The 2026 Summer Nutrition Summit - Digital Agenda

Over the past twenty years, Anne Filipic has led consequential civic, philanthropic, and political efforts that have helped transform the nation. Most recently, she served as Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Management and Administration and the Office of Administration. In this role, Anne was responsible for building and maintaining the most diverse staff in White House history.

Prior to joining the White House, Anne was the Chief Program Officer at the Obama Foundation, where she developed global programs focused on civic engagement and leadership development. She also oversaw the integration of two major initiatives, My Brother’s Keeper and The Girls Opportunity Alliance, into the Obama Foundation.

Previously, Anne led Enroll America, a national healthcare coalition designed to support Americans in enrolling in and retaining healthcare coverage made available through the Affordable Care Act. Enroll America’s work supported a net increase of over 20 million Americans gaining healthcare coverage in under four years. In recognition of Enroll America’s impact, Anne was named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare magazine.

Anne has also served as Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She started her career in electoral campaigns and advocacy, including holding leadership roles on President Obama’s 2008 campaign and serving as Field Director for the Obama Iowa caucus campaign.

Originally from Ohio, Anne is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Carlos, and their three young children.

Reggie Bicha, MSW, is a social worker, administrator, educator, and national leader. He has extensive experience working on child welfare, early childhood education, employment, and healthcare issues at the county, state, and national levels.

He served as the Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Human Services for Governor John Hickenlooper, and as the Inaugural Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families for Governor Jim Doyle. He is a former Ascend Fellow, sponsored by the Aspen Institute, focusing on 2 Generation approaches to move children and parents beyond poverty. Reggie served as President of Acelero, Inc., a pioneering provider of early childhood education and family engagement services for thousands of Head Start children and families across the country.

Reggie was recognized in 2014 for his leadership and dedication with the Casey Family Programs “Excellence for Children Award.” Reggie has three children and lives with his wife, Katie, in Denver, CO.

Meighen Lovelace lives and farms with her two daughters on Colorado’s Western Slope. She founded the Mountain Harvest Coalition- building a community farm and four season greenhouse for the Vail Valley Salvation Army and providing year round fresh produce for the food bank. She has since passed that work along to community leaders to pursue a deep dive into public policy. 

Meighen serves on the board for the Alliance to End Hunger in Washington DC, the Colorado State Board of Human Services as appointed by the Governor, the Colorado Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council, The Colorado Children and Youth Services Standards Advisory Board, and Children's Hospital Colorado Pediatric Mental Health Institute Family Advisory Council. 

Meighen believes that every American deserves the right to live in their communities safely with dignity and respect. She works across sector towards a thriving and accessible America for all. 

As a native mother raising four sons, Tafra also cares for foster youth and babies in the community. She advocates for SNAP access in rural tribal areas where residents face significantly greater barriers than other communities.

Joelanis Kercado-Martes works as a housekeeper at TRC Housekeeping, a professional cleaning service in Jamestown, New York. As a single mother of three, she works hard to provide for her family while delivering reliable, high-quality cleaning services to her clients. Her children have benefited from Summer EBT and non-congregate summer meals, programs that help ease the burden of rising food costs and allow her to focus on both her job and her family.

Christina is a devoted stay-at-home mother of four who balances her family life with her work as a remote Agent Support Specialist. Supporting her family is at the heart of everything Christina does, and her professional role allows her to provide dependable guidance and organization while remaining present at home. Her goal is to create a warm, supportive, and accepting environment both in her home and in the work she does every day.

Amanda is a dedicated human services professional with more than 25 years of experience at the Arkansas Department of Human Services. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Arkansas Tech University and spent her career working directly with individuals and families, first as a Case Manager and later as a Supervisor. She takes pride in supporting others, mentoring staff, and ensuring services are delivered with care, integrity, and respect.

John is the program director for Kentucky Kids Eat, the statewide child hunger relief program of Feeding Kentucky.  As the KKE Program Director, he manages No Kid Hungry Kentucky, a public-private coalition between Share Our Strength and Feeding Kentucky to end child hunger in the state. A native of Appalachia, John received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Centre College. He completed graduate education in public health with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Public Health followed graduate studies in physician assistant studies from the UK’s College of Health Sciences.  Over his two-decade career in health sciences, he has practiced clinically as an endocrine PA, monitored communities for infectious diseases as an epidemiologist, coordinated research related to chronic disease risk factors, and mobilized a network of volunteers as a volunteer himself in making schools healthier places to learn. Through his volunteer efforts, John was named a National Healthy School Hero by Action for Healthy Kids in 2010.  

Amanda West, CND for the Monticello School District. Has served as a Child Nutrition Director for a total of 26 years and recently completed two terms as President of the Arkansas School Nutrition Association. Dedicated to advocating for child nutrition programs across the state, she has been recognized with the Acting Out Against Hunger Award (2021) and the Summer Hero Award (2024). In Amanda’s spare time, she enjoys golfing, hunting, running and spending time with her family.

James is a solutions engineer at Code for America on the Summer EBT team. Prior to joining the organization, he worked for over a decade as a software engineer, leading teams to deliver a variety of custom software products and cultivate sustainable engineering practices. He was inspired to work in civic tech after leading the modernization of a municipal tax e-file portal and reading Recoding America. James grew up in Jacksonville, FL, where he earned an M.S. in Software Engineering from the University of North florida, and now resides in Littleton, CO with his wife and two children.

Mike began his career with the Arizona Department of Economic Security in 2011 as an eligibility interviewer. In 2012, he was assigned to a special project with the IT team and eventually promoted to a Business Analyst working with the EBT system. During the Pandemic, he was part of the team, working with the Department of Education, to implement P-EBT for school-aged children and childcare-aged children. He was responsible for ensuring the benefits were issued, and EBT cards and letters were sent to the households. For P-EBT, the team served on average 600,000 school-aged children and 140,000 childcare-aged children monthly during the program. The partnership with the Department of Education continued in implementing Summer EBT, and in 2024, the program served over 737,000 school-aged children, and in 2025, it has served over 646,000 school-aged children. The team looks forward to continuing in 2026 to provide Summer EBT for the children in Arizona.

Zachary has been with NMHCA for eight years and led the launch of SUN Bucks in New Mexico. Under his direction, the State of New Mexico established new cross-departmental collaborations to improve data accuracy and ensure that benefits reach the state’s most at-risk populations. In the program’s first two years, SUN Bucks served more than 280,000 students each summer.

Paige Poticher is the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer-EBT) Project Coordinator at the Center for Schools and Communities, a division of the Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit. With over 13 years of experience in client relations, operational support, and data management in healthcare and nutrition programs, she brings expertise in communication, collaboration, and program coordination. In her current role, Paige works alongside the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Food and Nutrition, and the Department of Human Services to improve summer EBT implementation and data accuracy, she leads the statewide data collection efforts to ensure program integrity. She is passionate about building strong relationships, educating schools on the significance of their role in the program, and advancing food security through efficient, data-driven strategies.

Ashley Puffenbarger is a proud Mountaineer, having graduated from West Virginia Tech with a degree in Public Service Administration and Appalachian Studies. She has 13 years of experience working for WV's Bureau for Family Assistance in SNAP policy and programming, and currently represents the MARO region on APHSA's Executive Advisory Council for SNAP. Ashley considers her greatest work accomplishment to be the creation of West Virginia's Summer EBT program and its later placement into the PATH eligibility system.

Brianna “Bri” Fleming serves as the Child Nutrition Program Manager at the Central Texas Food Bank, where she leads regional strategy and operations for children’s feeding initiatives, including Summer and Afterschool Meals, Rural Non-Congregate distribution, School Pantries, and College Hunger programs. Under her leadership, the Food Bank has expanded access to nutritious meals in underserved rural communities and introduced innovative models for sustainable, community-based child nutrition. Brianna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration and Public Health from Indiana State University and brings over seven years of experience advancing food security and equity across Texas.

Allie holds a bachelor's degree in Dietetics from Virginia Tech and is a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered. While she recently shifted positions and currently works at Blue Ridge Area Food Bank on their health equity and initiatives team, she previously oversaw their Summer Foodservice Program and the At-Risk Afterschool Program. During her time working with these programs, Allie started and expanded the rural non-congregate SFSP program to serve almost 82,000 meals at 25 sites across 15 counties. While her work has a different focus now, these programs hold a special place in her heart, and she continues to work towards ending child food insecurity in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia.

Mel Jackson is the Executive Director of The Josh Howard Foundation, a position she has held for the past 12 years. Under her leadership, the foundation has successfully launched and expanded critical programs such as after-school initiatives for at-risk youth and the Summer Meals Program, ensuring that children receive healthy and nutritious meals year-round. In addition to her work with the foundation, Mel is the author of Blessings and Broken Places, a memoir published in 2021, which reflects her insights and experiences in life and community service. As the CEO of Mel Inc Global, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between communities and consumers, fostering connections that enhance well-being and support local initiatives. Mel’s passion for empowering others and her commitment to social change make her a respected leader in her field.

Gary was an executive director in private business for 25 years before transitioning to non-profit work in 2013. He is now the Interim Executive Director of FISH, an organization fighting food insecurity in the rural county of Kittitas, WA. FISH gives out over 2.5 million pounds of food a year, in addition to serving almost 200,000 prepared meals a year for children, seniors, and the homeless. When not serving others at FISH, Gary can often be found spending time with his wife and one or another of his 6 grandchildren, or on some remote mountain top off road motorcycle camping.

Wanting a new challenge, Karla Boudreaux Horton left her clinical nutrition roots and jumped into the world of school nutrition when she became the head of Bossier Parish Schools’ Child Nutrition Program in 2018.  Karla has been honored as a Patriot of the Pandemic and received the 2024 Gold Star Award for her dedication to feeding kids over 3. 5 million meals a year.  She is actively involved in SNA of Louisiana and has had the honor of presenting at SNA ANC in 2025, the No Kid Hungry Summer Summit in 2024 and 2026, and the Mississippi SNA Industry Conference in 2025.  Known as the Energizer bunny in human form, she is passionate about nutrition, people, thinking “outside the box”, and teaching.  Whether it’s with a crazy story, nerdy fun fact, or sharing a memory hack, Karla is a dynamic speaker who strives to make learning, leadership, and navigating school nutrition regulations fun.  

When she’s not on the go with her three teenagers, you can find Karla with her nose in a book, watching a documentary, or engaging in pavement therapy (aka running) with her two big dogs. 

Ashley Walterbusch serves as the Program Director for the Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center, where she oversees the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and several community initiatives supporting children and families. Over the past three years, under her leadership, the SFSP has served more than 500,000 meals through innovative models such as grab-and-go and home delivery. Ashley’s work focuses on improving food access, building strong community partnerships, and creating sustainable systems to fight child hunger. She also serves on the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Rural Advisory Council, helping guide statewide discussions on rural education and child nutrition. She is passionate about ensuring every child has the nutrition and support needed to thrive year-round.

Oscar serves as the Director of Nutrition Services for Grand Island Public Schools,where his team supports nearly 10,000 students across 19 schools and 3 academies. The team also operates a central kitchen that serves the elementary schools and a central warehouse that supports all of the locations. The operation runs the NSLP, SFSP, FFVP, and After School Care Snacks programs, and the district is proud to be a full CEP, ensuring every student has access to meals without barriers. His focus is simply to help these programs run smoothly so students receive consistent, nutritious meals every day. He is grateful to work with a dedicated team that shows up for kids and makes a large operation feel personal. Much of his role is listening, learning, and finding practical ways to support staff and strengthen the kitchens, and he considers it a privilege to do this work for the school community.

Kayte serves as the Director of Child Nutrition Programs at the Nebraska Department of Education where she provides leadership and support for the Summer EBT and the USDA Child Nutrition Programs. Kayte is a Registered Dietitian and has worked in the Child Nutrition Programs for more than 12 years, starting in the Summer Food Service Program. 

David Robinson serves as Community Programs Manager at Arizona Food Bank Network. He oversees the organization’s statewide Child Nutrition Program work, which includes assisting schools and community organizations seeking to add Federal nutrition programs or providing support to increase participation in meal programs. David accomplishes this work through statewide outreach, communication strategies, and direct technical assistance and trainings. He has worked in the combined Food Banking and Child Nutrition space for 8 years. 

Lynley Closson is a Senior Program Manager at Code for America, based in Los Angeles, California. She is a social worker with a background in foodie and an avid listener. Lynley has worked in various roles, including collaborating with small businesses in rural Iowa and acting as a community organizer in St. Louis. She has also supported a large portfolio of disaster-response grantees at United Way of Greater Los Angeles. At Code for America, she co-leads several projects around Summer EBT to help states boost benefits redemption through design and technology interventions.

Theo is a service designer at Code for America with over 10 years of experience tackling complex digital product and service innovation challenges in diverse sectors including government, healthcare, agriculture, finance, and renewable energy. She leads Code for America's Summer EBT work and she was co-author on the Summer EBT Playbook, which has been downloaded over 3,000 times since launch in December 2023. Prior to joining Code for America, she was Design Director at YLabs, where she spent five years building the design team, practice, and systems for a product portfolio spanning 16 countries. She also taught graduate-level courses for five years at the Stanford Design School. She holds a BA and MS from Stanford University.

Brooke Harris is a Registered Dietitian specializing in public health nutrition and food security, including work on Summer EBT for the Colorado Department of Human Services. She has extensive experience supporting marginalized communities while advancing equitable access to nutritious food. Brooke brings a strong background in program implementation and community-focused nutrition strategies, grounded in her bachelor’s degree in Nutrition Management and Communications from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Carrie Bean has over 11 years of experience with the YMCA, beginning her career in Youth Development programs before stepping into her current role in 2019. In this role, she provides direct oversight of the Monroe Family YMCA’s meal distribution programs, including kitchen operations, administrating USDA reimbursable food programs for the Monroe Family YMCA and several Ys across Michigan, cultivating a positive relationship with the Michigan Department of Education, and fostering innovative community partnerships. A self-starter by nature, Carrie has built her expertise and the success of Monroe’s feeding programs though hands-on experience rather than traditional academic certifications. Her efforts have led to the Monroe Family YMCA’s feeding efforts to be recognized by the USDA’s Turnip the Beet Award for seven consecutive years, recognizing high-quality, culturally-relevant meals. 

Ericka Jackson is the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Analyst with the Michigan Department of Education Office of Nutrition Services. As the Analyst, she is responsible for compliance, training, and educating sponsors on the SFSP. She assists sponsors with growing their programs to ensure Michigan’s children are well fed, nourished and thriving. She has extensive experience in the SFSP serving previously as the Food Service Coordinator for the City of Detroit Recreation Department for SFSP, CACFP and Seniors. Ericka is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy with a BA in English Literature.

Martin is the retired director of the Burke County (GA) school nutrition program. Martin served as the Academy’s President in 2017-2018.  Martin is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned a master’s degree from the University of Alabama – Birmingham and an education specialist degree from Augusta University. 

In 2016, Donna’s work in the Burke County Public Schools nutrition program gained national attention when Michelle Obama and Al Roker visited Burke County to help plant a school garden. Donna was then invited to speak at the White House for Michelle Obama’s capstone event.  Donna was also awarded the 2016 Golden Radish Award for the state of Georgia because of her efforts in the Farm to School Movement.  Donna has been involved in numerous public policy initiatives including testifying before Congress about the new School Nutrition Standards and to the House of Representatives Staff on the Farm to School Bill.  Donna got to speak at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health on the importance of School Meals.   

Donna is on the GenYouth Board of Directors, is a National Dairy Ambassador, a No Kid Hungry Consultant and a trainer for the Institute of Child Nutrition.

Alyia Gaskins, a tenacious fighter for families, communities, and health equity, is the first African American woman to serve as the Mayor of Alexandria. She was elected in 2024 and is dedicated to building a healthier, more prosperous Alexandria for all. The same issues that motivate Alyia as an elected official—health, housing, education, public safety, and the economic, social, and physical vitality of cities— have motivated her professional career as a public health strategist and city planner. She has worked on hunger policy at D.C. Hunger Solutions and health issues at the National League of Cities, managed an affordable housing investment program at the Center for Community Investment, and was most recently a Senior Program Officer at the Melville Charitable Trust, a national philanthropic organization devoted to ending homelessness. Currently, Alyia runs her own consulting business, CitiesRX, which focuses on building physical, social, and economic health through community partnerships. 

Alyia graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she majored in medicine, health, and society. She earned a master’s degree in public health at the University of Pittsburgh and further honed her policy chops with a master’s in urban planning at Georgetown and a Professional Certificate in Municipal Finance from the University of Chicago. Mayor Gaskins is extremely honored and humbled to be chosen as the Rising Vice-Chair of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.

Daniel Rickenmann is the 71st Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, bringing decades of experience as both an entrepreneur and public servant. Since taking office in 2022, he has focused on expanding housing options, strengthening public safety, improving city services, and enhancing community pride. Beyond Columbia, Rickenmann serves as the rising Chair of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger and as a Trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, working to ensure local communities have a voice in national policy discussions.

Erik Gomez is the Mayor of Sabinal and currently recognized as the youngest mayor in Texas, having previously served on the Sabinal City Council. During his leadership, he has driven major improvements across the community, including reducing the animal shelter’s kill rate by 99% and repairing hundreds of water leaks to preserve the city’s water supply. He spearheaded the installation of Sabinal’s first new playground equipment in more than 40 years and secured over a million dollars in grant funding for community projects. Mayor Gomez also championed funding for gasoline to support the senior citizen home-delivered meal program—just a few highlights of his commitment to progress. A strong advocate for youth, dignity, and basic human needs, he believes food security should never be an option but a fundamental guarantee for every person.

Sharina Taveras López is a Digital Media Manager and Content Experimenter for plus más media, where she creates social media content for the Latino immigrant community in the United States, reaching millions of people each year. Her work is known for its clarity and accessibility, using Latino culture as a lens to communicate complex information in ways that deeply resonate with her audience. She graduated from McDaniel College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Hispanic Literature, with a concentration in Digital Journalism. Her passion for social issues impacting the Latino community drives her creative vision, inspiring the development of high-quality, impactful content across all her projects.

Pamela Schwartz, MPH, is executive director of community health for Kaiser Permanente. She leads a broad portfolio of work addressing social determinants of health in the areas of highest need among Kaiser Permanente members and its communities, including food, housing, mental health workforce development, and financial security. Pam oversees Kaiser Permanente’s $50 million commitment to improve access to healthy food, which includes the Kaiser Permanente Food Is Medicine Center of Excellence created in 2024 to more fully integrate food and nutrition into health care delivery both at Kaiser Permanente and at health systems across the country.  A champion for patient- and community-led solutions to social factors shaping people’s health, Pam and her team have created innovative, high-impact initiatives to increase affordable housing and reduce homelessness in dozens of communities and to increase the number of medical respite programs available in communities to help patients experiencing homelessness heal in safe and stable environments.  

Rachel Sabella is the Director of No Kid Hungry New York, a campaign of Share Our Strength, leading a team on the front lines of fighting child hunger and poverty across the state. Rachel directs a strategy to expand No Kid Hungry’s grant-making, lobbying, communications, partnership and outreach campaigns in New York and Puerto Rico to connect more kids and families with meals. Under Rachel’s leadership, No Kid Hungry New York has led successful advocacy campaigns including a restoration of more than $20M for school meal programs in the New York City budget as well as ensuring New York State enacted laws that allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits online and in restaurants. In addition, her advocacy has also helped countless New York families enroll and spend their Summer EBT benefits through partnerships with elected officials, a strategic media campaign and outreach from New York based sports teams.

Starlet Calloway serves as the Summer EBT Program Manager at the Alabama Department of Human Resources where she oversees the state-wide implementation and expansion of the Summer EBT program. In this role, Starlet works closely with state partners and community organizations to help ensure families have consistent access to nutritious food when school is out of session for the summer.

Starlet holds a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Human Resources Management. With over 19 years of experience in human services, Starlet brings an array of knowledge and experience as she has served in numerous positions within the agency where she focused on SNAP/TANF Administration, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), Community Outreach, Nutrition Education, Contracts, and Policy. She is committed to strengthening communication, improving program processes, and empowering families to make the most of their benefits. 

Beth leads partnerships for Alpenglow Impact, where she collaborates with major retailers to design and launch innovative, large scale programs that support families on the brink. Since joining in 2023, she has spearheaded new gift card initiatives with grocers, dollar stores, and apparel brands, and expanded the Albertsons partnership to launch SummerEBT.org and Spark Wealth, both efforts to increase access to food and financial resources for children and families.

A graduate of Emory University, Beth’s career spans leadership in grassroots nonprofits, community impact work with United Way, and corporate social responsibility at a national recruiting firm. She is deeply committed to improving life chances for vulnerable populations—especially children and families.

Christy joined Safeway in 2006 to work on teams to develop Just for U, the Promise campaign, and O Organics for Baby and Toddler launches. Christy became the President and Executive Director of The Safeway Foundation, now called Albertsons Companies Foundation, in 2011. She manages all of Albertsons Companies’ philanthropic and community giving, including spearheading the Nourishing Neighbors movement. Christy believes in the power of local communities and has worked as a change agent to stretch the traditional roles of corporations beyond “giving back” to spark true impact and transformation.

Cherise Billington is a Food Security advocate and community leader from Vancouver, Washington, where she supports families in her diverse neighborhood through a small home-based food pantry. Drawing on lived experience with food insecurity, she works to connect parents to critical nutrition programs like SNAP and Summer EBT. Cherise has participated in statewide parent leadership initiatives, contributed to discussions on equity and access at the No Kid Hungry Summer Nutrition Summit, and actively advocates for policies that strengthen family well-being. She is passionate about breaking down barriers to food assistance and uplifting community voices to shape more responsive programs.

Emily Fulgham-Clay is a parent consultant, an educator, and a proud alumna of the Parent Leadership Institute (PLTI). As a mother of three amazing children, she advocates for inclusive language at all levels of the education system, focusing particularly on diverse family structures of both youth and adult students. 

Eugenia Gusev currently serves as the Assistant Director for SUN Bucks and SNAP-Ed at the Maryland Department of Human Services, where she leads critical initiatives to enhance statewide food access. Prior to this role, she dedicated over 15 years to supporting refugees and immigrants, most recently as a Senior Technical Advisor for the International Rescue Committee. Throughout her career, Eugenia has focused on designing equitable food systems and nutrition programs that empower vulnerable communities across the U.S. and Europe. She holds a dual MA in International Affairs and International Public Management from Sciences Po University in Paris, and a B.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University. 

Zahava “Zee” Zaidoff (she, her) is an advocate and parent who has been living in Hawaii County for the past ten years. She is the founder of Hope808 consulting firm, where she is a Speaker, Trainer, and Writer. Zee holds several certifications including: Masters Level Registered Addiction Specialist and Certified Co-Occurring Disorder Specialist. Working with the LGBTQIA+ community, fighting for disability rights, creating an equitable and just federal and state benefits system, removing stigma from the behavioral health narratives, and focusing on youth suicide prevention are main focuses of Zee's advocacy and education work. Zee believes that authentic conversations and sharing of life experiences is the critical and missing piece in our systems, and that lived expertise must be both outlouded and elevated if lasting change is to be attained. 

Cathy has worked with the SFSP at the Kentucky Department of Education since 2014, following two years with the National School Lunch Program. She has been the SFSP program manager since April 2019. She has a bachelor’s degree in Food and Nutrition and a master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition. With the help of great staff and wonderful sponsors, she has aided in the growth of the SFSP over the past twelve years in the state of Kentucky, and was even recognized by USDA with the highest increase in meals in 2016. She was named a National Summer Hunger Hero by No Kid Hungry in 2024. 

Ericka Jackson is the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) Analyst with the Michigan Department of Education Office of Nutrition Services. As the Analyst, she is responsible for compliance, training, and educating sponsors on the SFSP. She assists sponsors with growing their programs to ensure Michigan’s children are well fed, nourished and thriving. She has extensive experience in the SFSP serving previously as the Food Service Coordinator for the City of Detroit Recreation Department for SFSP, CACFP and Seniors. Ericka is a graduate of the University of Detroit Mercy with a BA in English Literature.

Joann Minder is a graduate of the University of SC with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management and Minor in Marketing and holds an Associate Public Manger Certification from the SC Budget and Control Board. She is an Education Associate and has served as the Team Leader for the Summer Break Café, SC’s Summer Food Service Program at the SC Department of Education since 2019. She manages, coordinates, promotes, and provides oversight of the program. She is very enthusiastic about decreasing childhood hunger in South Carolina and the program served 2,326,954 non-congregate meals last summer and hope to serve even more in Summer 2026.

Allette is the Director of Operations for Food Programs at the Tennessee Department of Human Services. She oversees the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) for TN. Allette has worked in child nutrition for over 15 years and has experience in running a food program, program monitoring, and data management. Allette participates in the TN Healthy Meals Consortium and TN Nutrition Security Collaborative. She has completed the Tennessee Government Executive Institute, LEAD Tennessee, Mission Possible Leadership Academy, and is a Certified Public Manager. She graduated with her BA from Dartmouth College. 

Avary proudly serves as the Executive Director of Kahumana (Alternative Structures International), a non-profit organization deeply rooted in Waiʻanae, Hawaiʻi. As a Native Hawaiian and alumna of the Kamehameha Schools, she brings a profound cultural perspective to her leadership role. Her vision centers on integrating culturally based services that emphasize compassion and draw upon lived experiences, honoring her kūpunaʻs (elders’) values while addressing contemporary community needs.

Mickela Mitchell has been a Registered Dietitian for over 28 years and began her career in school food service while getting her graduate degree in Human Nutrition from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Mickela is in her third year as the Food Service Director at Union County School District and has led the district through the implementation of home delivery and grocery pick-up models that are treasured by the Union County community. Mickela was a 2025 recipient of No Kid Hungry's Summer 

Shenae Rowe has served as the Food & Nutrition Director for Warrick County School Corporation for 23 years. A proud Purdue University graduate, she holds a degree in Dietetics and Nutrition, Fitness, and Health. Shenae is an active leader in the School Nutrition Association, serving on the Leadership Development Committee, as Chair of the Political Action Committee, and as Co-Chair of the Indiana SNA Public Policy Committee. Her innovative approach to school nutrition has led to remarkable results. Since introducing Non-Congregate SUN Meals in 2024, she has increased summer feeding participation by nearly 6,000%, bringing over $700,000 in profit in 2 years Through high-quality SUN Meals To-Go, she continues to highlight the fresh, wholesome ingredients that define her district’s commitment to providing nutritious, delicious meals for every student.

Ali is the Programs Manager of the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, a program of HRDC, IX, where she oversees Senior Groceries, Summer Lunch, KidsPack, Produce Rx, food box deliveries, all nutrition education classes, and the customer-facing aspects of the food bank. She focuses her work on the intersection of local food, community, and emergency assistance. She holds a BS in Agroecology and MS in Sustainable Food Systems from Montana State University and has a background in Farm to School, research, education, program development, and non-profit management. She has lived and worked in Bozeman, MT since 2013.

Chloe Green is the Assistant Director, Policy at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), where she leads policy and practice work across SNAP, TANF, SNAP Employment & Training, Summer EBT, and related supports. She works closely with state and local agencies nationwide to build partnerships, shape policy recommendations, and support peer-to-peer learning that strengthens social and economic mobility. Chloe is a former Bloomberg Fellow and Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellow, and holds an MPH from Johns Hopkins University and bachelor’s degrees in Dietetics and Community & Environmental Sociology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Carolyn develops Share Our Strength’s state and federal policy priorities, assesses policy opportunities, and supports government relations work. She focuses on child nutrition programs while leading a team of experts on federal nutrition assistance and anti-poverty programs. Carolyn joined Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign in 2015, first working to expand access to afterschool meals before shifting to policy work in 2020. She was previously a CACFP Specialist for the District of Columbia and a fellow at the Food Research and Action Center.

Kelli Case, Citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, serves as Senior Director of Strategy at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas (IFAI), the singular national legal research and policy analysis center focused on supporting Tribal governments exercising their sovereignty in the space of food and agriculture law and policy. Kelli earned her B.S. in Agribusiness from Oklahoma State University and her J.D. from the University of Tulsa. During her tenure at IFAI, Kelli has collaborated with Tribes, Tribal producers, stakeholders, and partners across the nation to support and enhance tribal food systems, with an emphasis on food and nutrition programming in Indian Country.