Speakers
Mohammad AlamGraduate Student and SHOP Operations Manager, Iowa State University
Mohammad Alam is a graduate student and Operations Manager at SHOP (Students Helping Our Peers) Food Pantry at Iowa State University. In this role, Mohammad oversees the distribution of essential resources, manages inventory and coordinates volunteer teams to address food insecurity among college students. His leadership has advanced operational efficiency... [ View ] |
Shannon BassDirector of Programs, Northeast Iowa Food Bank
Shannon Bass is the Director of Programs at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, where she leads eight key initiatives focused on addressing food insecurity across the region. With seven years of experience driving community-focused efforts, Shannon is committed to strengthening partnerships, building capacity within the hunger relief network and ensuring... [ View ] |
Alexis BylanderInterim Director, Child Nutrition Programs and Policy, Food Research & Action Center
Alexis serves as the Interim Child Nutrition Programs & Policy Director at FRAC, originally joining the organization in November 2020 as a Senior Child Nutrition Policy Analyst. In this role, she serves as a resource for state advocates lobbying on behalf of healthy school meals for all legislation. Alexis has... [ View ] |
Lindsy CarrollNutrition Educator, Broadlawns Medical Center WIC
Lindsy is a Nutrition Educator at WIC and a former WIC recipient. She comes from a background in food service and child care. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics from Iowa State University and a Culinary Arts degree from DMACC’s Iowa Culinary Institute. While in school, she received the... [ View ] |
Ilsa DeWaldLocal Food and Farm Manager, Johnson County
Ilsa DeWald works for Johnson County, Iowa as the Local Food and Farm Manager. She oversees the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, a 160-acre farm that provides a public space for connecting to the land and local history through inclusive community-led opportunities. She provides community and resource connections, collaboration assistance... [ View ] |
Aaron P. DworkinChief Executive Officer, National Summer Learning Association
Aaron Philip Dworkin is a national leader in the education, out-of-school time (OST) and youth development fields. He currently serves as CEO of the National Summer Learning Association, a 30-year old national non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure every young person in America, regardless of income, background and zip-code,... [ View ] |
Ashley DysonFormer Intern, World Food Prize Foundation and Student Body President Emeritus, Drake University
Ashley Dyson is a recent graduate of Drake University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in May 2025 majoring in politics and history with minors in philosophy and human rights studies with a concentration in women and gender studies. Throughout her undergraduate experience at Drake, she held several internships... [ View ] |
Deb Fenton-RoeU.S. Army Veteran and Co-Coordinator, Veterans Mobile Food Bank
Deb is a United States Army Veteran who has chosen the mission of service before self by continuing to serve veterans and surviving spouses. Through volunteer work, she serves as a co-coordinator of the Veterans Mobile Food Bank distribution in Wapello County—one of only two veteran-specific distributions in Iowa, alongside... [ View ] |
Tim GettyRegional Nutrition Services Coordinator, Heritage Area Agency on Aging
Tim Getty is the Regional Nutrition Services Coordinator for the Heritage Area Agency on Aging and is responsible for the coordination of nutrition-related services for older adults such as on-site dining, Meals on Wheels and Nutrition Counseling for seven counties in eastern Iowa. In his 11 years at Heritage, the... [ View ] |
Linda GorkowExecutive Director, Iowa Food Bank Association
Linda Gorkow is the executive director of the Iowa Food Bank Association (IFBA), a collaboration of the six Feeding America member food banks serving all 99 counties in Iowa. Together, the food banks coordinate efforts to provide food to more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations serving Iowans. Throughout her career, Linda has... [ View ] |
Alison HardDirector of Public Policy, National WIC Association
Ali is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a wealth of experience in federal nutrition policy. Her educational background includes a BA from Columbia University and a Masters in Nutrition and Public Health from Teachers College, Columbia University. Ali previously served as the Chief Policy Officer at USDA Food and Nutrition... [ View ] |
Jakob JerabekGraduate Student and Greenhouse Manager, Morningside University
Jakob Jerabek is a graduate teaching assistant in the horticulture program at Morningside University, specializing in innovative agricultural practices. He assists with a variety of classes focused on microgreens, poinsettia production, aquaponics, hydroponics and tower farms. Having recently earned his bachelor’s degree from Morningside, Jakob holds a teaching certification in... [ View ] |
KenzieNational Youth Council Student Leader, GENYOUth
Kenzie is a dedicated varsity and AAU basketball player with a deep passion for advancing equality in women’s sports. As a Game Grower Ambassador for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, she helped introduce a variety of sports and equipment to underserved elementary school students, making athletics more accessible to the next... [ View ] |
Laura KloewerPublic Relations and Outreach Coordinator, Montgomery County Memorial Hospital
Laura Kloewer is the Public Relations and Outreach Coordinator at Montgomery County Memorial Hospital (MCMH) and Board Chair of Live Well Montgomery County, a nonprofit coalition dedicated to improving health and nutrition access in southwest Iowa. With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and over a... [ View ] |
Ann Marie KrautheimChief Executive Officer, GENYOUth
Ann Marie Krautheim, MA, RD, LD is the CEO of GENYOUth, a premier national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring schoolchildren thrive by living well-nourished and physically active lives. With a distinguished career in nutrition and public health, she has championed innovative solutions to address health inequities and ensure equitable access... [ View ] |
Wendi LaneDirector of Development, Blessman International
Wendi Lane is an Emmy Award-winning journalist, nonprofit advocate and passionate storyteller who uses her voice to inspire compassion, healing and lasting change. She has reported from the front lines of wildfires, hurricanes and nationally publicized tragedies, and even traveled to Ukraine to deliver aid and share the stories of... [ View ] |
Nicole LeidalHealthy Food Access Specialist, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Nicole Leidal serves as a Healthy Food Access Specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, providing pantry coaching along with nutrition education. She has over eight years of experience working with the SNAP-Ed Program and facilitating nutrition education with Iowa State Extension and Outreach. [ View ] |
Stacey LoftuseCommerce Supervisor, Hy-Vee, Inc.
Stacey is a Registered Dietitian at Hy-Vee with a Bachelor of Science degree in dietetics from Iowa State University (ISU). She completed her dietetic internship through ISU at Great River Medical Center in Burlington, Iowa. Stacey is certified in adult weight management and is a trained health coach. She is... [ View ] |
Tom MartinezMember, Coralville Community Food Pantry Board of Directors
Tom Martinez received a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of Iowa with a foundation in American politics, public policy and political methodology. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of New Mexico. He has experience in both public service and nonprofit sectors. His... [ View ] |
Kelly McMahonKindergarten Teacher, Hoover Community Schools and Vice President, Iowa State Education Association
Kelly McMahon is a 1997 graduate of West Delaware High School. She earned her B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa in 2002. Upon graduating from college she moved to Milwaukee, WI, and taught at Lancaster Elementary School and earned her M.A. in Reading and Language Arts.... [ View ] |
Patricia MontagueChief Executive Officer, School Nutrition Association
Patricia (Patti) Montague currently serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the School Nutrition Association (SNA) and School Nutrition Foundation (SNF). SNA is a 501(c)(4) professional association with more than 50,000 members who are responsible for providing healthy and nutritious meals to students in primary and secondary schools across the... [ View ] |
Mike NaigSecretary of Agriculture, State of Iowa
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig grew up on a family farm near Cylinder in northwest Iowa and remains actively involved in its operation today. He is a graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake and has spent his entire career working in agriculture. Mike was elected as the 15th... [ View ] |
Linda NageottePresident & Chief Operating Officer, Feeding America
In her role as President & Chief Operating Officer, Nageotte helps define and implement strategy for the enterprise, co-leads work to design a strategic framework for the national network and oversees a critical portfolio including sourcing and supplying food, network relations, technology, research and innovation and board governance. Nageotte brings 30+... [ View ] |
Yolanda PinaBreastfeeding Peer Counselor, Broadlawns Medical Center WIC
Yolanda has a strong passion for supporting families and promoting wellness. Her personal experience as a participant in the Iowa WIC program for seven years had a lasting impact, inspiring her to give back to her community. Today, she serves as a breastfeeding peer counselor with the WIC program, providing... [ View ] |
Bambi PressHealthy Aging Director, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services
In her role with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bambi Press oversees Older Americans Act congregate and home-delivered nutrition services across Iowa. She also supports the national aging network in modernizing and building the capacity of aging nutrition programs through the Nutrition and Aging Resource Center. Bambi previously... [ View ] |
Beth RomerChoose Iowa Program Director, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Beth Romer is the program director for Choose Iowa, the state’s signature branding and marketing program for Iowa-grown, Iowa-raised and Iowa-made food, beverages and agricultural products. The Choose Iowa program was initiated by Secretary Naig and is administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The Choose Iowa Food... [ View ] |
Chris SchwartzExecutive Director, Iowa Food System Coalition and Supervisor, Black Hawk County
Chris Schwartz is the Executive Director of the Iowa Food System Coalition and the current Chair of the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors. For more than 25 years, Schwartz has been a community and political organizer, having worked on nearly every progressive cause of our time. Prior to joining... [ View ] |
ShirleyHigh School Student and Representative, GENYOUth
Shirley is a junior in high school aspiring to become a pediatric dentist. She hopes to make a difference by building an organization that brings dental care and basic education to those who lack access to these essential resources. Currently, she enjoys finding ways to support her school and community,... [ View ] |
Katie SorrellPolicy, Systems and Environmental Change Coordinator, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
Katie Sorrell is a Registered Dietitian with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, overseeing food pantry coaching and Growing Together Iowa, a donation gardening program. Katie has two decades of experience with SNAP-Ed funding at ISU, the Iowa Department of Public Health and the University of California San Diego. Katie... [ View ] |
Christie WelterClinics Navigator, Montgomery County Memorial Hospital
Christie Welter, LBSW, CLC, serves as the Clinic Navigator at Montgomery County Memorial Hospital (MCMH) + Clinics, where she plays a vital role in supporting patients with non-medical needs that impact health. With over 30 years of experience in social work and healthcare, Christie brings both professional expertise and a... [ View ] |