November 6, 2023
On November 16th, 2023 Divert hosted the fourth installment of our Protecting the Value of Food™ roundtable series, focused on Innovations in Food Donation and Recovery to Address the Hunger Crisis.
The roundtable focused on innovations in food donation stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, including new models for food recovery as well as the existing gaps and opportunities for the industry. In addition, panelists discussed the progress as we approach the one-year anniversary of the passing of the Food Donation Improvement Act and what other solutions we need to consider to accelerate change in the industry.
Resource: U.S. Food Donations and Shopping Habits Survey
Divert’s survey, conducted in late October 2023 provides insights into food donations, food insecurity, and grocery shopping behaviors in the United States this holiday season.
Download the full survey results and methodology now: Click Here
Our Roundtable Panel:
Andy Tamulynas, Director of Brand Marketing, Divert
Andy Tamulynas has led the Brand Marketing team at Divert since August, 2022. The team’s work is focused on brand development and storytelling around the company’s wasted food solutions and its impact on food insecurity and climate change. Prior to joining Divert, Andy served as Senior Global Brand Manager at the Avedis Zildjian Company, where his work centered around brand marketing, new product development and revenue growth. Andy holds a BA in Communication from UMASS, Amherst.
Sara Osborne, Senior Director of Public & Government Affairs, Safeway and Albertsons
Sara Osborne is a Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs for Safeway and Albertsons. In this role, she leads the company’s efforts in philanthropy, strategic community initiatives, food security/food waste, communications, and government relations in both Washington and Alaska. Sara is a lifelong resident of the northwest, and a graduate of the University of Washington and Howard School of Law.
Jaclyn Pack, Director of Food Acquisitions, Central California Food Bank
Jaclyn Pack has been with the Central California Food Bank for 12 years. Growing up in the Central Valley, the fruit basket of California, her family has always been involved in the farming industry and she grew up learning the highs and lows that come with being a farmer. Before the food bank Jaclyn worked for different Agricultural commissions minus a few rebellious years working in marketing. When she joined the team at CCFB, they were only sourcing 10 million pounds a year of donated produce and Jaclyn used her knowledge of produce to connect with potential Ag donors to make a robust donation program of 25 million pounds as of last fiscal year. Her favorite part of her job is finding solutions to the challenges that pop up every minute in the food banking day to day world.
Nina Sevilla, Program Advocate, Food Waste & Food Systems, People & Communities Program, Natural Resources Defense Council
Nina Sevilla works to ensure we have a sustainable, healthy, and equitable food system for all. She facilitates learnings across cities by sharing successes and lessons learned from NRDC’s Food Matters project to a network of partners across the nation. She also helps lead NRDC’s federal policy work on food waste reduction. Previously, Nina worked to increase food access through child nutrition programs at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from Bates College and is based in NRDC’s San Francisco office.
Jess Parker, Food Recovery Program Manager, Divert
Jess Parker is a Food Recovery Program Manager at Divert. Her work centers around helping Divert’s customers strengthen and improve their food donation programs in an effort to ensure that unsold food reaches its highest and best use. Prior to joining Divert, Jess was on the team that launched Too Good To Go in the Boston market. She has also worked as a gleaning program coordinator in Vermont, where she partnered with farms and local service organizations to harvest surplus food for donation. Jess holds a BA in Environmental Studies and Geography from Middlebury College.
