Vice President, Public Policy & Research
America's Second Harvest
Douglas O'Brien has been with
America's Second Harvest the nation's largest charitable hunger
relief organization, since 1995. His duties include directing the
public policy, government relations and research activities of
America's Second Harvest. He serves as a liaison between America's
Second Harvest and other nonprofit organizations, agricultural and
commodity organizations, federal agencies, and Congress regarding
the issues of hunger and poverty.
Previously, O'Brien served as
professional legislative staff on the Senate Agriculture,
Nutrition and Forestry Committee, working extensively on issues
regarding hunger, poverty and agriculture policy.
He is a former political campaign
professional and has been involved in several national and state
office campaigns. He is also a former college administrator,
having directed the public relations and fund development
activities of Shimer College. O'Brien is a graduate of Western
Illinois University.
Staff Vice President for Public Policy
American School
Food Service Association
Barry Sackin is responsible for
government affairs, media relations and public awareness for the
American School Food Service Association. Before joining the ASFSA in
1997, Sackin spent 18 years in school food service, most recently as
director for the schools in Anaheim, Calif., where he administered a
variety of food and nutrition programs. He serves as the ASFSA
representative on several working groups including the National Alliance
for Nutrition and Activity.
Sackin serves as vice chair of the board
of directors of Healthy Schools Inc., the national coordinating
organization for the Action For Healthy Kids network.
Sackin's undergraduate degree is from
Rutgers University and his graduate study in business administration was
at San Diego State University. He has received his School Food and
Nutrition Specialist credential.
Executive Director
Congressional
Hunger Center
Edward M. Cooney has been the executive
director of the Congressional Hunger Center since February 2001. He has
a long history in local, state and national organizations committed to
ending hunger and poverty. For 18 years he helped lead the advocacy
initiatives of the Washington-based Food Research and Action Center
working with its network of hunger leaders. Cooney also held two senior
positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1997 until 2001. He
is considered an expert on federal nutrition program policy.
The Congressional Hunger Center's mission is
to develop leaders who can address the many causes of hunger at the local,
national and international level. Leadership development takes place through
two programs, the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program and the
Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellows Program.
Director for Government Affairs
Food Research and
Action Council
Ellen Susan Teller is the director for
government affairs for the Food Research and Action Council in Washington.
She has held several positions with FRAC since 1986, including senior
attorney for government affairs and staff attorney.
She assists in the development of FRAC's
legislative agenda, is the key liaison with national organizations, Congress and
FRAC's grassroots field network. Teller also serves as FRAC's key lobbyist on
Capitol Hill for budget, appropriations and authorization of the federal food
assistance programs.
She earned a bachelor's degree at the State
University of New York, Oneonta, and her law degree at Western New England
College School of Law, Springfield, Mass.
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Heifer International
Foundation
Carole Hillard is the first woman in the
history of South Dakota to serve as lieutenant governor, a position she held
from 1995 until 2003.
Hillard served in the South Dakota House of
Representatives and was a member of the city council for Rapid City. She has
also been on the boards of numerous local, state and national organizations.
She began working as an international business,
economic and political consultant in 1997 when she served as a Peace Corps
elections supervisor in Bosnia. Since that time, she has had more than 40
consulting assignments around the world.
Hillard earned a bachelor's degree from the
University of Arizona at Tucson, and master's degrees from South Dakota State
University and the University of South Dakota. She also earned a certificate of
leadership from Harvard University.
Chairman
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Michael B. Jandreau was raised on the Lower Brule
Reservation in South Dakota.
Jandreau has served as chairman of the Lower
Brule Sioux Tribe for the last 21 years. He is the force behind many economic
development projects, including the tribe's Farm Corporation, the number one
producer of popcorn in the world, and number three producer of navy beans in the
nation.
Other prominent projects include the Wildlife
Program, the Lower Brule Propane Plant and the opening of the Golden Buffalo
Casino, which provides employment for more than 180 tribal members. Under
Jandreau's leadership, the tribe has attained a high degree of stability.
He and his wife and children run a successful
ranching operation.
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