FoodCorps Statement Announcing Departure of Kumar Chandran

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Tamanna Mansury, Sunshine Sachs, mansury@sunshinesachs.com
Alice Kang, FoodCorps, alice.kang@foodcorps.org

Washington, D.C., January 21, 2021—FoodCorps is proud to wish our Policy Director, Kumar Chandran, a heartfelt congratulations as he leaves us this week to take on a new role in President Joe Biden’s administration. Chandran has been selected to serve as Senior Adviser for Nutrition in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Agriculture.

Chandran joined FoodCorps in 2017, bringing more than ten years of experience working in food and nutrition policy. In his three years with us, Chandran led and grew FoodCorps’ Policy and Advocacy team, deepening our investment in creating healthy school communities through policy change. His work furthered FoodCorps’ efforts to pursue systemic strategies benefiting all of our nation’s schools, and to create pathways for providing healthy school meals to children across the country.

Chandran’s departure comes as FoodCorps launches our new policy vision, an ambitious roadmap outlining the world we hope to create for our nation’s kids and the political and legislative steps needed to realize it. Chandran’s leadership was key in developing this vision. 

Prior to his time at FoodCorps, Chandran was chief of staff to the undersecretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services in the Obama administration. He also worked at the anti-hunger nonprofit Share Our Strength, a frequent partner of FoodCorps, and with Nourish California on state-level nutrition policy.

While we’ll miss our colleague and the many strengths he brought to FoodCorps, we’re thrilled for him — and for the impact he’ll have on kids’ lives — as he takes on this new opportunity. FoodCorps looks forward to partnering with the Biden administration to make progress on critical issues in school food, spanning from racial equity to climate resilience to nutrition security.  

ABOUT FOODCORPS

Together with communities, FoodCorps connects kids to healthy food in school so that every child—regardless of race, place, or class—gets the nourishment they need to thrive. Our AmeriCorps leaders transform schools into places where all students learn what healthy food is, care where it comes from, and eat it every day. Building on this foundation of direct impact, FoodCorps develops leaders, forges networks, and pursues policy reforms that in time have the potential to improve all of our nation’s 100,000 schools. For more information, visit foodcorps.org. 

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