Introduction:

• Tim English, Acting Associate Administrator, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

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

Track: Advancing Equity 

USDA Food and Nutrition Service is committed to advancing equity and improving access to SNAP E&T nationwide and there are exciting efforts to advance equity happening at the State and provider levels. In this session, you’ll hear from two SNAP E&T providers in Illinois—Jane Addams Resource Corporation and Revolution Workshop—that are implementing ongoing strategies to advance racial, gender, and LGBTQ+ equity within their agencies and within the local manufacturing and construction industries. In addition, the Minnesota Department of Human Services will share exciting updates about their USDA-funded Data and Technical Assistance (DATA) grant. This project, which involves E&T provider engagement, seeks to answer key questions about the quality and equity of its E&T program to make data-driven improvements. 

Presenters: 

• Liz Czarnecki, SNAP E&T Program Analyst, Midwest Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service 
• Emily Doherty, Vice President, Client Services, Jane Addams Resource Corporation 
• Manny Rodriguez, Founder & Executive Director, Revolution Workshop 
• Ashley Snyder, SNAP E&T Specialist, Economic Assistance and Employment Supports Division, Minnesota Department of Human Services 

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs 

In this session, Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services SNAP E&T staff will identify effective methods that have proven to be successful in developing partnerships and onboarding new providers in their SNAP E&T program. The session will explain the importance of leveraging key partnerships in order to bring quality training programs to all areas of the State to grow the SNAP E&T program. In addition, Louisiana’s SNAP E&T program will explain the development and implementation of accountability measures for partners that will ensure the success and sustainability of the SNAP E&T program over time. 

Presenters: 

• Robertine Stewart, SNAP E&T Manager, Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services 
• Ricardo Williams, SNAP E&T Consultant, Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services 
• Rhonda Cook, SNAP E&T Consultant, Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services 
• Tynesha King, SNAP E&T Consultant, Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services 

Track: Program Operations, Monitoring, and Oversight

Everything you ever wanted to know about SNAP E&T Funding. This session will start with a high-level overview of the overall federal budget process and where SNAP E&T funding fits within that process. Then the session will dive into processes for allocation of E&T funds, reallocation of funds, the preliminary recovery, and state agencies request for additional E&T funds. Finally, we’ll discuss the important role that the State E&T Plans play in E&T funding.

Presenters: 

• Kristen Hyatt, Chief Budget Officer, USDA, Food and Nutrition Service
• Loretta Robertson, Program Analyst, FNS, SNAP Office of Employment and Training

Track: SNAP E&T Policy 

Case management is an important and now required element of SNAP E&T programs. This session will share findings from FNS’s Survey of SNAP E&T Case Management study, which included a national survey of SNAP agencies and four case studies to learn about case management implementation and best practices. Then, representatives from Arkansas’ Division of Workforce Services, Adult Education Section and Oregon’s Department of Human Services will share how they provide case management to SNAP E&T participants and discuss their best practices and lessons learned. 

Presenters: 

• Kristen Joyce, Senior Researcher, Mathematica 
• Trenia Miles, Ed.D., Director, Division of Workforce Services, Adult Education Section 
• Yulanda Riley, M.B.A., Program Advisor, Division of Workforce Services, Adult Education Section 
• Candi Quintall, Lead Employment and Training Coordinator, Self-Sufficiency Programs, Oregon Department of Human Services 

Track: SNAP E&T Policy 

New to the SNAP E&T program, or need a refresher? Come to this session to hear a brief history of SNAP E&T and better understand program policy, such as what services States can make available through E&T, participant reimbursement requirements, screening and referral requirements, potential target populations, and other federal requirements. Attendees will also learn about flexibilities states have to design SNAP E&T programs that meet local workforce needs and the needs of SNAP participants in the state. 

Presenters: 

• Moira Johnston, Director, Office of Employment and Training, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service 

Track: Advancing Equity 

Helping State SNAP Agencies and SNAP E&T third party providers more effectively deliver and adapt services to rural areas is critical to improving participant outcomes. This session will include examples from Colorado, Maine, and West Virginia on methods to integrate partnership strategies that busy program operators can successfully employ in other rural areas. 

Presenters: 

• Ashley Puffenbarger, SNAP E&T Program Manager & Senior Policy Writer, West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Family Assistance 
• Patricia Dushuttle, Special Projects Manager, Office for Family Independence, Maine Department of Health and Human Services 
• Wanda Theobald, SNAP E&T and SNAP-Ed Coordinator, Office for Family Independence, Maine Department of Health and Human Services  
• Elena Tooley-Prater, SNAP E&T Regional Representative, Colorado Department of Human Services 
• Josh McDaniel, SNAP E&T Program Analyst, Mountain Plains Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service 

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs

Join this session to hear from State agency and provider staff about what they think makes a workforce development service provider a good fit for SNAP E&T. Session participants will also learn about a new FNS tool to help States think about good providers for their E&T programs. This session will incorporate an equity lens in the discussion. 

Presenters:  

• Rachel Gragg, Senior Technical Advisor, FNS, SNAP Office of Employment and Training  
• Gretchen Rowe, Director of Nutrition Research, Mathematica  
• Jenny Taylor, Vice President, Career Services, Goodwill of North Georgia  
• Andrew Prihar, SNAP E&T Policy Supervisor, Department of Human Services; OIM, Bureau of Employment Programs; Division of E&T Guidance and Analytics  
• Anastasia Polda, SNAP E&T Supervisor, Economic Assistance and Employment Supports Division, Minnesota Department of Human Services  

Track: SNAP E&T Policy

Although post-secondary students who are at risk of food insecurity may be eligible for SNAP, many are not participating in the program. To tackle hunger among students, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is working to reduce barriers to SNAP for eligible students, including confusion about specific student exemptions that impact eligibility. During this listening session, FNS invites SNAP E&T stakeholders to share input on how to improve access to SNAP for students. Participants will discuss how to identify students with high need for food assistance, institutions of higher education that serve students with high need for food assistance, and actions at the local, State, and Federal level that could promote student access to SNAP. 

This sessions is now fully booked. Thank you for your interest. Read-ahead materials will for this session will be emailed prior to the conference.

Presenters:  

• Merrit Gillard, Program Analyst, Program Design Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service  

Track: Effectively Reaching Customers 

Coming out of the pandemic, the need for clear client communications is greater than ever. The session will focus on plain language and human-centered approaches to explain sometimes complex requirements – and to achieve notices that are easy to read and that clients can use to take action. We will share lessons from our work with 20 State Agencies and FNS to improve client-centered SNAP communications. Specifically, we will illustrate this work with the FNS’ Consolidated Work Notice and Script, part of the Model Notice Toolkit. Panelists will talk about how they have used these principles – and manipulated, maneuvered, and reinvented the model notices in their states to explain SNAP E&T effectively and efficiently to their communities. 

Presenters:  

• Andrea García, Senior Technical Advisor, Westat Insight Policy Research 
• Miles Patrie, Senior Technical Advisor, Westat Insight Policy
• Amanda Weaver, Policy Support Specialist. Arizona Department of Economic Security

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs

Now in its third year as the SNAP 50/50 Intermediary for the greater Chicagoland area, National Able Network first piloted this function in early 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. Session attendees will learn about the various phases of growth and operations from program conception through adaptation and sustainability which Able experienced during these unprecedented times, as well as the role philanthropic and private investments have played to ensure the Intermediary’s ongoing sustainability. This session will also focus on best practices and strategies around subrecipient provider identification, assessment, onboarding, support, financial and sector-based programmatic growth strategies, as well as intentional linkages to the larger workforce development and training ecosystem including WIOA and SCSEP programs. Hear directly from Intermediary staff on how this now expanded function has become a critical part of a successful service delivery strategy for SNAP recipients across a metropolitan area.  

Presenters:  

• Matt Weis, President, National Able Network  
• Donna Claxton, SNAP Director, National Able Network

Track: Advancing Equity 

Tribal consultations are a critical part of honoring the sovereignty of Tribes and upholding trust in the government-to-government relationship between Tribes and State or Federal agencies. This session will provide a brief history of the importance of consultation on food policies between State Agencies and Tribal Organizations and discuss why consultation on SNAP operations is essential. It will also highlight the recent Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) guidance memos on the requirements of the consultation process between State Agencies and Tribal Organizations on the E&T State Plan, as well as best practices for consulting in good faith. We will present existing successful models of relationship building and consultation between State Agencies and Tribes on SNAP E&T plan.  

Presenters:  

• Jessica Luna, Chief, Program Design Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Alicia Smith, Deputy Director of Economic Opportunity and Nutrition Assistance, Minnesota Department of Human Services 

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs

In FY20, USDA awarded more than $6.7 million in SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants to help six national non-profit organizations expand program capacity to serve SNAP participants. In this session, each of the six National Partnership grantees will share perspectives from a variety of focus area and stakeholder lenses to highlight how to develop strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, community action organizations, community colleges, social enterprises, workforce boards, and human service organizations to connect with SNAP E&T participants. The session will lift opportunities for States to engage with potential providers. The grantees will also share early lessons learned from the project process.  

Presenters:  

• Brandy Whisman, JD, PMP®, Senior Project Associate, American Public Human Services Association  
• Julia Brown, MPA, Program Officer, Local Initiatives Support Corporation  
• Kalen Cornelious, Manager, Government Partnerships & Policy, Roberts Enterprise Development Fund  
• Jenny Taylor, Vice President, Career Services, Goodwill of North Georgia  
• Kelly Tessitore, Vice President of Advancement, Jewish Vocational Services Boston  
• Kyle Marinelli, Associate Director of Government Relations & Policy, National Association of Workforce Boards  

Track: Advancing Equity

Responding to a renewed sense of urgency for transforming publicly funded work programs to more adequately help participants achieve their dreams and aspirations, states, counties and local agencies are redesigning their employment and training programs to build on participants’ strengths while simultaneously recognizing the toll that racism and trauma have taken on their lives. The workshop presenters will share the work they are doing to redesign employment and training programs by listening to the voices of program participants, using research on the impact of racism and other forms of trauma to provide staff with the tools they need to deliver more effective services and developing policy agendas that support moving employment and training programs in an anti-racist and trauma-informed direction.

Presenters:  

• LaDonna Pavetti, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Drayton Jackson, Co-chair, Poverty Reduction Workgroup (Washington State)
• Lori Pfingst, Senior Director, Economic Services Administration, Washington Department of Social and Health Services
• Vickie Choitz, Director of Trauma and Resilience at Work, Corporation for a Skilled Workforce

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs 

Rapid cycle evaluation (RCE) can be a powerful tool for improving programs’ efficiency and effectiveness. It is a collaborative process that follows a series of steps to identify challenges and define and test potential solutions. The process helps build evidence about what works best, for whom, and under what circumstances, which enables program administrators to target scarce resources and maximize potential impacts on the individuals they serve. FNS is currently funding interventions that are making small-scale, low-cost operational changes to improve enrollment and engagement in SNAP E&T programs. This session describes the RCE process, how it can help SNAP E&T program administrators and providers, and the real-world experiences from E&T staff involved in the study.  

Presenters:  

• Dan Friend, Senior Researcher, Mathematica  
• Patty Ianiere, Assistant Administrator, SNAP E&T, Rhode Island Department of Human Services  
• Bridgette Acklin, Program Manager, SNAP E&T, District of Columbia Department of Human Services  

Track: Program Operations, Monitoring & Oversight

Learn about the process to develop and implement a dedicated SNAP E&T IT system to support program expansion and administration in Illinois and South Carolina. The session will include a discussion about common pitfalls, procurement options, do’s and don’ts, and lessons learned. The session will conclude with a demonstration of South Carolina’s Comprehensive Employment & Training System (SCCETS).  

Presenters:  

• Nick Espinosa, SNAP E&T Program Analyst, Southeast Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Deborah Reed-Cole, SNAP E&T Program Director, South Carolina Department of Social Services  
• Dan Lyonsmith, Associate Director, Office of Workforce Development, Illinois Department of Human Services
• Andrea Grabemeyer, SNAP E&T Project Manager, Illinois Department of Human Services
• Chandra Vempati, SCCETS System Architect, South Carolina Department of Social Services

This group is for States, providers, and organizations that either are Community Colleges, or have partnerships with their Community Colleges for SNAP E&T.

This group is for States, providers, and organizations that serve any unique or special populations. This could be the entire focus of the SNAP E&T program or just a portion of it.

This group is for States, providers, and organizations that serve rural populations. This could be the entire focus of the SNAP E&T program or just a portion of it.

This group is for States, providers, and organizations that currently provide SNAP E&T Subsidized Work Based Learning, along with those SNAP E&T programs that are working on including this component.

This group is for States, providers, and organizations that operate their SNAP E&T program in a County Administered State.

This group is for States, providers, and organizations that operate their SNAP E&T program in partnership with an intermediary, and for the intermediaries themselves.

Ensuring SNAP participants receive opportunities to develop skills and secure a good-paying, stable job that will reduce their need for SNAP benefits over time is a critical part of the SNAP program and a priority of USDA. Join an interactive dialogue with Congressional committee staff to hear about Congressional priorities for strengthening employment opportunities for SNAP participants and their perspectives on the role of SNAP E&T in creating those connections and supporting economic opportunity.

Moderator:

• Kermit Kaleba, Strategy Director for Employer Aligned Credential Programs, Lumina Foundation

Speakers:

Track: Advancing Equity 

This session will focus on how SNAP E&T agencies can partner with Employment Social Enterprises (ESEs)—mission-driven, revenue-generating businesses that invest the money they make into helping people with diverse talents and experiences who are striving to overcome employment barriers get jobs, maintain employment, and build a better life—to reach more individuals with quality E&T services. Specifically, we will discuss the ESE model, its alignment with SNAP E&T, and how ESEs are advancing equity and creating an inclusive economy along with connecting to career pathways. We will also outline how collaborating with ESEs will assist agencies in reaching target populations and further strengthen their programs. Understanding the essential program elements that make individuals successful in E&T and how agencies can build these elements across their partners with the help of ESEs is critical. This includes highlighting how to build training materials for new partners that serve high-barrier populations as well. Lastly, throughout this session, we will share lessons learned with partners regarding employer connections and facilitating quality jobs following E&T.  

Presenters:  

• Kalen Cornelious, MPA, Manager, Government Partnerships & Policy, Roberts Enterprise Development Fund  
• Nick Codd, Senior Consultant, Seattle Jobs Initiative  
• Emily Dean, Senior Manager, Product & Platform, The Center for Employment Opportunities  
• Susan O’Callaghan, Senior Consultant, Seattle Jobs Initiative  
• Samantha Poster, Senior Consultant, Seattle Jobs Initiative  
• Christian Govea, Business Account Manager/ Retention Specialist, The Center for Employment Opportunities 
• Elizabeth Hayes, Interim CEO, at Project Return

Track: Effectively Reaching Customers 

This session will highlight best practices which emerged out of the pandemic to ensure the effective delivery of E&T services. During the pandemic, State Agencies and E&T Providers transitioned to virtual services in order to sustain operations and continue serving participants. State Agencies removed boundaries to continue providing remote case management, job placement and supportive services. E&T partners embraced distance learning and transformed their training methods to ensure E&T participants completed their programs. As we emerge from the pandemic, states and providers are realizing that some of the strategies they implemented were extremely effective and created efficiencies that did not previously exist. Attendees will examine these strategies as a way of operating in the “new normal.” 

Presenters:  

• Derrick Dolphin, SNAP E&T Program Analyst, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Michelle Newman, Program Specialist, Mid-Atlantic Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Bridgette Acklin, Program Manager, SNAP E&T Program, District of Columbia Department of Human Services  
• Melissa Moody, Manager, Office of Program Operations, State of New Jersey Department of Human Services  
• Ahmad S. McDougle, MPA, Assistant Director, Office of Transitional Workforce Strategies, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development  
• Dr. Sharon Morgenthaler, Head of Programs, Byte Back  
• Elena Rosenblum, Vice President, Union Kitchen  

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs 

SNAP E&T partnerships with community colleges are more important than ever. But State capacity and resources often get in the way. Learn not only why community college partnerships are important to a quality E&T program, but why intermediaries are so helpful to states in developing and managing those partnerships.  

Presenters:  

• Brian Solomon, SNAP E&T Program Analyst, Western Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Ricardo Williams, SNAP E&T Consultant, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services  
• James André, Director of Operations, Virginia Community Colleges  
• Tanya Garbolino, Manager, Fresh Success, Foundation for California Community Colleges  
• Sarah Turner, Cal-Fresh E&T Section Chief, California Department of Social Services  
• Elizabeth Guzman Arroyo, Statewide STEP and Pathways Director, Portland Community College  
• Candi Quintall, Lead E&T Coordinator, Oregon Department of Human Services  

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs 

States find themselves at different points of program evolution from just starting a program to others that have many different types of providers. This session will feature three states discussing where they’re at now, how they got there, and where they’re going. 

Presenters: 

• Kevin Pasquaretta, SNAP E&T Program Analyst, Northeast Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Brian Reeves, Program Specialist IV, Bureau of Employment Supports, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services 
• Robyn LeTourneau, Public Assistance Consultant, SNAP E&T Team, Connecticut Department of Social Services 
• Allison Forsyth, Public Assistance Consultant, SNAP Division, Connecticut Department of Social Services 
• Miriam Kaufmann, SNAP Employment & Training Manager, Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance 

Track: SNAP E&T Policy 

Emerging from the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) will require State Agencies to eventually resume enforcing the time limit for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs). The goal of this session is to help states prepare to administer ABAWD policy in a manner which ensures individuals who are eligible continue to receive benefits, while also minimizing payment errors. In this session, FNS will delve into ABAWD policy requirements and best practices for State Agencies, such as screening for exemptions, notifying households of changes, requesting waivers of the time limit, and applying discretionary exemptions.  

Presenters:  

• Catrina Kamau, Chief, Certification Policy Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Riley Link, Program Analyst, Certification Policy Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Alison Conrad, Program Analyst, Certification Policy Branch, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Casey McConnell, Senior Technical Advisor, Program Development Division, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service  

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP Programs 

States can advance racial equity and economic mobility by leveraging federal funding streams to create career pathways that center the needs of adult learners and workers. Hear how States and community colleges are leveraging SNAP E&T and other federal, state, and philanthropic funding streams to transform partnerships between community colleges and human service agencies—increasing educational attainment, connection to quality jobs, and elevating student and worker voice. Find out how this work can address the racial wealth gaps and basic needs insecurity facing too many learners and workers, while also shifting the narrative away from individual fixes to systemic solutions to address structural barriers. Hear lessons learned from six States, and tactical examples of how SNAP E&T can transform these partnerships between community colleges, adult education providers, and human service agencies to build these robust career pathway systems.  

Presenters:  

• Kate Kinder, State Strategies Director, National Skills Coalition  
• Kermit Kaleba, Strategy Director, Lumina Foundation  
• Dr. Randall Stamper, Assistant Vice Chancellor Career Pathways and Workforce Programs, Virginia Community College System
• Valerie Dunbar-Brooks, Senior Workforce Programs Consultant, Virginia Department of Social Services

Track: Program Operations, Monitoring & Oversight 

New to SNAP Management Evaluations, or want to further your understanding of them? This session will provide an overview of the E&T Management Evaluation from scheduling letter to ME closure, how the State can work best with FNS to have a successful review, best practices in preparing for MEs, and what to expect following the review.  

Presenters:  

• Zachary Roth, E&T Program Specialist, Northeast Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Casey McConnell, Senior Technical Advisor, Program Development Division, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition Service  
• Jenie Farinas, SNAP E&T Coordinator, Midwest Regional Office, Food and Nutrition Service  

Track: Advancing Equity

The Good Jobs Initiative is a Department of Labor led initiative that provides critical information to workers, employers, and government agencies as they work to improve job quality and create access to good jobs free from discrimination and harassment for all working people (with emphasis on underserved communities, including BIPOC individuals, LGBTQ+ individuals, women, immigrants, veterans, individuals with disabilities, individuals in rural communities, individuals without a college degree, individuals with or recovering from a substance use disorder, and justice-involved individuals). Join the conversation to learn more about the Good Jobs Initiative and discuss opportunities for a systems approach to creating good jobs.

Presenters:  

• Teresa Acuña, Deputy Director, Good Jobs Initiative, U.S. Department of Labor

Track: Effectively Reaching Customers

Join USDA’s Rural Development, the U.S. Department of Labor, and Area Health Education Centers to learn about resources available to support and enhance your efforts in developing and growing rural workforce.

Presenters:  

• Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk, USDA Rural Development, Chief Innovation Officer
• Sasha Cooper-Morrison, US Department of Labor, Business Engagement Team Lead
• Chris Stever, USDA Rural Development, Regional Development and Assistance Branch Chief
• Aileen Edwards Harris, Area Health Education Centers Capital Region, Executive Director

Track: Program Operations, Monitoring & Oversight 

We all know the phrase data-driven decision-making. In this session, go beyond reporting basic data and outputs. Learn to demonstrate impact and how to communicate it to deliver high-quality economic mobility programming to our neighbors through SNAP E&T.  

Presenters:  

• Jenny Taylor VP, Career Services and Chief Mission Officer, Goodwill of North Georgia  
• Kristin Pratt, Senior Director, Mission Acceleration, Goodwill Industries International, Inc.  
• Jill Pentimonti, PhD, Director Research Advancement, Federal Relations, University of Notre Dame  

Track: Advancing Equity 

This panel presentation, facilitated by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), highlights APHSA and its members commitment to advancing equity in human services, including through SNAP E&T. State leaders from Alabama and Washington will share how they have initiated innovative work in advancing equity and inclusion within SNAP E&T by addressing disparities in supportive services, developing multidisciplinary tools and staff/provider training, collecting and analyzing data to embed DEI in workforce strategies, and promoting DEI in provider procurement and service provision. APHSA will also share resources and tools developed to support agency leaders and staff in advancing DEI/REI strategies.  

Presenters:  

• Brandy Whisman, JD, PMP®, Senior Project Associate, American Public Human Services Association  
• Aman Joshi, Administrator, Basic Food Employment and Training Community Services Division/ Economic Services Administration, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services  
• Rachel M. Fields, Financial Support Supervisor Food Assistance Division/A-RESET, Alabama Resources for Enrichment, Self-Sufficiency, and Employability Training 

Track: SNAP E&T Policy 

This session will focus on how subsidized work-based learning (SWBL) can be an important part of a SNAP E&T program. Attendees will learn about the positive impact SWBL programs had as part of the 2014 FNS SNAP E&T pilots and will learn how two States have successfully established SWBL programs as part of their E&T programs.  

Presenters:  

• Rachel Gragg, Senior Technical Analyst, FNS, SNAP Office of Employment and Training  
• Gretchen Rowe, Director of Nutrition Research, Mathematica  
• Miriam Kaufmann, SNAP Employment and Training Manager, Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance  
• Allison Sequeira, Teaching Kitchen Program Manager, Community Servings  
• Candi Quintall, Lead Employment and Training Coordinator, Self-Sufficiency Programs, Oregon Department of Human Services  
• Robert Brown, SNAP E&T Program Coordinator, Oregon Employment Department  

Track: Expansion and Improvement of State SNAP E&T Programs

Since the enactment of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014, there has been an ongoing effort to establish a stronger partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) Program and the U.S. Department of Labor’s WIOA programs. WIOA is the driving legislation of the public workforce system in the U.S. and requires States to develop comprehensive plans for their workforce systems, which serves as a catalyst to strategically align various workforce development programs with increased emphasis on serving vulnerable populations. SNAP E&T is one of the programs that many States now include in their plans to better integrate or align it within their workforce system initiatives. This presentation will highlight the enhanced partnership between SNAP E&T and the public workforce system to increase access to employment opportunities for this often marginalized and underserved population.

Presenters:  

• Robert L. Kight, Ed. D., Director, Division of Adult Services and Governance, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor
• Grace Lee, Executive Director, Maryland New Directions
• Janay Harris, Program Director of Education and Training, Vehicles for Change

Track: Program Operations, Monitoring, and Oversight

Join us for a discussion of the SNAP E&T data lifecycle and the part it plays in framing the picture of the E&T program. This session will include what data forms the lifecycle, why that data is collected, its use by FNS, and lessons learned from the past four years of data analysis. This session will round out with describing how states can replicate and use this data for their planning and evaluation of their E&T programs.

Presenters:  

• Loretta Robertson, Program Analyst, FNS, SNAP Office of Employment and Training
• Elizabeth Brown, Senior Researcher, Mathematica

Track: Program Operations, Monitoring & Oversight 

Policy analysis is an important part of problem solving and program leadership, however, it is often hard to set aside time to reflect on and develop effective policy strategies amidst the day-to-day demands of program management. In this session, participants will have an opportunity to pause and reflect on policy analysis, their role, and what tools they need for success. Participants will also gain confidence in their ability to implement and analyze the impact of policy changes overtime and how to engage staff and clients in the process. Overall, participants will walk away with concrete steps and resources on how to strengthen their policy skills and SNAP E&T program.  

Presenters:  

• Owen Cox, PhD, Associate Researcher Senior, University of Kansas, Center for Public Partnerships & Research  
• Jenny Welch Buller, Research Project Manager, University of Kansas, Center for Public Partnerships & Research