White House Roundtable

On Tuesday, March 27, 2012, we were honored to host a White House Roundtable with Kevin Concanno Undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services in the United States Department of Agriculture. CLICK HERE FOR BIO. Working in partnership with State and local organizations, FNS oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, which serves over 43 million Americans each month; child nutrition programs including National School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Summer Food Service Programs; The Child and Adult Care Food Program; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); the Commodity Supplemental Food Program; Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations; The Emergency Food Assistance Program; and other nutrition programs.

The administrator for each of the State agencies responsible for administering these programs here in the State of Florida were also in attendance. This group had a unique opportunity to discuss challenges their programs were facing and successes they have had at the local level. The input shared by all guests will be taken back to Washington and shared with the President as the White House works to develop new policies that will improve the operation of these programs. We are proud to learn that Florida is a leader is streamlining many of these programs and is considered a model for other states which is why input from our state is so very vital to the success of these programs as a whole.

FNCS Under Secretary Kevin Concannon and Southeast Regional Administrator Donald Arnette and staff, met with state and non-profit partners during a White House Safety Net Roundtable on March 27, 2012, to discuss FNS Programs and issues on feeding the food insecure in Florida. The White House Roundtable was sponsored by America’s Second Harvest of the Big Bend, Inc., a food bank in Tallahassee, Fla. (USDA photo by Debbie Smoot).