Agenda
| Tuesday, April 19 |
| 11 am–12:00 pm: Registration/Lunch |
| 12:00 pm: Welcome |
| 12:00–2:00 pm: Keynote and Opening Plenary Panel |
| 2:15–3:30: Breakout Session 1 |
| 3:45–5:00: Breakout Session 2 |
| 5:00–6:30: Happy Hour/Networking |
| Wednesday, April 20 |
| 7:30–9:30 am: Breakfast and Morning Plenary |
| 9:45–11:00 am: Breakout Session 3 |
| 11:15 am–12:00 pm: Action Planning |
| 12:00–1:00 pm: Closing Remarks and Lunch |
Day One, April 19
Keynote and Opening Plenary (12:00–2:00 pm)
Keynote Speaker
Kofi Essel, MD, MPH, is a community pediatrician and Director of the GW Culinary Medicine program with over 10 years of experience as a nutrition educator, researcher, and anti-hunger advocate. His advocacy work and research revolve around health care training, health disparities and community engagement, with a special interest and national recognition in the areas of addressing obesity and food insecurity in families.
Moderated by Eddie Oliver
Plenary Panel
The Role of Nutrition Security in Achieving Health Equity
Main Ballroom
Nutrition security is a critical social determinant of health. A panel of local and national experts on health equity discuss the structural issues contributing to health disparities in Virginia and highlight solutions that enable everyone to achieve their desired level of health.
Moderator: Meaghan Butler
Speakers:
Breakout Session 1 (2:15 – 3:30 pm)
Centering Lived Experience
Potomac room
The best solutions are not simply based in science and standard empirical evidence, but also in the wisdom that comes from experience and struggle. How can we learn from experts with lived experience and co-create solutions for nutrition security in Virginia? We will hear from food bank staff and neighbors who have taken an active role in improving nutrition security in their communities.
Moderator: Meredith Ledlie Johnson
Speakers:
Virginia Food for Virginia Families
James River D
Agriculture is Virginia’s largest private industry, yet 800,000 Virginians struggle with food insecurity on an annual basis. Speakers from all corners of the Commonwealth will discuss innovative Federal, State, and local initiatives to connect Virginia farms with food insecure households, improving food access and strengthening the regional food system.
Moderator: Eddie Oliver
Speakers:
Breakout Session 2 (3:45 – 5:00 pm)
Partnering to Improve Health Outcomes*
Potomac Room
Cross-sector partnerships are paramount to addressing nutrition security and health equity. Learn from local, state, and multistate partners who place health and nutritious food access at the forefront of their partnerships to measurably improve health outcomes. (Partnering to Achieve Health Outcomes is pending approval for 1.25 Continuing Education Credits for dietitians.)
Moderator: Michelle Hesse
Speakers:
Measuring Impact
Shenandoah Room
Timely, high-quality data is often the most elusive resource for advocates and service providers. But Virginia has more mapping and analysis tools at our disposal than ever before. Panelists will showcase the increasing number of tools available to us to assess food access barriers and measure the impact of programs on health outcomes.
Moderator: Meaghan Butler
Speakers:
Food Justice & Mutual Aid
James River D
Health disparities resulting from nutrition insecurity are directly tied to systematic inequities and structural racism. Learn how several grassroots organizations are supporting food justice through local organizing, self-determination, and wealth building.
Moderator: Richard Morris
Speakers:
Happy Hour (5 – 6:30 pm)
James River Foyer
*Dinner on Own
(Get restaurant recommendations here!)
Day 2, April 20
Breakfast Plenary (7:30 am – 9:30 am)
Main Ballroom
We Care Spotlight
Moderator: Eddie Oliver
Financing Growth: Leaders from the financial sector will share insights and best practices for how food access advocates can work with the banking sector to expand their reach and achieve maximum impact in support of their missions
Moderator: Victor Galloway
Speakers:
Breakout Session 3 (9:45 am – 11 am)
Screening for Nutrition Security*
Potomac Room
Panelists highlight mechanisms for integrating health + social care and share models for effectively screening and intervening for nutrition security in the health care setting. (*Screening for Nutrition Security has been approved for 1.25 Continuing Education Credits for dietitians)
Moderator: Meaghan Butler
Speakers:
Seeds of Change
Shenandoah Room
Hear from local and regional coalition builders working to engage partners and mobilize healthier communities to improve food access.
Moderator: Bria Williams
Speakers:
Investing in Healthy Futures
James River D Room
Virginia has many new and emerging models for expanding food retail in low food access communities. Hear from funders and program leads working in both rural and urban communities
Moderator: Eddie Oliver
Speakers:
Action Planning (11:15 – 12:00 pm)
Main Ballroom
Co-design strategies you can take home to move the needle on nutrition security and health equity in your communities
Closing Remarks and Lunch (12:00 – 1 pm)
Main Ballroom
Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Jewel Bronaugh — USDA was appointed the 16th Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in 2018 by Governor Ralph Northam. She previously served as the Virginia State Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe and then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, in July 2015. Prior to her FSA appointment, she served as Dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University (VSU) with oversight of Extension, Research and Academic Programs. Previously she was the Associate Administrator for Extension Programs and a 4-H Extension Specialist.