Jessica Zeller Named New Ombudsman of FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs

Melinda Plaisier, the FDA’s associate commissioner of regulatory affairs, announced last week that the Office of Regulatory Affairs has a new ombudsman to help companies resolve issues.

Ombudsman Jessica Zeller came to the FDA in 2004, serving in the Office of the Chief Counsel and as deputy director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement in the Center for Tobacco Products until 2013. From 2013 until she returned to the FDA in late 2015, Zeller was in-house counsel for Procter & Gamble. Zeller’s primary objectives will be:

• To informally find solutions to problems that arise with FDA’s external partners, including industry, other governmental agencies and consumers; and
• To improve communications between ORA employees and stakeholders through outreach and education, helping both sides become more aware of each other’s needs.