DIALOGUE4HEALTH

PRESENTERS

Lorelei DiSogra, EdD, RD
Vice President of Nutrition & Health
United Fresh Produce Association
Washington D.C.

Lorelei DiSogra is Vice President, Nutrition and Health, at United Fresh Produce Association, headquartered in Washington, D.C. In her present position she is responsible for nutrition policy, specifically reshaping federal policy to drive environmental changes that increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption consistent with the Dietary Guidelines. She is currently engaged in the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act with the goal of increasing fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals and promoting salad bars in school cafeterias.

From 2001-2005, Dr. DiSogra served as Director of the National 5 A Day Program, a program she co-founded at the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. She holds a Doctoral Degree in Nutrition Education and Masters Degrees in Public Health Nutrition and Nutrition Education from Columbia University. (www.unitedfresh.org)

Kenneth Hecht
Executive Director
California Food Policy Advocates
San Francisco, CA

Kenneth Hecht is the executive director and one of the co-founders of California Food Policy Advocates (CPFA), a statewide nutrition policy and advocacy organization. The CPFA mission is to improve the health and well-being of low-income Californians by increasing their access to nutritious, affordable food.

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. (www.cfpa.net)

Kristen Mancinelli, MS, RD
Manager, Policy and Government Relations
City Harvest, Inc.
New York City Alliance for Child Nutrition Reauthorization
New York, NY


Kristen Mancinelli is Manager of Policy and Government Relations at City Harvest, where she advocates for programs and policies at the city, state, and federal levels to promote community food security and improve access to healthy and affordable food for low-income New Yorkers. Kristen also manages City Harvest’s partnership with the NYC Office of SchoolFood, and participates in city and national networks to advocate for improvements to school meals and other nutrition assistance programs. As coordinator of the NYC Alliance for Child Nutrition Reauthorization, Kristen is leading a local advocacy effort to influence the upcoming federal legislation governing school meals.

Prior to joining City Harvest, Kristen worked on food access projects for the United Way NYC, the NYC DOHMH, and the NYS Dept of Agriculture and Markets while becoming a Registered Dietician. As Nutrition Program Coordinator for the Harlem Children’s Zone in 2003, Kristen worked with teenagers to conduct Community Food Assessments in Central Harlem. She holds a Masters in Nutrition and Public Health from Teachers College, Columbia University and is a native New Yorker. (www.NYCforCNR.org)

MODERATOR

Matthew Marsom
Director of Public Policy
Public Health Institute
Oakland, CA

Matthew Marsom is the Director of Public Health Policy and Advocacy for the Public Health Institute (PHI). The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. Mr. Marsom is responsible for designing and implementing PHI strategy for monitoring and influencing public policy, legislation and regulations affecting PHI projects and public health policy relevant to PHI interests. (www.phi.org )

PROVOCATEUR

Elaine Corn
Capital Public Radio and First Vice President
San Francisco Les Dames d'Escoffier
San Francisco, CA

Elaine Corn is a former news editor turned food editor and author. Her journalism career began with a bachelors of journalism from the University of Texas-Austin became the first food editor of the Austin American Statesman. Elaine has also headed up food sections for the Louisville Courier-Journal and Sacramento Bee and authored six cookbooks. “Now You’re Cooking: Everything a Beginner Needs to Know to Start Cooking Today” won Julia Child and James Beard culinary awards. Having begun a conversion from print to radio journalism, Elaine continues the search for food stories in every corner of life. Elaine recently completed a year-long radio food documentary funded by the California Council for the Humanities. (www.ldei.org/index.php)

RESOURCES

The following documents provide important background information that can enhance the Web Forum experience.

• School Lunches: We Can Do Better Than $1 Per Meal By Halle Tecco
  The Huffington Post, January 19, 2010 Link to Article
• Investing in Our Children for the 21st Century 2009 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act
  The California Perspective Executive Summary
• School Wellness Policy and Practice: Meeting the Needs of Low-Income Students Food Research and Action Center, February 2006
• 2009 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization The California Perspective: Summary and Recommendations
  California Food Policy Advocates
• An Investment in the Health of San Francisco’s Students
  Executive Summary of First Year of the San Francisco Unified School District’s Salad Bar Program
• The Child Nutrition Reauthorization is important to New York New York City Alliance for Child Nutrition Reauthorization
• School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children By Virginia A. Stallings, Carol West Suitor, and Christine L. Taylor, Editors; Committee on Nutrition Standards for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs; Institute of Medicine, 2010
  

WEBSITES

SUPPORT

We would like to take this opportunity to thank:

Public Health Institute	Les Dames d’Escoffier’s Green Tables Initiative