Speaker Biographies

Dr. Nicole Avena is a neuroscientist and nutrition expert whose research bridges psychology, biology, and public health. She serves as an Associate Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Visiting Professor of Health Psychology at Princeton University. Her pioneering work on sugar addiction and lifespan nutrition has earned recognition from the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Avena has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications and several popular books, including Why Diets Fail and Sugarless, which explores the science of sugar addiction and how to overcome it. Her TED-Ed talk, How Sugar Affects Your Brain, is among the most viewed health talks online. Dr. Avena brings evidence-based insight to the intersection of food, behavior, and wellness—making her a leading voice in the “food as medicine” movement.

Drew is a board-certified internist, pediatrician, and pediatric endocrinologist, and has a Ph.D. in pharmacology. Prior to his appointment as the ONR Director, Drew was the Chief of the Pediatric Growth and Nutrition Branch at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Drew's areas of expertise include endocrine disorders, obesity, developmental origins of health and disease, and the role of nutrition in health throughout the life cycle. He earned his B.S. at Yale University, completed his M.D./Ph.D. training at Boston University, his internal medicine and pediatric residencies at the Baylor College of Medicine, his pediatric endocrinology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco, and subsequently received an M.A.S. degree in clinical research from the University of California, Davis. Drew joined the NIH in 2013, after holding academic positions at the University of California, Davis (2007-2010) and Vanderbilt University (2010-2013). He is currently a co-executive secretary for the federal Interagency Committee on Human Nutrition Research, the NIH champion for the Global Nutrition Coordination Plan, a steering committee co-chair for the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research, and the NIH liaison to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition and Section on Obesity. As a member of the ONR Senior Leadership Group, he helped develop the 2020-2030 Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research. Drew has received numerous honors, including election to the Society for Pediatric Research, multiple NIH Director’s Awards, and several teaching awards.

Laura Carroll is a Senior Advisor for Nutrition Outreach at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Human Food Program. With over a decade of experience in federal government, Laura has held positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), FDA, and the White House. Throughout her career, she’s spearheaded and played pivotal roles in the development and implementation of significant nutrition policies, including updated nutrition standards for USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, FDA’s updated “healthy” claim, and she co-led the White House Conference and National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in 2022. Laura joined the federal government as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2013. She received her B.A. in Sociology from St. Mary's College of Maryland and an MS-Nutrition/MPH from Tufts' Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Tufts' School of Medicine.

Ipyana is the Chief Health Officer with Meals on Wheels America. In her role, she oversees the development and growth of Meals on Wheels Health, a newly created division of Meals on Wheels America that partners with health care payors and health systems to expand the impact and scope of local Meals on Wheels services to seniors and vulnerable adults who are managing multiple chronic conditions or recovering from recent hospitalizations. Ipyana comes to Meals on Wheels America with more than 20 years of diverse, cross industry experience across the legislative, public policy, health care and data analytics arenas.

Dr. Judith Davis is Regional Vice President, Care Management at CareSource. She developed a passion for helping communities improve their health and wellness after many years of working with vulnerable and under-resourced communities. Her work at Blue Cross and Blue Shield and now CareSource has positively influenced Members Nation-wide. Her lens and experience leading and achieving outcomes for micro-populations such as the elderly, justice-involved, citizens with a disability, and children serve as her inner compass. Recently and notably, under her leadership the CareSource Teaching Kitchen was awarded 2024, Pinnacle of Innovation Award in Ohio, and research selected to be presented at American Association of Public Health Nutrition Division. The Teaching Kitchen and Health Hub has served hundreds of community members and highlighted in publications such as The Dayton Daily News. She started her career in the field of psychology serving as a clinical associate for adolescent populations in Indiana and Massachusetts. She continued health studies and work in Cincinnati while obtaining her master’s in health services administration from Xavier University. She eventually obtained her Doctorate in Health from Central Michigan University, and awarded the University Dissertation of the Year. Judith enjoys traveling to historical sites, wellness blogging, and teaching the African-Heritage Diet in the Community. She lives in Ohio with her teen son and beloved Boston Terrier Cleopatra.

As the Carbonell Family Executive Director, Dean champions the institute’s mission to change the world through the power of food. She is a renowned national food-policy leader with more than 30 years of experience in the government and non-profit sectors, dedicated to improving nutrition assistance for struggling Americans and tackling barriers ingrained within nutrition programs. Her distinguished career includes her most recent role as the Deputy Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, where she led the administration’s work on federal nutrition programs. In this role, Dean was instrumental in strengthening the agency’s efforts on food and nutrition security as well as local food systems and resilience. Prior to her role at USDA, Dean served as the Vice President for Food Assistance Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, where she led their research and advocacy work on federal nutrition programs as well as other safety-net programs. She has authored scores of papers and analyses on federal nutrition programs, testified before Congress and has been frequently quoted in the media, including the NYTimes, Politico, and other publications.

Alex DeSorbo-Quinn is the Executive Director of Pilot Light and a leader in advancing food education in the United States. Over the past decade, she has led Pilot Light’s evolution from a single-school program into a national platform that reaches classrooms across 26 states, positioning food education as a critical component of prevention and long-term health. Pilot Light partners with teachers to integrate food education into core academics, empowering students to build informed relationships with food and develop the knowledge and decision-making skills that underpin lifelong health. In 2018, Alex led the development of the nationally recognized Food Education Standards, a field-defining framework that establishes how food education can be integrated into everyday classroom learning across subjects and serves as an upstream lever for Food as Medicine. Before Pilot Light, Alex worked in public health research at Harlem Hospital and Columbia University's Neurological Institute, where she focused on improving health outcomes in underserved communities. She attended Bryn Mawr College and holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and a Doctor of Education in Health Education from Columbia University. She is a frequent speaker at national conferences, and her work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and national media.

Alex DiNovo is President of DNO Produce, a Columbus, Ohio based fresh-cut processor and distributor serving customers across a multi-state network. Under his leadership, DNO has become a key partner in expanding access to fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly within the K–12 segment, through its work in federally supported nutrition programs and as the exclusive distributor of FresHealth’s ready-to-eat products. Alex’s work sits at the intersection of supply chain, public health, and education, with a focus on increasing produce consumption by pairing access with food education. He is the immediate past Chair of the Foundation for Fresh Produce and serves on the U.S. council for the International Fresh Produce Association, the governing board of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, and the Urban School Food Alliance Federal Procurement Workgroup, along with additional advisory and industry leadership roles. Through his leadership, Alex is helping position fresh produce as a central lever in improving public health and expanding access to healthy food nationwide.

Sarah Downer joined CMMI in 2022 and serves as a Senior Advisor in the State and Population Health Group, where she focuses on developing and implementing components of the Innovation Center’s strategy related to prevention, especially nutrition. Prior to her work at CMMI, she served as Associate Director of the Harvard Law School Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation (CHLPI), leading CHLPI’s Whole Person Care initiative.

Rachel Fisher, MS, MPH, RDN is a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, she advises agency and departmental officials on current physical activity and nutrition science to inform policies and programs related to health promotion and disease prevention. Rachel leads the HHS Food is Medicine initiative to unify and advance collective action and supports the HHS Initiative to Advance Nutrition in Medical Education. Prior to her work at OASH, Rachel spent 15 years in the Office of Nutrition Research at the National Institutes of Health.

Amy Flowers is Director of Data Analytics at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). She leads NACHC’s research department, ensuring its work is responsive to the rapidly evolving needs of health centers and grounded in improving quality of care and health outcomes for the diverse communities they serve. Dr. Flowers earned her PhD from the University of Southern California and is a RIVA-trained focus group moderator. Her experience includes developing quantitative and qualitative research methodologies aligned with the quintuple aim, including patient and provider experience, cost efficiency, care quality, and reducing disparities in health outcomes. Prior to joining NACHC, she served as a consultant on hundreds of projects for federal, state, and local government agencies. Through this work, she gained a strong appreciation for early stakeholder engagement, a clear understanding of how disparities affect health, and a lasting commitment to improving access to care and population health.

Ms. Freishtat is the Senior Director of Feeding Change with the Milken Institute and leads the food systems portfolio. She is an experienced director, transformative leader and strategist with a 20-year track record developing and implementing food system policies and programs. Holly served as Baltimore City’s first Food Policy Director and Chief of Food Policy & Planning where she founded and directed the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative. She holds an M.S. in Agriculture, Food, and Environment from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University, a B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Vermont, and an executive certificate from Carey Business School.

Miguel Freitas, M.S., Ph.D., is the Vice President of Nutrition and Scientific Affairs for Danone North America, based in White Plains, NY. Dr. Freitas serves as a liaison between Danone and the scientific community. He is responsible for ensuring the integrity and increasing the visibility and credibility of Danone’s product portfolio with respect to health and nutrition, from product innovation to external valorization, and serves as the Nutrition and Scientific spokesperson for Public relations and convention purposes related to brands and category topics. Dr. Freitas manages a network of nutrition and probiotics Key Opinion Leaders and Health Care Professionals (HCPs) and implements scientific initiatives targeting HCPs for several Danone brands. Dr. Freitas cooperatively works with Consumer marketing, Legal and Corporate Affairs departments in developing the Nutrition and Health components of messages, claims, communication tools and events aimed at HCPs and consumers. Dr. Freitas earned his Ph.D. from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM, Paris, France)

Dr. Wendi Gosliner is the Director of Food Policy Research and Translation at the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Her interests focus at the nexus of research, public policy and community-based efforts to improve food systems and to implement policies and programs that affect population health and nutrition, with a focus on improving population nutrition and food security, and addressing food system health and environmental sustainability. Dr. Gosliner has conducted multiple studies on the National School Lunch Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and other similar programs and for many years taught a course at UC Berkeley about food programs and policies. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University, and master’s and doctoral degrees in public health from UC Berkeley where her dissertation explored the policy history of the National School Lunch Program. In 2013-14, she was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow, serving as a health policy advisor to the Democratic Leader, Honorable Nancy Pelosi.

Stacy Hammer is Bdewakantunwan Dakota and comes from Cansayapi, otherwise known as the Lower Sioux Indian Community (LSIC). Stacy is serving as the National Nutrition Consultant in the Division of Diabetes Treatment and Prevention (DDTP) for the Indian Health Service (IHS). She serves as the principal nutrition consultant and expert for culturally sensitive leadership in organizing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the nutrition component of DDTP programs and initiatives at IHS. Stacy also serves as the IHS Program Official for the Produce Prescription Pilot Program. Prior experience includes working as the Registered Dietitian, and Director of Community Health for the LSIC, where she developed and implemented several new public health programs and initiatives. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and completed her Graduate Dietetic Internship program at the University of Delaware. Additionally, Stacy received her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Minnesota.

Diane Harris, PhD MPH, serves as a Senior Health Scientist in the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As lead for the Healthy Food Environments Team (HFE), she directs efforts aimed at enhancing public health through strategies that improve access to healthy and culturally diverse foods via policy, systems, and environmental change strategies. Dr. Harris is committed to fostering food and nutrition security by cultivating healthy food environments in worksites, healthcare facilities, food banks and pantries, and other government and community settings. With the HFE Team, Dr. Harris leads initiatives that provide programmatic and technical assistance to federal agencies, and state, local, and tribal public health entities, working to create partnerships to amplify access to and demand for nutritious foods. Specific strategy areas include food is medicine approaches and nutrition standards for institutional food service, with efforts focused on communities with elevated risk for chronic diseases. Prior to her tenure at CDC, Dr. Harris held a faculty position at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she directed a research program investigating the efficacy of plant-derived anticancer compounds using model systems. She holds a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis, a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from Cornell University, and an M.P.H. in Prevention Science from Emory University, and served in postdoctoral research positions at Washington University and UCLA.

Senator Brian Helton - West Virginia State Senator Representing the 9th District, which includes Fayette, Raleigh and Wyoming counties in West Virginia. He serves as the Chair of the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee. Born: July 27, in Beckley, West Virginia Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Occupation: Business owner; has worked in coal, trucking, real estate development, telecommunications and construction. Helton grew up in Southern West Virginia, where he was a high school basketball star and worked summers in the lumber industry to support his education. He has built a career as a long-time entrepreneur, owning and operating on o the largest trucking companies in the state, serving as a general contractor and developing real estate. He is also known for coaching youth and high school basketball and serving on multiple school boards. Helton is known for combining his business experience with a strong commitment to his constituents, aiming to protect West Virginia values, support job creation and strengthen community institutions.

Dr. Jury serves as the Strategic Scientific Advisor and in this role, he is responsible for planning, analyzing, reporting, and communicating scientific, clinical, and policy issues and information in support of NIH nutrition research programs. He is also charged with coordinating the implementation efforts for the Office of Nutrition Research Strategic Plan and Strategic Plan for NIH Nutrition Research. He is also the Co-Chair of the NIH Ultra-Processed Foods and Food is Medicine Thematic Working Groups.

Dr. Micaela Karlsen serves as Senior Director of Research at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Her work involves a dual focus on both original research on lifestyle medicine implementation and health outcomes following lifestyle treatment, as well as oversight of ACLM’s development of guidance documents, including clinical practice guidelines and expert consensus statements. Dr. Karlsen holds a PhD in Nutritional Epidemiology from the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and a Masters degree in Human Nutrition from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, and she serves as Adjunct Faculty for the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and the University of New England Master’ Programs in Applied Nutrition and Global Public Health. Previously, Dr. Karlsen worked as a founding employee of the T. Colin Campbell Foundation (now named the Center for Nutrition Studies), and later as Executive Director. Dr. Karlsen is the author of A Plant-Based Life and a contributor to the New York Times bestseller Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health.

Mandy Katz, MS, RD, LDN, is the Director of Healthy Living for Giant Food, a regional Ahold Delhaize USA retailer serving Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. In her role, she oversees Giant Food's Healthy Living program which focuses on nutrition education, healthy merchandising and food as medicine partnerships. Prior to joining Giant, she worked in food and healthcare marketing serving some of the nation’s largest food companies and healthcare providers.

David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, FACLM is a specialist in Internal Medicine, Preventive Medicine/Public Health, and Lifestyle Medicine, with particular expertise in nutrition. He earned his BA at Dartmouth College (1984); his MD at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1988); and his MPH from the Yale University School of Public Health (1993). He completed sequential residency training and board certification in Internal Medicine (1991) and Preventive Medicine/Public Health (1993). Katz is the founder and former director of Yale University’s Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center (1998-2019), where he secured and managed roughly $40M in research funding. He is Past President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine; Founder of the non-profit True Health Initiative; and Founder and CEO of Diet ID, Inc. He has served as Chief Medical Officer for Tangelo, an award-winning food-as-medicine company. He serves as a senior science advisor to Blue Zones and Blue Zones Health. Katz held faculty positions at the Yale schools of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing. He cared for patients in the context of primary care Internal Medicine and an innovative model of Integrative Medicine for roughly 30 years, receiving awards for both clinical care and bedside teaching. He served as a residency director in both Preventive Medicine and evidence-based Integrative Medicine. He was the lead architect of the nation’s first fully accredited, combined training program in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine. Katz was the inaugural editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal, Childhood Obesity, serving in that role for 5 years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine; the American College of Physicians; the American College of Lifestyle Medicine; and Morse College, Yale University. The recipient of numerous awards for teaching, writing, and contributions to public health, Katz was a 2019 James Beard Foundation Award nominee in health journalism, has been a widely supported nominee for the position of U.S. Surgeon General, and has received three honorary doctorates. He is a 2023 recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Doctors’ World Gala, and the 2024 recipient of the President’s Award from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He was inducted into Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society, in 2025. Katz has an extensive media portfolio, having served as a nutrition columnist for O, the Oprah Magazine; an on-air contributor for ABC News/Good Morning America; and with appearances on most major news programs and contributions to most major magazines and leading newspapers, including OpEds in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. He is one of the original 150 “Influencers” selected by LinkedIN, and has a social media following of nearly one million. He holds multiple U.S. patents; has roughly 250 peer-reviewed publications; has published many hundreds of on-line and newspaper columns; and has authored/co-authored 19 books to date including multiple editions of leading textbooks in nutrition, preventive medicine, and epidemiology. His most recent book for a general audience, How to Eat, co-authored with Mark Bittman, was a 2021 IACP Awards finalist. His career-long focus has been the translation of science into action for the addition of years to life, and life to years, and on the confluence of human and planetary health. On the COVID pandemic, he advocated consistently for a policy of total harm minimization (https://www.truehealthinitiative.org/covid/) by means of risk-stratified interdiction efforts- and for addressing the “prior pandemic” of cardiometabolic disease that contributes so much to acute risk. These views were extensively covered in the New York Times. His commentary on lessons in the pandemic in the American Journal of Health Promotion was recognized among the journal’s “Best Papers of 2024.” Katz has presented at conferences in all 50 U.S. states and in multiple countries on six continents. Represented by the Harry Walker Agency, he has been recognized by peers as the “poet laureate of health promotion.” He and his wife, Catherine, live in Connecticut. They have five grown children.

Julia Koprak is the Director of Incentives, Healthcare and Policy at The Food Trust, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization whose mission is to ensure delicious, nutritious food for all. Julia oversees several agency priorities, including Nutrition Incentive programs, which provide coupons for fruits and vegetables to families with limited resources. She also provides strategic guidance and oversight of policy advocacy and Food is Medicine healthcare partnerships. In this role, Julia serves as an organizational lead on federal grants, national technical assistance, and various coalitions. She has worked in multiple states to create policies and launch programs related to healthy food retail, affordability, and marketing. With many years of experience partnering with a diverse set of stakeholders, Julia strives for inclusive collaborations that forge new connections across sectors. Julia is a graduate of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College.

Dr. Nika Larian is the Vice President of Wellness for Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), where she leads system-wide efforts to integrate lifestyle medicine, nutrition, and preventive health into clinical care, workforce wellness, and community programming. She also supports External Affairs at ARH, advancing strategic partnerships, policy initiatives, and community engagement across the region. Prior to joining ARH, Nika spent five years as a Senior Nutrition Advisor at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and seven years in nutrition research at the University of Kentucky. Her work is focused on advancing Food Is Medicine initiatives and building innovative models that improve health outcomes across rural Appalachia.

Meredith Morrissette, MPH, is the Nutrition Advisor and a Project Officer within HRSA's Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), with 20 years of federal experience in public health nutrition and maternal and child health. She oversees MCHB's nutrition portfolio, including the MCH Nutrition Training Program and its undergraduate pathways pilot as well as the new Maternal Produce Prescription Program (MP3), a congressionally directed initiative she built from concept. She previously led the Children's Healthy Weight CoIIN and State Capacity Building Program, developing and evaluating nutrition programming across dozens of teams at the state and local level, and served as Challenge Lead for a federal prize competition on technology-driven solutions to reduce childhood obesity. She leads the MCHB Nutrition Team, a role recognized by Bureau leadership for strengthening workforce knowledge and cross-agency coordination. Before HRSA, she worked as a nutrition epidemiologist at the National Institutes of Health.

Gina Plata-Nino is a committed leader with expertise in anti-poverty policies, economic mobility, and community coalition building. Her experience covers federal policy, legal advocacy, international development, and strategic advice, enabling her to translate community needs into policy and facilitate organizational change. Currently, she serves as the Director of SNAP at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), where she spearheads national efforts to protect and expand access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. She works closely with Congress, federal agencies, and local partners to help families—especially those facing systemic inequities—meet their basic needs. Previously, Gina was a Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Domestic Policy Council under the Biden Administration, helping manage the implementation of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health across agencies. Her earlier roles as a legal services lawyer, consultant, and nonprofit co-founder highlight her strong commitment to community-led solutions. Recognized nationally as a Top Woman of Law and an Obama Foundation USA Leader, Gina demonstrates collaborative leadership, policy expertise, and a deep commitment to dignity and equity.

Rachel Ram is a public health professional focused on advancing community-centered approaches to improve health outcomes and address social drivers of health. She has experience managing cross-sector initiatives involving community health centers, nonprofit organizations, and national partners, with a particular emphasis on Food is Medicine and sustainable community design. Rachel currently supports national projects that integrate healthcare, policy, and community planning, helping to translate research and collaboration into practical strategies for healthier communities.

Daniel Riff is the Head of Government & Nonprofit Operations at DoorDash, where he leads its Project DASH initiative. Through Project DASH, non-profits and social enterprises tap into the DoorDash logistics platform for home delivery, broadening food access in their communities and ensuring adherence to nutritious food as part of Food as Medicine initiatives. Since 2018, Project DASH has delivered more than 100 million meals on behalf of hundreds of partners, including Feeding America food banks and Meals on Wheels programs. In the Food as Medicine space, Project DASH partners in states with 1115 Waivers use DoorDash to scale their distribution of nutrition supports, and partners across the US leverage Project DASH to provide home delivery of post-discharge nutrition to patients of local healthcare institutions. Daniel is based in Brooklyn and is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis.

Christina A. Roberto, Ph.D. is the Mitchell J. Blutt and Margo Krody Blutt Presidential Professor of Health Policy at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the Founding Director of the Center for Food and Nutrition Policy at Penn. The Center brings together researchers across Penn and CHOP to develop innovative policy solutions to the world’s most urgent food system challenges. At the Center, researchers collaborate with policy change agents to design and rigorously test food policies that can promote health and save lives. Dr. Roberto is a highly cited scientist whose research has directly informed U.S. food and nutrition policy. She is a sought-after speaker and advisor, an award-winning mentor, and her work is regularly covered by major media outlets.

As the Chief Operating Officer at God’s Love, Eric Rochman oversees all core operations, including culinary operations, inventory, fulfillment, and delivery, as well as the Strategy & Innovation department, consisting of Strategic Operations, Research and Evaluation, Policy and Advocacy, and Information Technology. A healthcare strategy and operations leader, Eric brings over 15 years of experience to God’s Love, working across the healthcare continuum. Throughout his work as a Public Health practitioner, he has worked with direct service providers, acute care and post-acute care facilities, insurance companies, and healthcare technology companies. Eric joined God’s Love We Deliver as the Director of Strategic Partnerships & Innovation, as the first employee in the newly formed Strategy and Growth department. Eric was first introduced to God’s Love when he was in college, as a family member of his was fortunate to receive Medically Tailored Meals from God’s Love. Witnessing the impact of Food is Medicine firsthand, a significant contributor to the improved health that his family member experienced after receiving meals, was a major reason Eric chose to pursue a career in Public Health. Before joining God’s Love, he founded a consulting practice, Healthcare Innovations Consulting, where he provided expertise to healthcare organizations in the areas of operational excellence, strategic planning, project design and management, data analytics, and technology-based implementations. Before opening his consulting firm, Eric worked at VillageCare, a non-profit Managed Care Insurance company and Senior Services organization, where he served as the AVP of Strategy and Innovation. Eric has a Master’s in Public Health from NYU, with a concentration in Epidemiology, and received an advanced certificate in Public Health Disaster Science, Policy, and Practice. For his undergraduate degree, Eric attended the University at Buffalo, where he received a Bachelor’s in Biomedical Sciences and minors in Medical Anthropology and Theater. Eric also served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay for almost 4 years, first as a Rural Health and Sanitation volunteer, and in an extension of service as the HIV/AIDS and Programming and Training Coordinator.

Peter Skillern is the CEO of Reinvestment Partners, a nonprofit community based organization whose mission is to promote healthy and just communities by working with people, places and policy. The agency's Food Is Medicine program has served more than 160,000 people through the health care system. It has 18 evaluations on its impact on different diagnosis and populations. The program has partnered directly with insurers, hospital systems, clinics and nonprofits to serve those with both food insecurity and health challenges. Its approach has been at a population health scale as well as integrated into clinical care. The program's outcomes have been covered by NPR and The People's Pharmacy and in JAMA and other outlets. Reinvestment Partners is currently focused on further integrating into the health care system through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Mr. Skillern's leadership has been recognized by numerous awards including selection as a William Friday Fellow, Eisenhower Fellow and UNC Chapel HiIl Distinguished Alumni.

Martin Tull is a strategist and systems thinker who designs collaborative solutions to complex problems. As the Chief Impact Officer of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Martin advises ACLM's strategic and community partners on imagining, funding, piloting, and scaling innovative impact projects and campaigns that improve human health and grow the field of Lifestyle Medicine. With an executive leadership background in environmental sustainability and the outdoor recreation industry, Martin previously served as the Founding Executive Director of the Green Sports Alliance, transforming it into an international coalition of hundreds of professional and collegiate sports teams integrating sustainable practices. Martin has facilitated workshops globally and spoken at numerous prestigious events, including The White House Sports & Sustainability Summit, Sustainable Brands, the Global Impact Institute, and the Clinton Global Initiative. Recognized for his contributions, Martin has received accolades such as Good Magazine’s 100, Pivotal Leader, and the Portland Business Journal 40 under 40 award.

On January 22, 2019, Dr. Utech was appointed for the Title 38 Senior Executive Service (SES) Equivalent position of National Director, Nutrition and Food Services (NFS), Veterans Health Administration – CentralOffice (VHA-CO), Washington, DC (virtual Houston, TX). In her appointment, Dr. Utech serves as the Nutrition Field Advisory Committee executive manager and oversee all NFS policies and programs, strategic planning, national external & internal partnerships, and serve as the VA’s primary subject matter expert for nutrition & food services. From April 1, 2019 to March 25, 2020, Dr. Utech served as Acting Chief Officer for Specialty Care Services, Veterans Health Administration – Central Office (VHA-CO), Washington, DC. In this capacity, she led 26 medical specialties, national program directors, and programs in an interim capacity. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Her professional interests are environmental sustainability in procurement/waste streams, promoting and conducting nutrition research, expanding strategic partnerships for greater impacts, and data analytics to improve Veteran outcomes. Recent awards include being the 2015 Commencement Speaker and Hallmark Alumni Awardee at Texas Woman’s University. Recent peer-reviewed publications have been on the topics of nutrition support, nutrition education and diabetes.

Samuel Watters is a policy advisor to Secretary Kennedy in the Immediate Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. His portfolio includes the Center for Medicare, the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality, the Center for Program Integrity, and CMMI, as well as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. Guided by a commitment to patient safety, his work at HHS centers on redesigning payment incentives and coverage policies to drive sustained investment in safety and quality across healthcare settings. In July, he began leading Secretary Kennedy’s Nutrition Education Initiative, in partnership with the Department of Education, focused on expanding nutrition education across the medical education continuum. Previously, Sam served as Advisor and later Chief of Staff in the Office of the Director at AHRQ, where he led the agency’s 21st Century Care initiative, supported COVID-19 response efforts, and drove legislative and communications strategy. He has also held senior health policy roles in the private sector and on Capitol Hill, advising on Medicare payment, coverage, and reimbursement policy, including for digital health and emerging technologies. (Washington, DC)

Kelleen Zubick is the Managing Director of Health Systems work at Share Our Strength, a national organization focused on ending childhood hunger and poverty. She oversees strategic partnerships aimed at enabling health systems to tackle food and nutrition insecurity for children and families, emphasizing policy levers and increasing access to nutrition programs. Current initiatives include the Medicaid Food Security Network, School Based Health Centers as Nutrition Hubs, Benefits Integration in Care Coordination and Healthy Families Produce Rx in rural Louisiana. Since joining Share Our Strength in 2014, Kelleen has also served as the Colorado Director for Cooking Matters, an evidence-based nutrition education program. Passionate about integrated solutions for nutrition security, she has contributed to policy forums such as the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution to Advance Social Determinants of Health, the Root Cause Coalition’s Food Security working group, and Colorado’s gubernatorial Food Systems Advisory Council.