Cheryl Kennedy
Cheryl Kennedy
Acting Regional Administrator
USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Mountain Plains Region
Cheryl Kennedy was named the Acting Regional Administrator for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Office in March 2018, overseeing 15 hunger prevention and nutrition programs across a ten-state region. Prior to that, Cheryl served as the Regional Division Director of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). She began her career with FNS in 1991 with the regional Food Distribution Program. Since that time, she has worked in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and has been the Director for Public Affairs and Field Operations.
In June 2012, Cheryl graduated from the Key Executive Program from American University as a candidate for the Senior Executive Service. She recently worked at the Department of Health and Human Services, where she implemented the National Prevention Strategy, an initiative that brings over 30 federal, state and local partners together to move the nation’s healthcare to emphasize health and wellness instead of sickness.
Cheryl received the USDA Abraham Lincoln Award and Special Distinction Award for creating and leading the “Building Bridges to Self-Sufficiency Team,” an effort with the Food Safety and Inspection Service to find sustainable employment partnership opportunities for SNAP Employment and Training participants. She also received the USDA Secretary’s Award for developing a national curriculum on the FNS National Employee Development Team.
Cheryl has a degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Denver. Prior to beginning her career with FNS, she worked for a Big Five Consulting Firm as a corporate trainer, designing, facilitating training.
USDA Food and Nutrition Service
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
FNS works to end hunger and obesity through the administration of 15 federal nutrition assistance programs including WIC, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and school meals. In partnership with State and Tribal governments, FNS programs serve one in four Americans during the course of a year.
Working with public, private and non-profit partners, the FNS mission is to increase food security and reduce hunger by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet and nutrition education in a way that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence. No American should have to go hungry.
FNS is committed to ensuring access to healthy and safe food for those participating in our programs including expecting mothers; infants and children in child care and school; low-income families going to food banks; local farmers markets; and local supermarkets. These are investments that support education, health care, and a competitive workforce.
FNS is committed to the sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars through aggressive efforts to reduce and prevent fraud and increase efficiency.