Policy & Practice | Summer 2026

and family, and being at home with our two dachshunds, Archy and Slinky. Q: AS YOUR TERM AS AASD CHAIR COMES TO A CLOSE, WHAT DO YOU HOPE FELLOW SNAP LEADERS CARRY FORWARD? LS: Stay connected to one another. State SNAP directors are navigating incredibly complex responsibilities, and no one should have to do that work alone. Be willing to ask difficult questions. Challenge something respectfully when it does not make sense. Share what is working, but also be honest about what is not. We need to learn from one another’s successes and mistakes. Most important, do not allow the urgency and complexity of this moment to take the human element out of human services. There are people behind the scenes who care deeply about getting this right, even when the work is complicated and we do not get everything right the first time.

one of us could find ourselves on the other side of the desk. Q: WHAT ARE A FEW THINGS YOUR SNAP COLLEAGUES MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU? LS: I was adopted at birth, and for much of my life I wanted to learn more about where I came from. I eventu ally met both my biological mother and father. My biological mother attended my wedding, met the parents who raised me, and thanked them for raising me. That was very meaningful. Learning about my biological family also helped me connect with and take pride in my Mexican heritage. My husband was adopted as well, and we have both connected with biological family members. That is one reason I love genealogy. Family is a huge part of my life. I am a mother of seven, including three children we adopted, a grandmother of eight, and a great grandmother of three. I also enjoy reading, exploring gene alogy, spending time with my husband

an interview. We need to recognize what it may have taken for someone to reach us and help that person maintain their dignity. Q: HOW HAS EXPERIENCING HUMAN SERVICES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SYSTEM SHAPED YOUR LEADERSHIP? LS: At one point, my husband and I cared for our granddaughter while my daughter worked through a difficult period. I accessed TANF and Medicaid on my granddaughter’s behalf. I knew what resources were avail able because I worked in the system. Other grandparents and relatives may not know where to begin or which questions they are required to answer. That experience showed me the gap between a service being available and a family knowing how to access it. It reinforced my belief that educa tion matters. We cannot assume people understand our language or processes simply because we work with them every day. It also reminded me that any

APHSA’s blog, The Catalyst , encourages the exchange of creative ideas and promising initiatives to strengthen the human services sector and accelerate our collective impact. Featuring content from members, partners, and staff, our blog posts focus on what it takes to build well-being from the ground up. Organized around areas of impact as well as a variety of special series, our goal is to spark new ideas and accelerate the spread of promising approaches that help realize our shared vision for thriving communities built on human potential.

Read the Latest Post, Visit https://aphsa.org/the-catalyst/

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Summer 2026 Policy & Practice