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.
Los Angeles International
Dairy Competition Judges
Lynne Affleck
Sarah Masoni
Kristina Zontini
Michelle Glancey
Carmen Licon
Flori Cademartori
Packaging Judge
Flori Cademartori Hinton is a graphic designer and studio owner who has been creating and curating visual work since 2005. Through Anenberg Print, her screenprinting and embroidery shop, she brings an appreciation for detail, texture, and authenticity to everything she does. Since 2008, Flori has also served as a judge for this competition, where she finds inspiration in the creativity of others. She loves being part of a space that celebrates artistry and craftsmanship and especially enjoys sending a message back to designers that their work is seen, valued, and appreciated.
Jolie Ross
Packaging Judge, Graphic Designer, Printing & Creative Consultant, Artist Owner, BOLD IMAGES IN PRINT, Est. 1992
Jolie Ross is the owner of Bold Images In Print, a graphic design and creative studio specializing in branding, product packaging, and print consultancy. Her career in the printing industry began in her teens, when she worked at her family’s print shop from 1980 to 1992 — an experience that gave her a strong foundation in both craftsmanship and client care. With more than four decades of experience, she’s seen the industry transform and has grown with it — embracing new technologies while keeping the human element of design at the heart of her work. A passionate creative, Jolie finds great joy in seeing logos and brand identities she designed decades ago still thriving today — a testament to her lasting impact and strong client relationships, many of which have spanned more than 30 years. Outside of her studio, Jolie is an avid gardener with a well-earned green thumb, and she loves to spend her free time painting, visiting her daughters in Colorado and Maine, and fishing with her husband. As a longtime packaging judge for the Los Angeles International Competitions at Fairplex, Jolie takes pride in celebrating innovation and excellence in packaging design. She believes packaging is as vital as the product itself and admires those who “dream a little bigger” to create unforgettable visual experiences.
Antonio Altamirano
Packaging Judge
Antonio Altamirano is a visual creator from Argentina with over ten years of experience. A graduate of Buenos Aires university, he works at the intersection of graphic design and photography.
He specializes in building complete brand identities, relying on his fashion / product photography work. This integrated approach ensures every visual element tells a consistent story. His art has been recognized internationally, featured in leading Nordic fashion magazines as well as different design panels.
Antonio Altamirano is dedicated to turning ideas into compelling and cohesive visual work.
Alana Pedalino
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
Andrea Machuca
Anthony Stevens
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.
Emilia D’Albero
Emilia D’Albero, ACS CCP (American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional) is a cheesemonger and educator with 10 years of experience working in cheese & specialty grocery, culinary education, catering, and event management. After earning a BA in Italian Studies from Montclair State University, Emilia went on to manage Eataly NYC Flatiron’s private events program and help build their cooking school’s education curriculum before picking up a knife. Emilia has worked behind some of NYC’s largest and most well-known cheese counters, and leads cheese-focused classes and events all over the country, as well as doing consulting work with cheese shops. Emilia is also a Cheesemonger Invitational champion and spent the early pandemic years as the Cheese Buyer for Greene Grape Provisions in Brooklyn, curating anbexpansive cut-to-order cheese and charcuterie selection, and training their own team of cheesemongers. She was featured on Culture Magazine’s “Hot List” in 2024 as one of the cheese industry’s most committed and accomplished members.
Most recently, Emilia won 1st place at the Cheesemonger Invitational: Masters 2025 competition, landing a coveted spot on Team USA and the opportunity to represent the United States on the world stage at the Mondial du Fromage in Tours, France. It was there that Emilia became the first American to win the gold medal at the Mondial du Fromage, earning the title of Meilleure Fromagère du Monde, or “World’s Best Cheesemonger.” Competing alongside Seattle’s Courtney Johnson, the country’s first all-female Team USA madehistory by being thenfirst American team to both make the podium.
Emilia is currently the Sales & Marketing Manager for Formaticum, a role that allows them to spread awareness to both cheese professionals and consumers about the importance of proper cheese care and maintenance. Emilia’s work has been featured in many publications including The Washington Post, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, Philadelphia Magazine, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as news outlets including NPR, CNN, CBS, BBC, and ABC, and even the Kelly Clarkson Show. In her free time, Emilia volunteers with the Cheese Culture Coalition and the Cutting the Curd podcast, and creates cheese-focused educational content through her travels. She and her partner Tommy, also a national champion cheesemonger, live in Philadelphia with their dog Bruna Alpina, named after the Brown Swiss dairy cow.
John Braga
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
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.
Kain Marzalado
Los Angeles International Dairy Competition Chairman
Kain Marzalado is a cheese professional residing from Chicago, Illinois. Since 2012 he has held numerous roles in the industry and has worked alongside such prestigous organizations as the American Cheese Society and IDDBA. He served as Judge of the Los Angeles International Dairy Competition in 2023 and is honored to preside as Chair of the competition in 2024.
Lisa Marie Lopez
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
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.
Carrie Stenerson
Carrie Stenerson (@JusticeOfTheCheese) is a queer, nonbinary, cheese freelancer, community justice advocate, and part-time cheese documentarian.
Early food jobs in “America’s Dairyland” naturally lead to them becoming a professional cheesemonger in Wisconsin. Since going pro, Carrie has freelanced across the USA, from Charleston Food & Wine to San Francisco’s Good Food Mercantile, including two Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund fellowships at FireFly Farms in Maryland and Rogue Creamery in Oregon. Since landing in LA, they primarily focus on documenting a behind-the-scenes view of the cheese industry with a particular focus on often-overlooked communities and social justice as well as supporting mutual aid efforts in their local community–cheese-themed, of course.