Policy & Practice | Winter 2024

staff spotlight

Name: Kara Williams Title: Policy Coordinator, Food and Nutrition Services Time at APHSA: I started working at APHSA in August 2024. Priorities at APHSA: At

After earning a Master of Social Work, I spent eight years at Hunger Solutions New York, leading Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children outreach and enrollment efforts. This journey ultimately led me to APHSA, where I am excited and honored to continue pursuing my passion for food security on a national scale. What I Can Do for Our Members: I want members to know that I am always eager to listen to the challenges they are facing and am available to work together to identify opportunities, explore potential solutions, or connect them with peers to troubleshoot collectively. Best Way to Reach Me: You can reach me via email at kwilliams@aphsa.org. When Not Working: On the weekends, you can find me in my garden, baking vegan treats, taking long walks around my small city, or catching live music with my loved ones. Motto to Live By: “Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. Always work with it, not against it.” —Eckhart Tolle criminal justice, my roles have varied from case manage ment to adoption services and policy reporting. As someone with lived experience in the Texas foster care system, I have spent most of my career on the front lines and am thrilled to do more work behind the scenes. What I Can Do for Our Members: As someone who has both lived experience and has worked in a state office, I can serve as a reliable listener for our members’ concerns, while representing their interests by providing regular updates and information. Best Way to Reach Me: You can reach me via email at iwashington@aphsa.org. When Not Working: When I’m not working you can find me with a book in hand or chasing around my ram bunctious 20-month-old son. I am also in my last year of obtaining my Master of Education in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling. Motto to Live By: “I can be changed by what happens to me, but I refuse to be reduced by it.” —Maya Angelou

APHSA, I serve as a key facilitator in engaging and sup porting states, territories, and Tribes involved in the Summer EBT (electronic benefits transfer) program. My work includes facilitating peer community spaces and col laborating with strategic partners in the food and nutrition space to lift up the needs of our members. I also play an integral role in the organization’s Food and Nutrition policy portfolio, conducting policy analysis, identifying best prac tices, and fostering peer collaboration within the American Association of SNAP Directors (AASD) affinity group. Life Before APHSA: I have found a strong sense of community through my antihunger work since high school and the early years of my career, gaining work experience in food pantries, coordinating summer meal programs, and managing regional nonprofit food security initiatives.

Name: Ivy-Marie Washington Title: Project Associate, Youth and Transition Services Time at APHSA: I have been at APHSA for 10 life-changing months! Priorities at APHSA: As the

Project Associate for Youth and Transition Services, I manage partner projects that involve incorporating the voices of young adults with lived experience in the child welfare system. These projects give our lived-experience experts an opportunity to take a seat at the table with state and local members who are involved in the child welfare process. With the help of our lived-experience experts, we are able to inform states of the best practices and proce dures that will improve the experiences of youth transitioning out of foster care. Life Before APHSA: Before APHSA, I spent the past nine years working in the Texas foster care system. After obtaining both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in

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