Experience

Hunger Free America

• United States
• Public Policy Offices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• CEO

  • Jun 2001 - Present

  • Manages the daily operations of the organization, overseeing all pandemic response, policy, advocacy, program development, strategic planning, research, community organizing, fundraising, marketing, communications, fiscal, personnel, and administrative work. • Led rapid, large-scale expansion and intensification of all activities in response to COVID-19. • Transformed a small, local New York City advocacy group into a widely respected national public policy and direct service organization aimed at ending U.S. hunger by ensuring that all Americans have sufficient access to nutritious food. • Increased number of employees six-fold and annual budget (now at $4.5 million) ten-fold. • Oversaw all branding, organizational development, communications, policy, technology, and legal work necessary to transition from a local to a national organization. • According to the Nation, under my direction, the group “grew into one of the leading direct service and advocacy organizations on hunger and poverty in the nation.” • Currently oversees the work of more than 35 employees and AmeriCorps national service participants. • Works closely and collaboratively with the group’s board of directors. • Interacts regularly with high-ranking elected and appointed government officials, business and community leaders, directors and staffs of fellow nonprofit organizations, clients of food charities, and participants in government nutrition assistance programs. • Has delivered hundreds of keynote speeches on four continents and in 37 states. • Led successful effort to obtain a $2 million federal Hunger Free Communities grant, which funded nine of the city’s leading hunger and senior citizens organizations to increase access to government SNAP, WIC, and school meals benefits. • Competed for and won a contract to manage the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse. • Garners widespread local, national, and international media coverage. i



USDA

• United States
• Government Administration
• 700 & Above Employee

• COORDINATOR OF COMMUNITY FOOD SECURITY

  • Feb 1999 - Jan 2001

  • Created and managed the daily operations of the USDA Community Food Security Initiative, which established innovative public/private partnerships to fight hunger, bolster food security, and help low-income Americans move from poverty to economic independence.• Broadly oversaw the work of over 150 employees nationwide. • Implemented a detailed plan of action in seven areas: local anti-hunger infrastructure; economic and job security; the federal nutrition assistance safety net; food recovery and donations; local food production and marketing; education; and research. • Advised White House, Secretary of Agriculture, and other senior policy makers on hunger. • Represented the Department to national, regional, and local media and • Spoke at large national gatherings and interacted regularly with high-ranking leaders from nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies. • Coordinated policy and communications strategy for three presidential anti-hunger events. • Helped organize and staff a Secretarial mission to Africa and aided the start-up of the McGovern-Dole Food Program to enable developing nations to provide school meals.

• COORDINATOR OF FOOD RECOVERY AND GLEANING

  • Sep 1997 - Feb 1999

  • Under the direction of the Secretary of Agriculture, created a new government-wide initiative to increase the amount of excess food recovered, gleaned, and distributed to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens, and directly to low-income Americans. • Led federal efforts across the government to carry out a presidential memorandum, which I dratted, directing all federal agencies to aid in food recovery and gleaning. • Increased private sector and government food donations by more than three million pounds in one year, working closely with the White House on implementation. • Interacted with high-level corporate, nonprofit, and government leaders, as well as with members of Congress and their staffs, to gain support for the initiative.

• DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL SERVICE

  • Mar 1994 - Sep 1997

  • Visualized and launched the USDA AmeriCorps program which, at the time, was the largest component of the overall AmeriCorps program. • Managed over 300 projects in 45 states, including anti-hunger and rural economic development projects, which aided over one million citizens, as well as environmental projects, which improved over 400,000 acres of land. • Oversaw a budget of more than $29 million, while holding Washington, DC headquarters-based overhead costs to less than two percent of total program costs. • Held broad responsibility for the work of hundreds of employees nationally, and oversaw the work of 1,200 full-time AmeriCorps participants nationwide. • Represented the administration in site visits to 35 states, viewing projects, meeting with local and federal elected officials and their staffs, appearing on local TV and on radio call-in shows, meeting with newspaper editorial boards, and speaking at large public events.

• DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC LIAISON

  • Apr 1993 - Mar 1994

  • Coordinated interactions between USDA, the general public, and interest groups—including anti-hunger, environmental, farming, educational, rural development, labor, business, and consumer organizations. • Directly managed a staff of ten. • Wrote testimony and speeches for the Secretary of Agriculture.

• ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND PRESS SECRETARY

  • Jan 1993 - Mar 1993

  • Starting on the first day of President Bill Clinton’s administration, managed all public communications, public liaison, and intergovernmental affairs functions at a cabinet agency with more than 110,000 employees and a budget of over $60 billion. • Directly managed an office with more than 150 employees and a budget of over $9 million.• Held broad responsibility for the work of nearly 1,000 public affairs employees nationwide. • Traveled extensively with the Secretary of Agriculture and served as his chief spokesperson to the national, regional, and local media. • Served as chief spokesperson for the Clinton Administration on a national crisis related to meat contamination in the Pacific Northwest.



CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION TEAM

• Washington DC-Baltimore Area

• DOMESTIC POLICY STAFF MEMBER

  • Nov 1992 - Jan 1993

  • Served as a policy analyst and writer. • Focused on the issues of national service and direct student loans, helped recommend policy options to the President-elect, and planned strategies to promote the passage of legislation. • Represented the President-elect at national service hearings in three states and in meetings with key constituency groups and national leaders, such as university presidents. • Served as a spokesperson to television, radio, and print media. • Served as a policy analyst and writer. • Focused on the issues of national service and direct student loans, helped recommend policy options to the President-elect, and planned strategies to promote the passage of legislation. • Represented the President-elect at national service hearings in three states and in meetings with key constituency groups and national leaders, such as university presidents. • Served as a spokesperson to television, radio, and print media.



BILL CLINTON FOR PRESIDENT PRIMARY CAMPAIGN AND CLINTON/GORE CAMPAIGN

• United States

• SENIOR WRITER, SENIOR FIELD STAFF, AND STATE PRESS SECRETARY

  • 1991 - 1992

  • Served for two months as the sole full-time member of the national campaign’s issues staff, drafting position papers, and preparing talking points and briefing books for then-Governor Clinton's campaign trips. • As Kansas State Press Secretary, played key role in historically close showing in the state. • Served for two months as the sole full-time member of the national campaign’s issues staff, drafting position papers, and preparing talking points and briefing books for then-Governor Clinton's campaign trips. • As Kansas State Press Secretary, played key role in historically close showing in the state.



CAMPAIGN OF CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR

• Long Branch, New Jersey, United States

• Campaign Manager

  • 1990 - 1992

  • Managed upset wins for the Congressman in the 1990 general election and the 1992 primary. • Oversaw all fundraising, communications, political outreach, and field activities. • Represented the Congressman in public debates and events. • Managed upset wins for the Congressman in the 1990 general election and the 1992 primary. • Oversaw all fundraising, communications, political outreach, and field activities. • Represented the Congressman in public debates and events.



Democratic Leadership Council

• Political Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• POLICY ANALYST

  • 1991 - 1991

  • Researched and edited resolutions, speeches, talking points, and briefing materials for the media and elected officials, including then-Governor Bill Clinton, on a wide variety of issues. • Helped plan and staff the group’s national political convention. • Researched and edited resolutions, speeches, talking points, and briefing materials for the media and elected officials, including then-Governor Bill Clinton, on a wide variety of issues. • Helped plan and staff the group’s national political convention.



Progressive Policy Institute

• United States
• Public Policy Offices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Policy Analyst

  • 1989 - 1990

  • Principal researcher and writer on national service and the Police Corps; research aided in the eventual creation of two federal programs. • Conducted research on student aid, youth apprenticeship, crime, housing, and U.S. politics. • Advised congressional offices on policy and legislative strategy. • Principal researcher and writer on national service and the Police Corps; research aided in the eventual creation of two federal programs. • Conducted research on student aid, youth apprenticeship, crime, housing, and U.S. politics. • Advised congressional offices on policy and legislative strategy.



GRUENSTEIN FOR CONGRESS CAMPAIGN

• Alaska, United States

• Campaign Manager

  • 1988 - 1988

  • Managed all aspects of a top-targeted congressional campaign against a long-term incumbent • Managed all aspects of a top-targeted congressional campaign against a long-term incumbent



BRUCE BABBITT FOR PRESIDENT CAMPAIGN

• New York, United States

• NEW YORK STATE DEPUTY CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR

  • 1987 - 1988

  • Coordinated ballot access activities and recruited delegate candidates statewide. • Drafted an environmental policy speech for the candidate on recycling. • Coordinated ballot access activities and recruited delegate candidates statewide. • Drafted an environmental policy speech for the candidate on recycling.