Research Report: National Childhood Nutrition/Health

Abbie Nelson is the Education Coordinator of NOFA Vermont and the VT Food Education Every Day (VT FEED) Director involved in all aspects of local purchasing and professional development of school food service. She has been a teacher for over 20 years in regular and special education, and worked on an organic vegetable and flower farm. As part of NOFA Vermont and a VT FEED partner, she has been working in Vermont schools linking Food, Farm, and Nutrition education for 8 years. Her role has been focused on school food by connecting kitchen managers with local farmers, helping farmers with agricultural education on their farms, training school food service personnel, and teaching school staff how to introduce new foods to students.

A graduate of Tufts University in Medford, MA, Adam B. Becker received his Master of Public Health in 1994 and his Ph.D. in 1999, both in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University Of Michigan School Of Public Health. Dr. Becker has extensive training and experience in the practice of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and has written a number of book chapters and articles on this approach to examining and addressing public health problems. Some of the issues to which Dr. Becker has applied this methodology include: the impact of stressful community conditions on the health of women raising children, youth violence prevention, and the impact of the social and physical environment on physical activity. Dr. Becker was a member of the faculty for six years at Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. He taught courses in community organizing, qualitative methods and CBPR, program evaluation, and community change strategies. Prior to becoming the Executive Director of the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC), Dr. Becker was the Director of Evaluation and Research at the Louisiana Public Health Institute in New Orleans. Dr. Becker began his public health career as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal, West Africa. Dr. Becker was born on Chicago’s south side and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago.

Amanda Bloom is the Policy Director for the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. The Center raises awareness about public health issues and mobilizes communities to promote the establishment of effective health policies. In 2005, the Center successfully sponsored the two pieces of legislation that curtailed junk food and soda sales in California schools. As Policy Director, Amanda manages the Center’s state-level advocacy and legislative efforts. Previously, Amanda served as an Evaluation Specialist with California Project LEAN during which time she managed school-based nutrition and physical activity policy efforts throughout California.

Since 2004, Amie Hamlin has been Executive Director of New York Coalition for Healthy School Food (NYCHSF), which is a statewide nonprofit that works to improve the health and well-being of New York's studentsShe has been successful in promoting plant based entrees in schools. She has been a vegan for the last 21 years and a vegetarian for 10 years before that. She has been active and involved in promoting the benefits of a vegan diet. She founded “Club Veg”, which is a vegetarian education group, in 1995, worked in tobacco control to ban smoking in public places, and worked for two environmental non-profits.

Chef Ann  Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. In a nation where children are born with shorter estimated life expectancies than their parents because of diet-related illness, Ann is a relentless voice of reform by focusing on the links between food, family, farming and children’s health and wellness. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY, Ann has been a chef for more than 30 years including positions with Holland America Cruises, Radisson Hotels, Telluride Ski Resort as well as serving as Executive Chef at the renowned  Putney Inn in Vermont. She has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, Newsweek , and Time Magazine and  has appeared on NPR’s ‘Living on Earth,’ ABC’s Nightline, CNN, PBS’ To The Contrary and the CBS Morning Show and many other media outlets. Ann has shared her knowledge and experience by speaking at the Smithsonian Institute, the National Restaurant Association, the Heifer Foundation, Chefs Collaborative, the International Association of Culinary Professionals and numerous conferences. She has been honored by SLOW Food USA, selected as a Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow, and awarded an honorary doctorate from SUNY Cobleskill for her work on sustainable agriculture. Ann is the author of four books:  Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children (2006), In Mother’s Kitchen: Celebrated Women Chefs Share Beloved Family Recipes (2005), Bitter Harvest: A Chef’s Perspective on the Hidden Dangers in the Foods We Eat and What You Can do About It (2000) and A Woman’s Place is in the Kitchen: The Evolution of Women Chefs (1998). She is past president of The American Culinary Federation of Central Vermont, and past president and board member of Women's Chefs and Restaurateurs. She also served on the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Standards Board, a Congressional appointment, and was an Executive Committee member of Chefs Collaborative - all in an effort to raise awareness about the value of healthful, seasonal, organic, and regional foods. Ann’s research for and writing of A Bitter Harvest provided a true epiphany for this always curious and proactive chef.  No longer could the environmental and health facts be ignored when it came to producing food in this country. Ms Cooper’s career shifted from primarily cooking to a path of cooking, writing, and public speaking – all advocacy work for a healthier food system. There is no doubt that Ann is an accomplished chef, however her focus is now on using her skills and background to create a sustainable model for schools nationwide to transition any processed food based K-12 school meal program to a whole foods environment where food is procured regionally and prepared from scratch. In 2009, Ann founded Food Family Farming Foundation (F3) as a nonprofit focusing on solutions to the school food crisis. F3's pivotal project is The Lunch Box - a web portal that provides free and accessible tools, recipes and community connections to support school food reform. Chef Ann is happily doing the work of three as a Chef, Nutrition Services Director, Consultant, Author, Public Speaker, and Advocate because she sees a need for change and has the gifts to help.  She envisions a time soon when being a chef working to feed children fresh, delicious, and nourishing food will no longer be considered “renegade.”

Anupama Joshi is the director of the National Farm to School Program. Since 2002, Joshi has spearheaded the successful “farm-to-school” movement that is revolutionizing school cafeterias across the country and providing additional marketing avenues for small family farmers. Joshi provides training and assistance to school districts and farmers for developing farm to school programs, promotes the program through its Web site, www.farmtoschool.org, a national clearing house and repository of farm-to-school programs. Joshi has been instrumental in establishing a national farm to school network with more than 30 organizations to promote the farm-to-school movement. Currently, her work focuses on expanding and consolidating this network, and coordinating media and marketing campaigns, policy work, information dissemination, networking, and technical assistance to support the program. From 2002 to 2005, Joshi led the California Farm-to-School Program in bringing together stakeholders to explore barriers and opportunities for developing farm-to-school in the state. Joshi has worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand; the Pesticide Action Network; and consulted with various non-profit organizations in Asia. Joshi has presented at various conferences and workshops including those organized by the School Nutrition Association, Society for Nutrition Education, Community Food Security Coalition, California Nutrition Network, American Public Health Association, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Food and Society Networking Conference. Joshi has been quoted extensively in print and other media pieces on farm-to-school programs. She has been a past board member of the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, and is a member of the Society for Nutrition Education and the American Dietetic Association.

Barbara McCann is a public policy and communications expert who has spent the last eleven years bringing transportation, land use, and active living issues into the public debate. In addition to the more recent work listed on the home page, she authored Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl, the report explaining groundbreaking new scientific research linking the built environment to physical activity and health. The report brought widespread media attention to the issue of creating more walkable and bikeable communities. She is a co-author of the Island Press Book, Sprawl Costs, and edited Chris Leinberger's book, The Option of Urbanism. Ms. McCann coined the term Complete Streets and serves as Executive Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition, a national Coalition working for the adoption of Complete Streets policies at the federal, state, and local level. She previously served as Director of Information and Research at Smart Growth America (SGA), a national land use policy organization based in Washington DC. Prior to working at SGA, Ms. McCann directed a high-profile campaign at the Surface Transportation Policy Project which used federal data to illuminate the impact of transportation policies on everyday life. Her work at STPP included the Mean Streets series on pedestrian safety and other reports from 1998 through 2002. The reports drew extensive attention for government officials, interest groups, and the media, including coverage on all national network evening news shows and stories in every major newspaper in the United States. She worked at for 13 years as a writer and producer at Cable News Network, including senior positions on award-winning news programs and newsmagazines. She has served on the Board of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and the WalkScore Advisory Board.

Dr. Moore is President and Chief Executive Officer of Shape Up America!, a national initiative to promote healthy weight and increased physical activity in America. Committed to providing achievable science-based messages, Shape Up America! was founded by C. Everett Koop, M.D. in 1994. Dr. Moore joined in June 1995 and serves as key liaison with the scientific, professional, and corporate communities. Dr. Moore earned an undergraduate degree from Skidmore College and a doctorate from Columbia University. She has several years of postdoctoral training at the University of California at Davis. Dr. Moore was appointed a Henry Rutgers Fellow at Rutgers University, where she held a tenure track position in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. After leaving academia, Dr. Moore served as General Manager of Program Development and primary technical policy advisor for Weight Watchers International. Dr. Moore joined the Executive Office of the President in 1993 as Acting Assistant for Social and Behavioral Science in the Office of Science and Technology (OSTP). She was involved in the process of policy formation and budgetary support of fundamental scientific research. Prior to joining Shape Up America!, Dr. Moore worked at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Division of Nutrition Research Coordination, where she was responsible for providing guidance on nutrition policy and dietary guidance materials promulgated by the federal government. In this position, Dr. Moore focused on the development of the 1994 Progress Report to the Assistant Secretary of Health on the nutrition objectives of Healthy People 2000. She maintains active membership in the American Society for Nutritional Sciences (ASNS), American Society for Clinical Nutrition (ASCN), North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO), Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB), and Sigma Xi.

Charlene R. Burgeson is Executive Director of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). NASPE, a nonprofit membership organization of over 17,000 professionals in physical education, physical activity, and sport fields, is the preeminent national authority of physical education and a recognized leader in sport and youth physical activity. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high quality physical education, sport, and youth physical activity programs through research, development of standards, and dissemination of information. From 1997-2003, Burgeson was employed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA where she served as a health scientist in the Division of Adolescent and School Health and a public health advisor in the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. As a physical education and activity specialist, she provided guidance regarding physical activity surveillance, programs, and training; and developed tools to assist with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of programs in schools and communities. In 2000 she co-authored a report from the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Education to the President of the United States entitled, Promoting Better Health for Young People through Physical Activity and Sport. She was also the lead author for the physical education chapter of the 2000 School Health Policies and Programs Survey (SHPPS) published by CDC. In 2001, Charlene was honored by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) with the Mabel Lee Award for achieving national recognition as a professional leader prior to reaching age 36. From 1994-1997, Burgeson worked at NASPE as a program administrator facilitating physical education issues and projects. A former elementary physical education teacher in the Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools, she also coached local youth sports. Burgeson received her master of arts in physical education from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and bachelor of science in health and physical education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Her interests include swimming, tennis, reading, traveling, and being a Mom to her 6-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

Cody Belzley serves as the Vice President of Public Affairs for the Colorado Children’s Campaign, the leading voice for Colorado’s 1.2 million children. In this capacity, she leads the organization’s policy, legislative and communications efforts. Prior to joining the Children’s Campaign, Cody served as Senior Health Policy Analyst for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. Cody has also worked on state and federal government affairs for a major safety net health system and as a political and policy communications consultant. Cody was integrally involved in the successful 2009 legislation to provide health insurance to more than 100,000 uninsured Coloradans, the 2006 Denver ballot campaign to make preschool accessible for all Denver four-year-olds and the 2004 statewide tobacco tax initiative that is generating over $170 million annually for health programs in Colorado.

Dana Hudson works for Shelburne Farms and Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day) as the Northeast Regional Co-Lead of the National Farm to School Network. She was raised on her family’s farm in Maryland and has 13 years of experience working on food, farming and education issues. She has a Bachelors in Environmental Analysis and Planning and a Masters in Environmental Studies – focused on Agriculture Education and Nonprofit Administration. Dana has facilitated farmer to school relations throughout the state of Vermont. She led in the project management of the initial 3 years of Burlington School Food Project, highly successful multi-partner farm to school initiative in Vermont’s largest city. She is an adjunct faculty at Johnson State College and has run graduate level professional development courses on farm to school throughout the state, as well as farm-based multi-day seminars and workshops for farmers from all over the US and Canada. She is a founding and current board member of the Farm Based Education Association. She loves to garden, cook, and kayak and lives with her husband and son in Huntington.

Daylyn Finnegan currently works for a grant-based program called 30+5 to curb childhood obesity in middle school children at the Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (SVAHEC), which is one of three regional AHECs in Vermont. These AHECs work in partnership with the University of Vermont College of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Allied Health, College of Education and Social Services, and the Fletcher Allen Residency Programs. They focus on rural health care workforce development to meet the needs of communities and health care professionals.

Debra Oto-Kent is executive director of the Health Education Council, which is dedicated to promoting healthy communities and preventing disease among at-risk populations. Oto-Kent founded the Council in 1991 after working for more than 13 years in the nonprofit health sector. She received her undergraduate degree in health science and safety studies from San Diego State University and her master’s degree in health education and behavioral science from UCLA’s School of Public Health. Oto-Kent’s primary area of interest and expertise is health education — with an emphasis on traditionally underserved populations, such as the socio-economically disadvantaged and diverse ethnic populations — about which she has written and spoken extensively. She has served on boards and committees of numerous local and statewide health promotion organizations including her current service as a founding board member of the Sacramento Community Clinic Consortium and educational materials reviewer for the California Healthy Kids Resource Center. Oto-Kent received the Outstanding Women of Achievement in Healthcare Award from the Downtown Capitol Chapter of Business and Professional Women and the Sacramento Women’s Council’s Leadership Award.

As cofounder and executive director of Kids First, a Providence-based nonprofit organization, Dorothy Brayley fights for the welfare of children on a daily basis. It’s an important battle – 32 percent of U.S. children are overweight, and 16 percent are obese. Much of this obesity epidemic, and its detrimental effects on health, is due to a lack of nutritious food choices and education in public schools. Brayley and her staff educate state schools on nutrition and physical fitness to help children stay strong. Brayley’s involvement with child health initiatives stems from her own interest in food preparation – she’s a trained chef – and a deep concern for what she saw happening in her children’s school cafeterias. “The food that was available to children was nutritionally deficient,” says Brayley. Kids First is responsible for significant positive change in all Rhode Island schools through its innovative technical assistance programs and activities. “I have an incredibly charged and dedicated staff who work tirelessly for the children of this state,” Brayley says. “The changes that we’ve brought about have resulted in three new laws, which ensure our advocacy sustains the future of our kids.” In June 2005, Brayley coauthored a law that requires every school district in Rhode Island to form a Health and Wellness Subcommittee that comprises a majority of members who are not school district employees. “It’s the subcommittee’s job to develop, implement, and monitor nutrition and physical activity policies,” she says. “Currently, all 36 Rhode Island school districts have active subcommittees to implement their policies. This says a lot about how our state cares for its children.” The other two laws Brayley helped write and guide through the legislature set strict standards for beverages and snacks provided on school premises. She’s also leading a statewide change in school meals with more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and fewer processed, high-sodium foods. This program will be completed in September 2009.

Ed Bolen is the food program advocate at California Food Policy Advocates, a statewide non-profit that works on hunger and nutrition issues.

Elissa Bassler is the CEO of Illinois Public Health Institute (IPHI), which works through partnerships to promote prevention and improve public health systems that maximize health and quality of life for the people of Illinois. Under Elissa’s leadership, IPHI has developed several program areas, including the Center for Community Capacity Development, a Policy and Partnership Intiatives program, the Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Action Council, and Center for Health Information Technology, which is building a new web-based data query system for Illinois. In 2003, IPHI led efforts to pass groundbreaking legislation requiring that Illinois develop a State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) every four years, and subsequently, IPHI led the process to develop Illinois’ first SHIP. Most recently IPHI led efforts to pass the Obesity Prevention Initiative, which will result in public hearings and public engagement on the need to address obesity, physical activity and nutrition. Prior to joining IPHI in early 2001, Bassler was the Public Policy Program Director of the Day Care Action Council of Illinois for nearly seven years, the Executive Director of the Coalition for New Priorities from 1991-1994 and the Executive Director of the Chicago Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility from 1989-1991. Bassler has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Directing from the Goodman/DePaul School of Drama. In 2004, she received the Illinois Public Health Association’s Excellence in Public Policy Award for her work on developing and passing the State Health Improvement Plan Act. She served as a member of Governor-Elect Blagojevich’s Transition Advisory Committee on Public Health in 2002 and was a member of Governor Ryan’s Children and Families Leadership Subcabinet from March 2000 to January 2001. She also served as a member of Governor-Elect Ryan’s Transition Committee on Children and Families in December 1998. Bassler was featured as one of eight “Amazing Women of 1998” in the June 1998 issue of Redbook Magazine for contributions to child care. She was presented the magazine’s Mothers & Shakers Award by Hillary Clinton at a White House luncheon in June, 1998. Under Bassler’s leadership, the public policy program of the Day Care Action Council of Illinois received the WPWR Channel 50 Foundation Award for a Singular Advocacy Achievement in February, 1998.

Elizabeth Brood is the National Program Coordinator at Fitness Forward. Their signature program, Drive 2 Fitness (D2F), motivates and empowers children and their families to lead healthier lifestyles through education, personalized tracking tools, social marketing, and rewards.

Elizabeth K. Nahar, has served as Program Director for the Children in Balance childhood obesity prevention initiative at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy (Tufts University) since 2006. In her role as Program Director, Ms. Nahar stewards the dissemination efforts of tools and curricula from Children in Balance's research projects around the country. Working closely with Professor Christina Economos, she also oversees the strategic planning, positioning, fundraising and day-to-day operations of Children in Balance. Prior to joining Tufts, Ms. Nahar's commitment to family and community health led her to professional positions in family service organizations, youth leadership and community organizing programs. Ms. Nahar received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1990, and her Master of Social Work and Master of Business Administration degrees from Boston College in 1997.

Erin Croom is the Program Manager at Atlanta Recycles, and Farm to School Coordinator at Georgia Organics. She studied at University of Vermont. Georgia Organics is a member supported non-profit organization working to integrate healthy, sustainable and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians.

Frances Byfield, Ed.D., is the administrator in charge of the Special Projects Department who coordinates Santa Ana Unified School District's broad array of nutrition and physical fitness efforts.

Gretchen is the President of KC Healthy Kids, which strives to reduce obesity and improve the health of Greater Kansas City’s children by informing, advocating, and mobilizing the resources and talents of the community.

Hannah Burton Laurison is a Senior Associate with Public Health Law & Policy's Planning for Healthy Places project, where she specializes in community and economic development. Prior to joining PHLP, she staffed an $80 million public-private initiative that worked to develop new grocery stores in Pennsylvania's low-income communities. She has also served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, coordinated a hunger relief program, and organized community gardens in low-income communities. She is the author of Stimulating Supermarket Development; a contributor to The Price Is Wrong: Getting the Market Right for Working Families in Philadelphia, published by the Brookings Institution; and a co-author of What's Cooking in Your Food System: A Guide to Community Food Assessment. She is a graduate of Brown University (magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa) and Tufts University's Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning.

Helen Mont-Ferguson is the Director of Food & Nutrition Services for Boston Public Schools.

Jamie Harvie is a civil engineer, and presently serves as both the Co-Director of HCWH’s Healthy Food in Health Care Project, and as Executive Director for the Institute for a Sustainable Future (ISF), a not-for-profit organization based in Duluth, Minnesota. He has coordinated HCWH’s purchasing effort, which has resulted in a strong relationship between HCWH and the country’s five largest Group Purchasing Organizations. Jamie also serves on the steering committee for the Green Guide for Healthcare Construction; design, construction, operations and maintenance guidelines for the healthcare industry, and coordinated the GGHC Food Credit. He was instrumental in negotiations with major pharmacy chains, which successfully resulted in a national voluntary phase-out of mercury thermometer sales. Mr. Harvie is a nationally recognized mercury expert and has been invited to speak internationally on pollution prevention. Mr. Harvie was recently a Growing Green award from NRDC in recognition for his leadership on sustainable foods in the healthcare sector. Together with his wife Nancy, they attempt to raise two happy, healthy, well adjusted children, Emma and Nathaniel.

Jean Ronnei has been the Director of Nutrition and Commercial Services for 19 years for a large urban district in Minnesota, where 70 percent of the 40,000 students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. In addition to overseeing a $21 million Nutrition Service budget, Jean is responsible for the district storehouse, distribution and graphic service operations. She is the current President-Elect of the Minnesota Nutrition Association and was named 2006 FAME School Nutrition Association Director of the Year. Jean received her bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University in hotel and restaurant management.

Jeanette Abi-Nader is the Evaluation Program Director of The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), a non-profit organization dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all people at all times.

Joel Berg is a nationally recognized leader in the fields of hunger and food security, national and community service, and technical assistance provision to faith-based and community organizations. He is also author of the book All You Can Eat: How Hungry is America?, and a Visiting Fellow at the Center for American Progress. Before becoming executive director of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger in 2001, Berg served two years as USDA coordinator of community food security, a new position, in which he created and implemented the first-ever federal initiative to better enable faith-based and other nonprofit groups to fight hunger, bolster food security, and help low-income Americans move from poverty to self-sufficiency. He was USDA coordinator of food recovery and gleaning the previous two years, working with community groups to increase the amount of food recovered, gleaned, and distributed to hungry Americans. Also while at the USDA, he served as director of national service, director of public liaison, and as acting director of public affairs and press secretary. From 1989 to 1993, he served as a policy analyst for the Progressive Policy Institute and a domestic policy staff member for the President-elect Bill Clinton's transition team. Berg has published widely on the topics of hunger, national and community service, and grassroots community partnerships. A native of Rockland County, NY, and a 1986 graduate of Columbia University, Berg now resides in Brooklyn. He is the past winner of the US Secretary of Agriculture's Honor Award for Superior Service and the Congressional Hunger Center's Mickey Leland National Hunger Fighter Award.

John Weidman, The Food Trust's Deputy Executive Director, and Joel Rotz of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau made a compelling case for Pennsylvania to invest in new farmers' markets and to expand the WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP). They also encouraged the State to invest more in wireless technology that allows customers to use EBT cards at market. Founded in 1992, the Trust works to improve the health of children and adults, promote good nutrition, increase access to nutritious foods, and advocate for better public policy.

Joseph Beiting is the Director of Development for Action for Healthy Kids, which addresses childhood undernourishment, obesity and prevention by working with schools to help kids learn to eat right and be active every day. This focus is because of the unique position and influence that schools have on children and their families, in addition to their responsibility to provide nutrition and physical education and their many opportunities to promote healthy eating and active living.

Kari McFarlan is deputy director for Community Health Partnership: Oregon's Public Health Institute. Currently, she directs the organization's strategic focus on prevention of obesity as well as staff and project management. Prior to relocating to Oregon, Ms. McFarlan was the Deputy Director of the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowships Program and Program Officer at the Institute of Medicine at The National Academies. Ms.McFarlan received her bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology at the University of California at Santa Cruz and her master's of public health with an emphasis in health policy from The George Washington University in Washington, DC.

Kate MacKenzie is the Director of Program Development and Policy at City Harvest. Previously, she worked as the Director of Food and Nutrition at FoodChange and as a Public Health Epidemiologist at the New York City Department of Health. She has a BS in Nutrition from Cornell and an MS, RD , Public Health Nutrition from Teachers College of Columbia University.

Kay Morris founded the non-profit, Marathon Kids, in 1996, as a grassroots initiative. Ms. Morris has appeared on CNN, CBS, and has been a "Fit Nation" summit panelist with President Bill Clinton and Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN. She actively advocates for increased physical activity time for elementary children and improved nutritional choices for children. It is her particular love to help galvanize an inner city school district and to also "wrap the goodwill" of town members of all shapes and sizes. With support from school officials, community runners, health organizations, the six month Marathon Kids program helps elevate a child's athletic self perception, as well as sense of himself or herself as a person who can complete a difficult and long-term project. There are currently almost 170,000 registered Marathon Kids in its 7 "marquee cities". Ms Morris has received awards from local community health organizations and was honored with the Runner's World Magazine "Hero of the Year' Award.

Kenneth Hecht is the executive director and one of the co-founders of California Food Policy Advocates. Begun in 1992, CFPA is California's statewide nutrition policy and advocacy organization, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of low-income Californians by increasing their access to nutritious, affordable food. The chief focus of CFPA's work is expansion and improvement of the federal food programs in order to prevent hunger, food insecurity and childhood obesity. CFPA’s headquarters are in Oakland, with regional offices in Los Angeles and Sacramento, and CFPA works with affiliated nutrition advocacy organizations in San Diego and Fresno. Upon completion of law school, Ken worked for fifteen years as a public interest attorney, first at San Francisco Neighborhood Legal Assistance Foundation and then as executive director of the San Francisco Legal Aid Society. At the Legal Aid Society, he played a leading role in establishing the Youth Law Center and the Employment Law Center, two specialized test case, law reform organizations. After that, Ken worked at the San Francisco Foundation, where he was the associate director during a time of very rapid growth for the Foundation. This was followed by nearly ten years as an independent consultant -- to city and county governments, foundations and nonprofit organizations -- on the growth and operation of emergency food systems.

Kristen Mancinelli is the Manager of Policy and Government Relations at City Harvest. She attended the Teachers College of Columbia University.

Kristen Markley is the National Farm to Institution Program Manager of The Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC), a North American coalition of diverse people and organizations working from the local to international levels to build community food security.

Laura Ojeda is the Deputy Director of Leadership for Healthy Communities, which is a $10-million national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation designed to support local and state government leaders nationwide in their efforts to reduce childhood obesity through public policies that promote active living, healthy eating and access to healthy foods. She has worked in the field of public health in the areas of program planning, policy and evaluation for more than 12 years. Most recently, Laura served as a Program Officer with First 5 LA, a major funding agency dedicated to improving the lives of young children in Los Angeles, California. In this capacity, she designed and managed a five-year $100 million health insurance program targeting low-income children ineligible for public programs due to income restrictions and immigration status. Laura also represented First 5 LA in the Children's Health Initiative (CHI) Coalition of Greater Los Angeles. This work involved collaborating with numerous stakeholders and advocates throughout Los Angeles County, including governmental agencies, community based, and philanthropic organizations, to inform statewide health policy reform. In addition, Laura played a critical role in the development of the agency's five year strategic plan specific to its health priorities. Prior to this experience, Laura planned and evaluated HIV prevention programs with Clinica Para Las Americas, a community clinic serving uninsured, low income, Latino immigrants in Los Angeles, California. Laura also worked as a Research Analyst with the UCLA School of Public Health providing technical assistance to nonprofit organizations in evaluation and needs assessments. Laura holds a master of public health from UCLA in community health sciences with a policy concentration.

LeeAnn Weniger-Mandrillo is a passionate public administrator and community nutritionist accomplished in effectively governing a wide range of management responsibilities. She is currently the Senior Project Administrator at Rutgers University and has previously been the Senior Program Coordinator for Social Marketing at Rutgers University and the Senior Program Coordinator/County Department Head at Rutgers University. She attended Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Newark and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-New Brunswick.

Leslie Mikkelsen, Managing Director at Prevention Institute, advances the conceptual work of the organization and supervises the Supporting Healthy Eating and Active Living projects and team. She develops tools and materials to support local and state initiatives, and guides government bureaus, foundations and community organizations throughout the country on effective environmental approaches, coalition building, and interdisciplinary partnerships. Leslie is the co-founder and Project Director for  the Strategic Alliance for Healthy Food and Activity Environments, a statewide advocacy network involved in creating healthy food and physical activity opportunities. Her research and publications had aided in the development of ENACT (Environmental Nutrition and Activity Community Tool), and the ENACT Local Policy Database. She is also a Policy Consultant to the national Healthy Eating Active Living Convergence Partnership, where she directs research and helps shape national strategy related to policy priorities that support healthy food and activity environments. Leslie has written many articles, including Setting the Record Straight: Nutritionists and Health Professionals Define Healthful Food and Where's the Fruit? Fruit Content of the Most Highly Advertised Children's Food and Beverages. Prior to joining Prevention Institute in 1999, Leslie worked for the Alameda County and New York City Food Banks. Leslie is the winner of the American Public Health Association Food and Nutrition Section 2008 Catherine Cowell Award for Excellence in Public Health Nutrition. She received her MPH from UC Berkeley.

Lynn Mader is a Senior Program Associate in the Local Foods program, and has worked extensively for the University of Minnesota and other organizations developing and implementing farm to school programs. Her work focuses on improving the health of K-12 children through educational programs, experiences and school food service that connects children, farmers and healthy foods. She has been involved with local foods and alternative nutrition initiatives for the last 20 years. She is a registered, licensed dietitian, has taught college-level nutrition and cooking-for-health classes, and has foodservice and clinic management experience. Lynn has served on various boards including the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), Hunger and Environmental Nutrition (HEN), Dietetics Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association, Montevideo Nutrition and Fitness Task Force, Montevideo Schools Wellness Committee and The Cultural Diversity Council of the Upper Minnesota River Valley. She lives in Montevideo, Minn.

Lynne Kunins is the Executive Director of FLIPANY ( Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth), which provides affordable physical activity and nutrition programs for youth and their families in South Florida.

Maggie Anderson is the School Food & Fitness Coordinator at Washington State University, King County Extension. She received her BA in Human Services from Western Washington University.

Margo Pedroso serves as the Deputy Director for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.  In this role, she manages government relations, grassroots lobbying, policy research and analysis to advance the SRTS national movement, and assists the Director with partner outreach, fundraising, and strategic planning. Prior to joining the SRTS National Partnership, Margo spearheaded public policy and advocacy for MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership. During her tenure, she built bipartisan Congressional support for youth mentoring, resulting in a four-fold increase in federal funding for mentoring programs and a Congressional pilot program that allows mentoring programs to use FBI background checks to screen volunteers. Margo served as the policy liaison with human service organizations, state partners, and federal agencies. She also carried out a wide-reaching initiative to conduct a national conversation on mentoring and develop a “National Agenda for Action” to expand the availability and quality of youth mentoring. Margo has also held positions with the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce, focused on government relations and education policy. In total, she has over twelve years of experience handling appropriations and policy issues, focusing particularly on priorities that will improve the lives of children.

As founder and director of Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP), Marice Ashe manages long-term strategic planning for all of its projects and guides their day-to-day activities. She has been with the Public Health Institute for nearly 15 years, establishing and directing pioneering efforts that leverage legal and policy tools to promote public health. She teaches public health law at the University of California at Berkeley School of Public Health, and serves on the board of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy. She has also worked with the UC Office of the President and the Contra Costa County Health Services Department, and as a consultant with numerous private philanthropies and state and federal health agencies. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and the UC Berkeley School of Law.

Marjorie Benjamin is the Project Director of the American School Health Association. The mission of the American School Health Association is to build the capacity of its members to plan, develop, coordinate, implement, evaluate, and advocate for effective school health strategies that contribute to optimal health and academic outcomes for all children and youth.

Michael Seserman is the Director of Strategic Health Alliances at American Cancer Society. He was previously Director of Tobacco and Program Services at American Cancer Society, a Public Health Prevention Specialist at Centers for Disease Control. He received his MPH , Public Health from Boston University, and his BS in Nutrition from University of Rhode Island.

Nancy Schaefer is the Health Educator for The Southern Vermont Area Health Education Center (SVAHEC), which is one of three regional AHECs in Vermont. These AHECs work in partnership with the University of Vermont College of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Allied Health, College of Education and Social Services, and the Fletcher Allen Residency Programs. They focus on rural health care workforce development to meet the needs of communities and health care professionals.

Nancy Huehnergarth is the Executive Director of NYS Health Eating and Physical Activity Alliance. She co-founded and led a statewide non-profit alliance to improve healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices to reduce obesity and chronic disease. She coordinated NYSHEPA advocacy efforts in NYS for sugary beverage tax, school nutrition standards, calorie labeling, trans fat ban, the breastfeeding bill of rights, and Complete Streets. She was previously the Executive and Project Director of Westchester Coalition for Better School Food, which is a county-wide coalition dedicated to improving nutrition and fitness in Westchester County public and private schools. She received her B.A. in English at Emory University.

Nat Turner left a six figure job as a debate teacher to reclaim a New Orleans landmark after witnessing the devastation post-Katrina. Blair Grocery, the first black owned business in the Lower Ninth Ward, like much of the neighborhood became disenfranchised, run-down and boarded up after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Turner re-opened the grocery store in 2008, and turned it into a home schooling base for neighborhood students, who are also being taught about nutrition and local food through the school's vacant lots-turned gardens. Turner this past spring discussing the agri-educational revolution he was starting. Turner one-ups Obama: not only is he putting sustainable food on his students' lunch trays, he is teaching them to grow their own food in the abandoned plots that surround the neighborhood.

Pam Seamans, MPP, serves as the Policy Director of the North Carolina Alliance for Health, a seven-year old coalition of over 75 statewide organizations that have come together to promote tobacco use and obesity prevention policies at the state level. The most significant policy issues taken on by the Alliance to date were multi-faceted efforts (advocacy, media and grassroots) to increase NC's cigarette tax (2003-05, 2009), make the General Assembly buildings smoke-free (2006), make all state-government buildings smoke-free (2007), and make all worksites and public places smoke-free (2009). Pam has also led the Alliance in its transition to tackling on obesity prevention policy issues. Prior to working with the Alliance, Pam lobbied and developed policy implementation strategies in the health and human services policy arena while working as the public policy director of the United Way of North Carolina from 1995 - 1998 and as chairperson of the Covenant for North Carolina's Children from 1997-2001 and 2005-2006. Pam received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Public Policy from Duke University.

Rochelle Davis is the Founding Executive Director of the Healthy Schools Campaign, a national not-for-profit organization that advocates for healthy school environments. Davis also served as the Principal Investigator for Healthy Schools Campaign’s NIEHS-funded Partnership to Reduce Disparities in Asthma and Obesity in Latino Schools, where she worked closely with community organizing for environmental justice around children’s health disparities. She was the founding director of Generation Green, a national membership organization that works on children’s environmental health issues, and has more than 20 years of experience in not-for-profit management and finance. Davis is a member of the EPA’s Committee for the Protection of Children’s Health and a founding member of the Green Cleaning Network. She served as a judge for Health magazine's Healthiest Schools Contest and American School & University magazine's Green Clean Award. She is co-author of Fresh Choices, a cookbook published by Rodale Press, and is the recipient of the Chicago Tribune’s 2007 Good Eating Award.

Rodney Taylor, the RUSD Student Nutrition Director is the former Food Service Director from the Santa Monica Malibu School District. Taylor is known as the man who is revolutionizing a change in school lunches in a district that serves 43,000 students, well over half of which are from at-risk families. One of the most "wow-inspiring" aspects of Taylor's Farm to School program is the daily farmers market salad bar offered as an alternative to the hot lunch meal in 26 of the district's 31 elementary schools. They have been successful in bringing about a change in perception about school food service to the point where we've been able to grow the program at $1 million a year, and the lunch participation rate has increased from 47 percent when the Farm to School program was introduced to a current 65 percent. An average of 33 percent of the elementary students are choosing a farmers market salad bar lunch, so that means one-third of the kids in their elementary schools are eating healthier each day. Riverside Unified School District’s salad bar program has been recognized nationally and internationally.

Rosa comes to Healthy Schools Campaign with strong abilities in analysis, research and advocacy and five years experience in the nonprofit sector, including grassroots advocacy, local government, and intermediaries. She is passionate about environmental justice issues related to health, transportation, land use, and the overall impacts on historically disenfranchised communities. As a previous youth organizer in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood, she has successfully strengthened multi-generational coalitions and managed competing projects in Chicago’s Latino community. She also helped provide technical assistance to diverse community groups and collect and promote best practices during her time working for the national research and action institute PolicyLink. Rosa holds a bachelor's degree in Public Policy and Sociology from DePaul University and a master's of science degree in Community Development from the University of California at Davis. Healthy Schools Campaign is an independent not-for-profit organization, and is the leading authority on healthy school environments and a voice for people who care about our environment, our children, and education.

Sheilah coordinates the FOCUS Policy Working Group, made up of school food service professionals and FOCUS’ local and national partners, and implements strategies to promote the priorities they identify. An activist for more than 20 years, Sheilah is passionate about working with organizations that support solutions. She has worked on many social change initiatives, most recently with the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture. She earned a degree in Social Work from San Jose State University. Much of her education and work background is in leadership development and training, community organizing, and fundraising, involving a broad range of issues.

Stacey Flanagan is the Deputy Director of Public Health Programs at Public Health Solutions, one of NYC's largest nonprofit agencies. In addition, she teaches at The New School's Graduate Program for International Affairs. Stacey has 15 years experience in nonprofit training and technical assistance starting with her Peace Corps experience. Stacey's expertise ranges from anti-hunger and public health to the environment and urban policy. Stacey has worked at several international agencies such as US Peace Corps, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Drucker Foundation, and Share Our Strength where she led staff in strategic planning, program design, and implementation. Stacey received her Bachelor's in Political Science from Michigan State University, and her Master's in Nonprofit Management from Milano the New School for Urban Policy and Management where she is currently working on her PhD. Stacey Flanagan is the Deputy Director of Public Health Services Programs for Public Health Solutions. Public Health Solutions is a nonprofit organization that develops, implements and advocates dynamic solutions to prevent disease and improve community health. They conduct comprehensive research providing insight on public health issues, create and manage community health programs, and provide services to organizations to address public health challenges.

Susan Wooley is the Executive Director of American School Health Association. She received her PhD , Health Education from Temple University, her M.Ed. , Health Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her B.A. in Biology from Case Western Reserve University. The mission of the American School Health Association is to build the capacity of its members to plan, develop, coordinate, implement, evaluate, and advocate for effective school health strategies that contribute to optimal health and academic outcomes for all children and youth.

Vanessa Briggs, MBA, RD, LDN, is executive director of the Health Promotion Council (HPC), a nonprofit organization with the mission to promote health, and prevent and manage chronic diseases, especially among vulnerable populations, through community-based outreach, education & advocacy throughout Pennsylvania. She joined HPC in 2001, after working 15 years in the for-profit healthcare industry. She is responsible for organizational strategic direction with programming for at-risk, diverse populations. Ms. Briggs, who serves on numerous boards and advisory groups, is a generalist in the field of health promotion and population health with emphasis in dietetics and physical activity, forges alliances resulting in new initiatives to bring multi-sector groups together to transform marginalized communities into healthy communities. She received her bachelor degree in nutrition from Rowan University and her MBA in Healthcare Administration from Eastern University. She is a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Dietetic-Nutritionist and holds her Certification in Adult Weight Management. The Health Promotion Council is one of the largest, most influential nonprofit health promotion and prevention service providers in the mid-Atlantic region. Its programs in chronic disease risk reduction, prevention, community capacity building and professional education reach more than 40,000 people and focus on high-risk populations, including the African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian communities.