening thousands of ice cream and frozen dessert retail locations and has worked with such chains as Costco, Whole Foods, Sandals Resorts, Rita’s Water Ice, Hollywood Casinos, and many more on training and/or developing their frozen dessert programs.
Steve also currently serves at the Executive Director for the North American Ice Cream Association and has overseen its dramatic growth over the past 8 years.
Whether it’s frozen custard or frozen yogurt, gelato, premium ice cream, soft serve, water ice, or sorbet, Steve’s depth of knowledge in all aspects of frozen desserts can help you develop your concept into reality or grow your already existing business.

Sarah Masoni is Director of Product and Process Development at OSU’s Food Innovation Center in Portland, Oregon, with deep expertise in dairy product development and sensory evaluation. She works closely with producers to refine quality, flavor, and process performance across cheese, cultured products, and frozen desserts. Known for her practical industry insight and collaborative style, Sarah supports innovation while upholding craftsmanship, making her a trusted contributor to dairy evaluation and judging.

Kristina Zontini is the founder of Super Secret Ice Cream and a three-time James Beard Award nominee. Known for her dedication to scratch-made ice cream and showcasing the local food system, Kristina has built a beloved shop that balances culinary excellence with a commitment to creating sustainable, happy jobs for her community.

Carrie Stenerson aka Justice of the Cheese is an LA-based cheesemonger/cheese freelancer, mutual aid organizer, cheese documentarian, and self-proclaimed cheese clown. Carrie has been a cheesemonger since 2019 and wears many hats as a cheese professional for-hire across the globe.

Emilia D’Albero, ACS CCP is a national champion cheesemonger and educator with 10 years of experience working in cheese & specialty grocery. She has worked behind some of NYC’s largest and most well-known cheese counters, and is currently the Sales & Marketing Manager for Formaticum. In 2025, Emilia became the first American to earn the title of Meilleure Fromagère du Monde (World’s Best Cheesemonger) by winning the gold medal in France’s Mondial du Fromage competition.

Olivia Haver, CCSE, is an affineur, sensory evaluator, and educator with over a decade of hands-on experience in small and mid-sized creameries. Her work has contributed to multiple American Cheese Society Best in Show awards and honors at national and international competitions. Olivia is the 2025 recipient of the Daphne Zepos Research Award, where she is researching cheese caves across the United States to advance practical knowledge around affinage.

Alana Pedalino serves as the managing editor of Culture: The Word on Cheese. Her work has been featured in Bon Appétit, Chicken Soup for the Soul, etc. She loves to write, cook, and kayak. Learn more about her at alanapedalino.com.

Alex Brown has worked with Gourmet Imports for the past 20 years as a wholesale cheese monger. His focus is on small production cheeses from the Americas, but of course also loves all those famous cheeses from Europe as well. He is a proud parent of daughters, a lover of the esoteric and a perpetual optimist in the face of pervasive existential dread.

Chef Andrea Machuca has over 13 years of experience in various roles in the culinary and cheese industries, with an emphasis on featuring farmstead cheese. Throughout her career, she has worked as a leader in opening various cheese-centric restaurants, creating custom cheese-centric dishes for events, managing restaurant cheese programs for fine dining establishments (including Five Crowns, The Side Door, Nieuport 17, and Lawry’s), working in retail with major retailers like Whole Foods, and shadowing cheesemakers. Her goal has always been to present the beauty of artisan and farmstead cheese in its best form, frequently by pairing it with unconventional and seasonal foods.

Anthony Stevens is the Director of Special Events with more than 8 years of experience in the ice cream industry. Alongside leading large-scale events, Anthony is involved in ice cream flavor development, where he evaluates flavor balance, texture, mix-ins, and overall quality from concept through production. His work in customer relations and new distributor logistics has given him broad exposure to a wide range of products, production standards, and consumer expectations. With a trained palate and hands-on experience across both creative and operational sides of the industry, Anthony brings a well-rounded, quality-driven perspective to ice cream judging.

Lisa Marie Lopez is a Business Development Manager at Quesos Navarro. Before entering the cheese world, she spent over a decade working in the healthcare sector. In 2016, while still employed full-time, Lisa began selling raw milk cheeses part-time at a farmer’s market. This is the moment that sparked a transformative journey in her career. To understand more about cheesemaking, Lisa pursued cheese education relentlessly by taking several online workshops and participated in over a dozen hands-on raw milk cheesemaking classes, eventually earning a certification from the Academy of Cheese. In 2022, she quit her office job to apprentice in creameries across the U.S. Lisa’s passion extends to community outreach, notably as the former Social Director for The Cheese Culture Coalition (2021-2024). There, she championed cheese education for BIPOC students and amplified diverse voices in the industry. Her commitment is also evident through volunteering at the American Cheese Society Judging and Competition, Massachusetts Cheese Guild Festival, and working as an ambassador for businesses like Rogue Creamery, Forever Cheese, Quesos Navarro, and Foods From Spain. From weekend seller to full-time professional, Lisa exemplifies the transformative power of pursuing one’s passion in the cheese industry.

Arthur Keeton is a dairy specialist and resident of Chino Hills, CA. He brings over 30 years of experience in the dairy industry to this year’s Los Angeles International Dairy Competition. As the owner of I & A Lab, Inc., he ensures that his customers in CA, NM, TX and AZ consistently enjoy high quality testing services and personalized consultations to offer their best products to market. Arthur has also given multiple talks on dairy safety through the fair’s educational program.