Below you can view and learn more about several of our team members.
Shane Thorstad β Plant Manager of Quality Processing in Omaha. He has worked in the meat processing/cold storage industry for 30+ years and holds a degree in Business Administration. He is certified in both SQF and HACCP. He lives in Omaha, Nebraska with his wife and is the father of 3.
Mary Hanner β Cost Accountant at QPSO. She has been with the company for over ten years and holds an associate degree in business administration with a focus on accounting. She lives in Lincoln, NE with her husband and 2 kids.
Johana Sanchez β FSQA Supervisor and SQF Practitioner at the Omaha Processing Facility. She has worked in the meat processing industry for 15+ years and is HACCP and SQF certified. She also oversees quality programs including Organic, Halal, CAP, and Export. She lives in Omaha, NE with her husband and 3 children.
Elmer Pineda β Omaha Warehouse Plant Manager. He brings more than 18 years of experience and has held a number of significant positions over his career, bringing a wealth of knowledge to all areas of the company.
Michael Amundson β President of Quality Refrigerated Services, with over 30 years of experience in the cold storage and meat processing industry. He enjoys a good moose hunt when he can find the time.
Amy English β Safety & Quality Administrator for all Quality Services locations. She draws on 20+ years in the industry to facilitate regulatory compliance with PSM, OSHA, and USDA, and serves as a liaison for labels and specifications for customers. She is based out of the Omaha facility.
Tammy Brown β Procurement Customer Service. She has worked in the food service industry for 20+ years and lives in Blair, NE with her husband and 4 dogs.
Ben Lempka β Maintenance Supervisor at QPS Omaha since 2019. He has worked in the maintenance field for more than 9 years and enjoys developing new skills with his team.
Tina Ayars β Administrative Assistant. She holds an associate degree and several certificates, and has worked with Quality Refrigerated Services for 5 years. She lives in Omaha.
Mark Armstrong β Industrial Refrigeration and Hazardous Material Technician, certified in PSM and RMP. He and his family relocated to Omaha in 2006 after 18 years in the California oil industry.
Pete Thompson β VP of Processing at QPS. He has worked in the meat processing industry for 20+ years and holds several certifications in the technology industry. He lives in Omaha, NE with his wife and is a proud grandfather of 2.
Blake Findell β IT / AI Solutions Developer. Blake joined QRS in July 2026 to build the company's IT and AI/ML infrastructure, bringing 20+ years of software development experience in JavaScript and Node.js. Outside of work, he's a comic book collector, dog dad to Bird, and BVU Beavers softball fan.
Ryan Watson β IT / Network Administrator. Ryan supports QRS's network infrastructure and day-to-day IT operations across our facilities. Outside of work, he's got a genuine passion for cars.
Jamie Kleis β Vice President of Sales, QRS/QPS. He has worked in the cold storage industry for 20+ years and lives in Spirit Lake, IA with his wife and 3 children. He enjoys golfing and boating in his free time.
Pat English β Plant Manager for QRS/QPS Spencer. He has worked in the warehousing/processing industry for 24+ years and lives in Spencer, IA with his wife. He is a proud father of 2 and enjoys golfing.
Stacey Anderson β Office Manager since 2010, and a native of Spencer, IA. She is a proud mother of 3 daughters and enjoys her family, friends, cruises, and live music.
Carrie VanMaasdam β FSQA Supervisor at QPS Spencer, certified in both HACCP and SQF, with a strong commitment to food safety and quality. Outside of work she enjoys cooking and spending time with her dog, Tobey.
Guadalupe Tapia β Human Resources Representative for Quality Services in Spencer, IA. Fluent in English and Spanish, she has worked in the warehouse and processing industry for 5 years and is a resident of Spirit Lake.
Loren Hicks β Production Manager for QPS Spencer. He has worked in the food industry for 28 years and lives in a small NW Iowa town, spending his spare time on his motorcycle around the lakes area.