Heidi Kessler, Chief Program Officer, is a passionate school food advocate who believes that school meals are essential in raising a healthier generation of children. Heidi provides visionary leadership and strategic management for the development, implementation, and evaluation of all …
Elizabeth Smith, Ohio State University Extension
Elizabeth (Liz) Smith is a SNAP-Ed Regional Program Specialist for Ohio State University Extension. Liz covers a 30 county region of program assistants who are offering nutrition education to those receiving food assistance benefits or eligible to receive those benefits. …
Molly Brown, Chef Ann Foundation
Molly Brown is a Programs Associate at the Chef Ann Foundation where she is in charge of operating the Salad Bars to Schools program, a healthy school lunch initiative which has placed more than 5,000 salad bars in schools across …
Candice Sainz, Dairy Council of California
With an insatiable appetite for new experiences, Candice Sainz travels across California and the country promoting nutrition education and school wellness. As Community Nutrition Adviser for Dairy Council of California, Ms. Sainz works with school foodservice staff, educators and community …
Michelle Krehbiel, PhD, University of Nebraska- Lincoln Extension
Michelle Krehbiel, PhD, is a youth development specialist and associate professor at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln Extension 4-H Youth Development. Her work focuses on creating positive youth development environments in out-of-school and informal education settings. Other programming and research …
Ashley Moen, MS, RD, SNS, Colorado Department of Education
Ashley Moen is the Summer Food Service Program Administrator at the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) Office of School Nutrition (OSN). In her role, she works to ensure kids have access to healthy meals during the summer. She is a …
Shannon Pierson, California State University, Chico
Shannon Pierson graduated with her Master’s degree in Nutritional Science in May 2017 from California State University, Chico. Her research explored using mindful eating interventions to improve healthy food-related behaviors. She developed, implemented and evaluated the impact of a pilot …
Shauna Henley, University of Maryland Extension

Angelika Schlanger, PhD, University of Florida Extension
Angelika Schlanger, PhD, is a Regional Public Health Specialist for the University of Florida/IFAS Extension Family Nutrition Program, which is Florida’s SNAP-ED program. She serves the busy South District of Florida—which includes Martin, St. Lucie, Palm Beach, Broward, and Collier …
Jonathan Padia, Colorado Department of Education
Jonathan Padia, RD joined the Colorado Department of Education, Office of School Nutrition in 2015 as a program specialist. He oversees meal patterns, menu planning, Residential Child Care Institutions, Smart Snacks and competitive foods for school districts in Colorado. He …