Creating Food Security – Panel Discussion

Creating Food Security

Challenges, Insights, and Solutions

Co-Presented by WayForward Resources and the Middleton Public Library
Free to Attend, Registration Required

Food security has been a prominent topic in the news lately. Whether it’s rising grocery prices, upcoming eligibility changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or alarming hunger statistics—there’s a lot of information to sort through.

Join a panel of experts as they dive into this important issue. Learn what’s behind the rise in food insecurity, how the food system works and how that has changed, and how our community can work together to ensure everyone has access to enough nutritious food to thrive.

Jocelyne Sansing, Middleton Public Library Director, will facilitate a panel of guests, including:

• Jackie Anderson, Executive Director, Feeding Wisconsin
• Meghan Sohns, Vice President of Programming, WayForward Resources
• Jen Wagner, Director of Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment, Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
• Nicholas Heckman, Food Systems & Food Security Coordinator at Public Health Madison & Dane County

See more about the panelists further below.

Event Location
Middleton Public Library
7425 Hubbard Avenue
In the downstairs Archer Room (through the lobby stairwell)
Middleton, WI

About the Panelists

Jackie Anderson, Feeding Wisconsin Executive Director, leads the statewide association of six Feeding America food banks supporting 1,000 pantries and food distribution centers across all 72 counties and 11 tribal nations. Ensuring Wisconsinites have access to the food and benefits they need to succeed, Feeding Wisconsin leads statewide advocacy and policy efforts to increase awareness around hunger and strengthen public policy, providing solutions to end food insecurity while collectively moving our state towards a hunger-free Wisconsin.

Jackie has worked in the non-profit sector for more than 25 years, supporting communities and families by providing opportunities to improve overall health and contribute to a stronger, more cohesive community for all. For two decades with the YMCA National Office, she was responsible for leading initiatives focused on food security and youth development at the national and state levels. Prior to joining Feeding Wisconsin, Jackie was the Director of Raising Wisconsin, where she led advocacy efforts focused on a statewide investment in childcare and optimal development of our children.

Nicholas Heckman is a Food Systems & Food Security Coordinator at Public Health Madison and Dane County. He is responsible for staffing the Madison Food Policy Council and Dane Food Access Network, as well as being involved in food security surveillance and the development of the Dane County Food System Action Plan. His approach to food systems blends public health and public policy to explore ways to meet the food access needs of our community.

Prior to his current role, Nicholas worked in advocacy and research for a food bank in Milwaukee and as a statewide poverty and food security specialist with UW-Extension. Nicholas has a master’s degree in Public Affairs from the La Follette School of Public Affairs.

Meghan Sohns is Vice President of Programming at WayForward Resources, a Middleton-based nonprofit dedicated to food security and housing stability. With nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors, Meghan oversees WayForward’s Food Security and Housing Stability programs, bringing a systems-level, equity-driven approach to how the organization serves its community.

Meghan started her career at DAIS (Domestic Abuse Intervention Services), overseeing all community-based programming, and from there was the Program Director for the Supervised Release program at ATTIC Correctional Services, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Meghan has a bachelor’s degree in Community Health and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership.

Jennifer Wagner is the Director of Medicaid Eligibility & Enrollment at the Center on Budget and Policy Priority, a non-partisan research and advocacy organization that works to improve the health and economic security of low-income residents. Jen focuses on the policy, operations, and technology that affect the benefit enrollment experience for clients and staff. She also identifies opportunities to coordinate Medicaid and SNAP and improve access to both programs.

Before joining CBPP, Wagner served as an Associate Director with the Illinois Department of Human Services, was a staff attorney at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, and was a food stamp caseworker in Durham County, NC. Wagner received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law.