Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Committee hears reappointment testimony for two Food Policy Council public members
Loading...
Summary
The Committee on Health heard reappointment testimony from Rachel Clark and Natalia Kalu for public‑member seats on the Food Policy Council, focusing on prior contributions and planned priorities for sustainability, procurement and small‑business licensing assistance.
The Committee on Health on March 17 held confirmation hearings for two mayoral nominees for public‑member seats on the District’s Food Policy Council: Rachel Clark and Natalia Kalu, both nominated for terms to end March 1, 2028.
Rachel Clark, nominated for reappointment, described her 11 years of work in D.C. food policy and public health and said she currently serves as director of policy and engagement at the Climate and Health Institute. Clark told the committee she had previously worked at the Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness at the GW Milken Institute of Public Health, served as an associate chief counsel at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and worked on federal food‑policy issues with the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
“I’ve long fought to reduce health disparities related to nutrition and food access and to address the climate impact of our food system,” Clark said. She told the committee she co‑chaired the Food Policy Council’s Sustainable Supply Chain Working Group and helped develop the working group’s recommendations to support farmers markets and improve local food procurement. Clark said those recommendations informed the Farmers Market Support Amendment Act later in the hearing.
Natalia Kalu, also a nominee for reappointment through March 1, 2028, described her experience as an owner of Kalu Organics, a local seasoning and spices producer, and Trini Vibes, a restaurant and food truck. Kalu said that operating small food businesses has given her “firsthand experiences” with District permitting, licensing and regulatory requirements, and that during her first term on the Food Policy Council she served on the Entrepreneurship and Food Jobs Working Group focusing on streamlining licensing and permitting for small food businesses.
Kalu detailed her work obtaining capital for her businesses and participating in District small‑business support programs — she cited Great Streets grants, microloans and other local financing that helped her open a brick‑and‑mortar restaurant — and said she has partnered with organizations including Breadcoin, KIPP DC and the Swalleger (sic) Foundation to expand access and opportunities for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
Both nominees told the committee they would press for deeper engagement by ex‑officio government members of the Food Policy Council to ensure volunteer‑led initiatives can be sustained and to align volunteer working groups with agency capacity. Chairperson Henderson asked whether the nominees had concerns about time commitments; both indicated they were able to attend meetings and expected to continue serving.
The committee did not vote on the confirmations during the March 17 hearing. Each nominee was sworn in before testifying. The public record on both confirmations remains open until March 31 at 5 p.m., the committee said.
