Registration for the National Forum is now closed. Thank you for your interest.

Reconnecting, Rebuilding, Reimagining

The USDA-FNS SNAP Office of Employment and Training (E&T) is pleased to host the second SNAP E&T National Forum on December 13-14, 2022 at the Westin Alexandria in Alexandria, VA. Join fellow State agencies and SNAP E&T stakeholders as we gather together to build better SNAP E&T programs that lead with equity, create economic opportunity, and meet local workforce needs.

Who Should Attend?

National, Regional, and State agency representatives focused on administering, developing and implementing SNAP E&T programs. SNAP E&T stakeholders, such as those from workforce development, National organizations, human service and community-based organizations, and community colleges, are also welcome.

Forum Topic Areas:

  • SNAP E&T Policy
  • Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP E&T Programs
  • Advancing Equity
  • Program Operations, Monitoring, and Oversight
  • Effectively Reaching Customers

Featured Speakers

Stacy Dean
Deputy Under Secretary,
USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Bio

Stacy Dean was appointed by President Biden to serve as the Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services where she will work to advance the President’s agenda on increasing nutrition assistance for struggling families and individuals as well as tackling systemic racism and barriers to opportunity that have denied so many the chance to get ahead.

Prior to joining President Biden’s Team at USDA, Dean served as the Vice President for Food Assistance Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). She directed CBPP’s food assistance team, which published frequent reports on how federal nutrition programs affect families and communities and developed policies to improve them.

In addition to her work on federal nutrition programs, Dean directed CBPP efforts to integrate the delivery of health and human services programs at the state and local levels. Before joining CBPP, she worked as a budget analyst at the Office of Management and Budget.

Dean earned her B.A. and master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan.

Brian Lyght
Chief Operating Officer,
Center for Urban Families, Inc.

Bio

Brian Lyght is a business development and strategy professional with over 30 years of combined public, private and nonprofit sector experience helping organizations improve their operational performance and achieve their mission. Since 2017, Brian has served as Chief Operating Officer for the Center for Urban Families, a Baltimore-based human services organization whose mission is to strengthen urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. Reporting to the Founder, President & CEO, Brian manages the organization’s senior staff who oversee finance and administration, human resources, research and evaluation, and programs. He provides a strong day-to-day leadership presence among staff who are committed to dismantling poverty and promoting equity and social justice for Baltimore City residents.

Between 2013 and 2017, Brian served in dual roles at Casey Family Programs – as Director of Knowledge Management, and as Executive-on-Loan to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Prior to joining Casey Family Programs, Brian served as a Senior Associate at The Annie E. Casey Foundation from 2002 to 2013, and as a Program Director for Economic Opportunity Programs at the Enterprise Foundation from 1997 to 2002. In earlier career positions – as Assistant Vice President for Corporate Community Development at CoreStates Bank, and as Special Assistant to the President of the Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation – Brian supported the development and expansion of small, minority-owned, and community-based businesses. Brian began his career in 1986 as an investment banker at PaineWebber where he structured tax-exempt bond transactions to support the development of affordable housing.

Brian holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a BBA in Banking and Finance from Hofstra University.

Randy Stamper
Associate Vice Chancellor,
Career Education and Workforce Development, Virginia’s Community Colleges

Bio

Randy Stamper is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Career Education and Workforce Programs with the Virginia Community College System. He leads the administration and strategic planning for a variety of programs and initiatives including postsecondary Perkins, credit and noncredit workforce training and credentialing, economic development projects, and multiple publicly and privately funded special initiatives. He was part of the team that led the planning and implementation of the FastForwardVA program that has changed the face of community college workforce development programming in Virginia. He also consults frequently with state and federal elected officials about workforce issues.

Randy has contributed to several successful internal and interagency grant applications, helping to secure over $80 million in federal, state, and private funding over the past 10 years to advance workforce training and career coaching services for Virginia’s workforce, with a particular focus on the underserved and low-wage, low-skilled adults. He represents the VCCS on the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award initiative, and is a founding member of the Governor’s Career Pathways Work Group, an interagency advisory body that consults with the Governor’s office, state agencies, and private organizations on all workforce activities in the commonwealth. Randy serves on a variety of commissions and boards within Virginia’s workforce development system, as well as the National Skills Coalition’s leadership council.

He began his career in workforce development at The Literacy Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University, moving on to the Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Adult Education and Literacy, where he served as a specialist and then state director of adult education. During his time at VDOE, Randy provided leadership and administrative oversight for the federally and state-funded adult education programs for adult basic, adult secondary, and English language instruction, and the GED testing program, and he led the development and implementation of the award-winning PluggedInVA integrated education and training program.

Randy holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and rhetoric from Ball State University and a master’s degree in English literature from Virginia Commonwealth University. He lives in Richmond with his wife, Caroline, and two silly dogs, Satchel and Harper.

Claire Borzner
Senior Professional Staff,
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Bio
Claire Borzner currently serves as Senior Professional Staff member for the Senate Agriculture Committee under the leadership of Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow. She focuses on nutrition and international food aid. She has also worked on a variety of other issues for the Committee including specialty crops, ag labor, and hemp. Prior to joining the Committee, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania leading his energy work on the Energy and Commerce Committee and as a Legislative Correspondent for Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. A New Jersey native, she is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.

Kermit Kaleba
Strategy Director of Employer Aligned Credential Programs,
Lumina Foundation

Bio

Kermit Kaleba is the strategy director of employment-aligned credential programs for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Kaleba leads a portfolio designed to increase the number of occupational short-term credential and AA degree programs.

Kaleba previously served as managing director for policy at National Skills Coalition. He also served as executive director of the Washington D.C. Workforce Investment Council. Kermit has J.D. and bachelor’s degrees from the College of William and Mary.

Katherine Thomas
Senior Professional Staff,
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Bio
Katherine Thomas serves as senior professional staff on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry for Senator John Boozman (R-AR) covering nutrition and food aid issues. She previously served as a legislative assistant on the committee during the tenure of former Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), during the 2015 child nutrition reauthorization process and 2018 Farm Bill. Prior to joining the committee, Thomas served as a legislative assistant in the office of U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) where she handled agriculture and trade for the senator. She also previously covered agriculture policy for then-Senator Roberts in his personal office. She served as deputy legislative director for Representative Tracey Mann (R-KS) and began her career as a staff assistant for then-Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS). A native of Wichita, Kansas, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of William & Mary.

Jennifer Tiller
Deputy Staff Director,
House Agriculture Committee

Bio

Jennifer Tiller serves as the Deputy Staff Director of the House Committee on Agriculture under the leadership of Ranking Member Glenn Thompson (R-PA). Previously, Tiller served as both Deputy Staff Director and Senior Professional Staff for Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX). Tiller has worked on a variety of legislative efforts affecting U.S. agriculture and domestic nutrition programs, most notably the 2018 Farm Bill and various spending and pandemic-related packages.  A Syracuse, New York native, Tiller holds a Master of Public Administration from Marist College and a Master of Business Administration from Syracuse University.

Katherine Stewart
Subcommittee Staff Director
House Committee on Agriculture’s Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee

Bio

Katherine Stewart is the Subcommittee Staff Director for the House Committee on Agriculture’s Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee. She came to the Committee from Vice Chair Rep. Alma Adams’ office where she served as Legislative Director. Katherine handled the nutrition and agriculture portfolio for Rep. Adams, including the Congresswoman’s nutrition work on both the Committee on Agriculture and on Education and Labor and her 2018 Farm Bill work.

Katherine is a native South Carolinian and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina and Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Featured Speakers

Stacy Dean
Deputy Under Secretary,
USDA Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Bio

Stacy Dean was appointed by President Biden to serve as the Deputy Under Secretary for USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services where she will work to advance the President’s agenda on increasing nutrition assistance for struggling families and individuals as well as tackling systemic racism and barriers to opportunity that have denied so many the chance to get ahead.

Prior to joining President Biden’s Team at USDA, Dean served as the Vice President for Food Assistance Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). She directed CBPP’s food assistance team, which published frequent reports on how federal nutrition programs affect families and communities and developed policies to improve them.

In addition to her work on federal nutrition programs, Dean directed CBPP efforts to integrate the delivery of health and human services programs at the state and local levels. Before joining CBPP, she worked as a budget analyst at the Office of Management and Budget.

Dean earned her B.A. and master’s degree in public policy from the University of Michigan.

Brian Lyght
Chief Operating Officer,
Center for Urban Families, Inc.

Bio

Brian Lyght is a business development and strategy professional with over 30 years of combined public, private and nonprofit sector experience helping organizations improve their operational performance and achieve their mission. Since 2017, Brian has served as Chief Operating Officer for the Center for Urban Families, a Baltimore-based human services organization whose mission is to strengthen urban communities by helping fathers and families achieve stability and economic success. Reporting to the Founder, President & CEO, Brian manages the organization’s senior staff who oversee finance and administration, human resources, research and evaluation, and programs. He provides a strong day-to-day leadership presence among staff who are committed to dismantling poverty and promoting equity and social justice for Baltimore City residents.

Between 2013 and 2017, Brian served in dual roles at Casey Family Programs – as Director of Knowledge Management, and as Executive-on-Loan to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Prior to joining Casey Family Programs, Brian served as a Senior Associate at The Annie E. Casey Foundation from 2002 to 2013, and as a Program Director for Economic Opportunity Programs at the Enterprise Foundation from 1997 to 2002. In earlier career positions – as Assistant Vice President for Corporate Community Development at CoreStates Bank, and as Special Assistant to the President of the Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation – Brian supported the development and expansion of small, minority-owned, and community-based businesses. Brian began his career in 1986 as an investment banker at PaineWebber where he structured tax-exempt bond transactions to support the development of affordable housing.

Brian holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and a BBA in Banking and Finance from Hofstra University.

Randy Stamper
Associate Vice Chancellor,
Career Education and Workforce Development, Virginia’s Community Colleges

Bio

Randy Stamper is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Career Education and Workforce Programs with the Virginia Community College System. He leads the administration and strategic planning for a variety of programs and initiatives including postsecondary Perkins, credit and noncredit workforce training and credentialing, economic development projects, and multiple publicly and privately funded special initiatives. He was part of the team that led the planning and implementation of the FastForwardVA program that has changed the face of community college workforce development programming in Virginia. He also consults frequently with state and federal elected officials about workforce issues.

Randy has contributed to several successful internal and interagency grant applications, helping to secure over $80 million in federal, state, and private funding over the past 10 years to advance workforce training and career coaching services for Virginia’s workforce, with a particular focus on the underserved and low-wage, low-skilled adults. He represents the VCCS on the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Award initiative, and is a founding member of the Governor’s Career Pathways Work Group, an interagency advisory body that consults with the Governor’s office, state agencies, and private organizations on all workforce activities in the commonwealth. Randy serves on a variety of commissions and boards within Virginia’s workforce development system, as well as the National Skills Coalition’s leadership council.

He began his career in workforce development at The Literacy Institute at Virginia Commonwealth University, moving on to the Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Adult Education and Literacy, where he served as a specialist and then state director of adult education. During his time at VDOE, Randy provided leadership and administrative oversight for the federally and state-funded adult education programs for adult basic, adult secondary, and English language instruction, and the GED testing program, and he led the development and implementation of the award-winning PluggedInVA integrated education and training program.

Randy holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and rhetoric from Ball State University and a master’s degree in English literature from Virginia Commonwealth University. He lives in Richmond with his wife, Caroline, and two silly dogs, Satchel and Harper.

Claire Borzner
Senior Professional Staff,
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Bio

Claire Borzner currently serves as Senior Professional Staff member for the Senate Agriculture Committee under the leadership of Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow. She focuses on nutrition and international food aid. She has also worked on a variety of other issues for the Committee including specialty crops, ag labor, and hemp. Prior to joining the Committee, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for Congressman Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania leading his energy work on the Energy and Commerce Committee and as a Legislative Correspondent for Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. A New Jersey native, she is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.

Kermit Kaleba
Strategy Director of Employer Aligned Credential Programs,
Lumina Foundation

Bio

Kermit Kaleba is the strategy director of employment-aligned credential programs for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. Kaleba leads a portfolio designed to increase the number of occupational short-term credential and AA degree programs.

Kaleba previously served as managing director for policy at National Skills Coalition. He also served as executive director of the Washington D.C. Workforce Investment Council. Kermit has J.D. and bachelor’s degrees from the College of William and Mary.

Katherine Thomas
Senior Professional Staff,
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Bio
Katherine Thomas serves as senior professional staff on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry for Senator John Boozman (R-AR) covering nutrition and food aid issues. She previously served as a legislative assistant on the committee during the tenure of former Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), during the 2015 child nutrition reauthorization process and 2018 Farm Bill. Prior to joining the committee, Thomas served as a legislative assistant in the office of U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) where she handled agriculture and trade for the senator. She also previously covered agriculture policy for then-Senator Roberts in his personal office. She served as deputy legislative director for Representative Tracey Mann (R-KS) and began her career as a staff assistant for then-Representative Mike Pompeo (R-KS). A native of Wichita, Kansas, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of William & Mary.

Jennifer Tiller
Deputy Staff Director,
House Agriculture Committee

Bio

Jennifer Tiller serves as the Deputy Staff Director of the House Committee on Agriculture under the leadership of Ranking Member Glenn Thompson (R-PA). Previously, Tiller served as both Deputy Staff Director and Senior Professional Staff for Chairman K. Michael Conaway (R-TX). Tiller has worked on a variety of legislative efforts affecting U.S. agriculture and domestic nutrition programs, most notably the 2018 Farm Bill and various spending and pandemic-related packages.  A Syracuse, New York native, Tiller holds a Master of Public Administration from Marist College and a Master of Business Administration from Syracuse University.

Katherine Stewart
Subcommittee Staff Director
House Committee on Agriculture’s Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee

Bio

Katherine Stewart is the Subcommittee Staff Director for the House Committee on Agriculture’s Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations Subcommittee. She came to the Committee from Vice Chair Rep. Alma Adams’ office where she served as Legislative Director. Katherine handled the nutrition and agriculture portfolio for Rep. Adams, including the Congresswoman’s nutrition work on both the Committee on Agriculture and on Education and Labor and her 2018 Farm Bill work.

Katherine is a native South Carolinian and holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Carolina and Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Forum Location:

The Westin Alexandria Old Town
400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314

Hotel rooms at the event location are sold out.

Overflow rooms are available at the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town South at Carlyle at the government per diem rate.

BOOK NOW