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Committee on Health unanimously reappoints three members to Food Policy Council
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Summary
The District's Committee on Health approved three reappointments to the Food Policy Council — Nicholas Stavely, Rachel Clark and Natalia Kalu — each for terms ending March 1, 2028, in a unanimous en bloc vote.
The Committee on Health unanimously approved three reappointments to the District of Columbia Food Policy Council on March 25.
The Committee, chaired by At-Large Councilmember Christina Henderson, voted to move the nominations en bloc and approved Nicholas Stavely, Rachel Clark and Natalia Kalu for terms to end March 1, 2028. The measures were recorded as passing unanimously.
The Food Policy Council advises the food policy director, submits an annual report to the mayor and the Council of the District of Columbia on the local food economy, and may seek grants to support food access and equity initiatives. Committee members described the council as a resource for local and regional food-access strategies.
Nicholas Stavely was nominated for reappointment as a public member (PR 26-58). He is director of incentive programs at FreshFarm, where he leads strategic direction and fundraising for local and regional healthy food incentive programs, including Produce Plus and other benefit-incentive programs that serve residents and local farmers.
Rachel Clark was nominated for reappointment as a public member (PR 26-59). Clark is director of policy and engagement at the Climate and Health Institute and previously worked on food, nutrition and environmental policy as policy director at the GW Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness. During her first term she chaired the Food Policy Council’s sustainable supply-chain working group. Clark holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and is a Ward 5 resident.
Natalia Kalu was nominated for reappointment as a public member (PR 26-60). Kalu is the founder of Kalu Organics and owner-operator of Trendy Vibes, a Caribbean restaurant and food truck. She previously served as chief operating officer for the D.C. Office of Administrative Hearings and served on the council’s entrepreneurship and food-jobs working group, focusing on licensing and permitting recommendations for small food businesses. She holds an MBA from Florida International University and is a Ward 4 resident.
Councilmember Zachary Parker praised the Food Policy Council during the discussion, saying, “I just wanted to again tout the Food Policy Council. It is a body that I don't think gets nearly enough attention, but it is really important and we have some truly dynamic residents doing amazing work.” Parker said the council's expertise could help the District move beyond development strategies that rely mainly on large grocery stores.
The Committee recorded the motions and votes as en bloc approvals with staff allowed to make technical changes to the draft reports and prints. The reappointments will appear on the Council’s agenda for final processing according to D.C. Council rules for nominations and confirmations.
The Committee on Health convened this meeting as an additional session; it considered eight measures in total and adjourned at about 2:16 p.m.
