Meet Angelica: Our February Brocc Star
We’re excited to announce our newest Brocc Star, Angelica Velasquez! She’s a standout member of our Quality Assurance team, which means she’s a key player in ensuring each fruit and vegetable leaves the facility in top-notch shape! She’s been a part of our FRESHEALTH team for two and-a-half years now, and we’re so grateful to have an associate like her on the production floor every day!
“Angelica is always easy to work with, and other associates always feel comfortable with her because of it. She’s knowledgeable about the products and processes and helps wherever she can to help get safe quality products out the door.”
Angelica is presented with her award by Alex DiNovo, President of DNO Produce, and Juana Gonzalez, QA Supervisor.
The work of our FRESHEALTH QA team supports the success of every department, touching every team member and every customer we serve. For example, associates like Angelica are responsible for food safety monitoring and documentation (i.e., checking PAA levels in our water every 30 minutes and verifying compliance with HACCP plans, GMPs, and SSOPs), product quality inspections, identification of deviations in processes or product quality, initiation of corrective actions at any given time, and so much more! QA is the heartbeat of our facility, ensuring FRESHEALTH production stays robust and healthy!
The responsibilities of Angelica and other QA associates ensure food safety standards are met and documented, specifications are followed to the T, customers receive product that reflect our highest standards, and issues are identified and resolved before they reach the end user.
“Angelica always keeps our final customers in mind as she prevents mistakes or subpar product from reaching shipping.”
Every associate on QA must have excellent communication skills, and her colleagues say Angelica always leads with both clarity and kindness.
Should an issue arise, it’s the QA associate’s job to communicate that quickly and effectively, and Angelica leads by example. Angelica is known for coaching associates who may need help or have questions instead of quickly correcting them and moving about her day. Although this approach might require some patience, and take a bit more time, it’s one that builds understanding instead of frustration.
Moreover, Angelica can always be trusted on to be polite and respectful. Her colleagues praise her for it, and her supervisors note just how much people feel comfortable around her.
As a facility running around the clock, the need for our Quality Assurance department never stops! We feel lucky to have an associate like Angelica, who has stepped up time and again to cover extra shifts and occasionally stay late to ensure clean handoffs. That level of accountability keeps our facility running smoothly and ensures no gaps in our quality processes.
Angelica is knowledgeable about our products and processes and willingly helps wherever she can to get safe, quality products out the door. In a facility where food safety, precision, and efficiency all intersect, having someone who combines technical expertise with approachability is invaluable.