May 14, 2025

Washington, D.C. – The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is pleased to announce the addition of Sydney Van de Meulebroecke as its new Manager of Workplace Safety. In this role, Van de Meulebroecke will oversee CRA’s efforts to celebrate and continue the outstanding improvement of workplace safety in the corn refining industry.

“Sydney’s work will be instrumental in ensuring CRA members continue to be recognized for their steady improvement in workplace safety,” said CRA President and CEO John Bode. “Sydney brings valuable experience to ensuring proper operations of important programs, and we are thrilled to have her on the CRA team.”

The corn refining industry’s Recordable Incident Rate (RIR) – a metric used by federal officials to track workplace safety incidents – is roughly 1.0, a figure on par with office work. Corn refining facilities consistently rank among some of the safest workplaces in manufacturing.  

Van de Meulebroecke joins CRA from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Department of Energy and Environment, where she served as a Policy Analyst focused on Sustainable Aviation Fuel initiatives. Her cross-sector experience also includes work at Newell Brands, where she developed waste reduction programs and led environmental impact assessments on product packaging.

“I am excited to work with CRA members in their journey toward continuous workplace safety improvement,” said Van de Meulebroecke. “The industry has already made remarkable strides toward ensuring a safe, comfortable environment for all employees, and I welcome the opportunity to help further that growth.”

In addition to her role with CRA, Van de Meulebroecke will also support the Plant Based Products Council as the organization’s Manager of Bioproducts Policy.

Van de Meulebroecke earned a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech and a Master’s in Science and Sustainability Management from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

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About the Corn Refiners Association
The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is the national trade association representing the corn refining industry of the United States. CRA and its predecessors have served this important segment of American agribusiness since 1913. Corn refiners manufacture sweeteners, starch, advanced bioproducts, corn oil and feed products from corn components such as starch, oil, protein and fiber.