Conference of Leaders

Highlights from 2010 Conference of Leaders

Nearly 400 people attended this year's Conference of Leaders, making it the biggest ever. Here we share the inspiration and information that made this a powerful conference for them all.

10 Highlights from the 2010 Conference of Leaders

  1. The No Kid Hungry™ Pledge was everywhere! Everyone took the pledge and we're well on our way to reaching our goal of 50,000 pledge-takers before Thanksgiving. If you haven't already, take the pledge today and become a Pledge-Seeker by asking your network to take the pledge, too. You can do it all at NoKidHungry.org.
  2. Billy Shore brought tears of compassion and hope with his keynote speech leading into Sunday's Leadership Awards celebration. Watch the video.
  3. Twenty leaders received Leadership Awards this year, including the new State Restaurant Association Award and the Great Oak Award, an award that is so special it's not presented every year. See all winners listed below.
  4. Operation Frontline unveiled its new name: Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters™ because, well, cooking matters in the fight to end childhood hunger. Learn more at CookingMatters.org.
  5. The Walmart Foundation announced additional funding of $867,000 in grants to support existing No Kid Hungry campaigns in three states, and our work to establish such campaigns in six additional states and cities.
  6. We celebrated 23 No Kid Hungry Campaign corporate partners who are creating inventive, powerful and far-reaching ways of helping us raise funds and build awareness for No Kid Hungry. Meet them.
  7. State partners reported on their success in increasing access to nutritious food during the summer. Representatives from our partnerships to end childhood hunger in Maryland, Colorado, Florida and Washington discussed how they were able to increase participation in summer meals programs through comprehensive strategies to raise awareness and increase the number of summer meals sites. Read about state partnerships.
  8. Sam Kass, White House Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Adviser for Healthy Food Initiatives, gave voice on behalf of the White House to the importance of fighting child hunger and obesity together. He stressed that "teaching people how to cook healthy foods is our most powerful tool in ending hunger." He also said he's optimistic about passing Child Nutrition Reauthorization and announced that the White House is committed to working with Congress to restore the controversial cuts in food stamps that would fund the bill. Watch the video. (You can also read the transcript here. )
  9. Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, shared his philosophies and winning strategies for building a world class company. He inspired us to think about how we too, can use "constant, gentle pressure" to achieve our goal of ending child hunger.
  10. Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland closed the Conference by sharing her personal experience with child hunger and declaring her strong advocacy for "growing us out of poverty." Listen to the rest of her story. (You can also read the transcript here. )

2010 Share Our Strength's Conference of Leaders Award Winners

  • Matthew Gallup, Boston, Mass.: Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation® Leadership
  • Caralyn Quigley Stern, Boston, Mass: Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation® Leadership
  • Denise Gilliam, Plano, Texas: Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale® Leadership
  • Stephan Pyles, Dallas, Texas: Share Our Strength's A Tasteful Pursuit® Leadership
  • David Coder, Denver, Colo.: Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline® Leadership
  • Vicki Connell, Hooksett, N.H.: Operation Frontline Hall of Fame
  • Michele Morris, Denver, Colo.: Operation Frontline Hall of Fame
  • Dennis Taylor, Denver, Colo.: Operation Frontline Hall of Fame
  • Diana Hovey, Corner Bakery Cafe, Dallas, Texas: Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out® Leadership
  • Deborah Dowdell, New Jersey Restaurant Association, Trenton, N.J.: State Restaurant Association Leadership in Restaurant Recruitment
  • Matt Smiley, Iowa Restaurant Association, Des Moines, Iowa: State Restaurant Association Leadership in Innovative Fundraising
  • Joy Limanon, Los Angeles: Rookie of the Year
  • Marc Buehler, Kona Grill, Scottsdale, Ariz.: Fundraising Innovation Leadership
  • Molly Tarleton and Tap Fiztgerald, Hannaford Bros. Co., Scarborough, Maine: Local Corporate Partner Leadership
  • Tim Cipriano, New Haven Public Schools, New Haven, Conn.: Share Our Strength Advocate
  • Sue Brockway, Tyson Foods, Springdale, Ark.: Power of the Spirit Award
  • Bryan Voltaggio, Volt, Frederick, Md.: Chef/Restaurateur of the Year
  • Jody Adams, Rialto Restaurant, Cambridge, Mass.: Humanitarian of the Year
  • Kori Reed, ConAgra Foods® Foundation, Omaha, Neb.: Great Oak Award

Thanks to our 2010 Conference of Leaders Sponsors

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