UNPA / FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplements announces two personnel updates

Dear Colleagues,

Earlier this week, we received a note from Steven Tave, director of FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP), announcing two personnel updates that we are pleased to share with the UNPA membership.

First, Cara Welch, Ph.D., is returning to ODSP as deputy director. Welch had been with ODSP previously but took a position last year as special assistant to FDA’s deputy commissioner for policy, legislation and international affairs.

“Cara is an authority on dietary supplement matters and has served FDA in a number of roles since joining the agency in 2014,” Tave noted. “Cara played a critical role in ODSP’s creation and, as the office is poised to take the next step in our growth, her background and experience make her the ideal person to help shape ODSP’s next chapter.”

Additionally, Tave announced that Sibyl Swift, Ph.D., has been named associate director for research and strategy.

“Swift has played a leading role in some of ODSP’s most significant and cross-cutting initiatives over the past few years, including our work to protect consumers from the dangers of pure and highly concentrated caffeine and the creation of the Botanical Safety Consortium, in addition to managing the office’s research portfolio,” Tave said. “In this new capacity, she will help ensure strategic alignment between our scientific and research activities and our compliance, enforcement and policy initiatives, and she will continue to serve as a principal liaison with both internal and external partners.”

Welch is expected to rejoin ODSP around Thanksgiving, while Swift’s appointment is effective immediately.

“With this new leadership structure, and our existing talent (including our many recent additions), I couldn’t be more optimistic about ODSP’s future,” Tave added.

UNPA congratulates Welch, Swift and ODSP on these appointments and looks forward to continued collaboration with ODSP and the important work it does in overseeing a regulated, responsible and highly compliant dietary supplement industry.

With warm regards,
Frank