Meet the Voices Taking the Main Stage

Chris joined Hunger Free Oklahoma in 2027, bringing extensive experience in policy, advocacy, legislative strategy, and program implementation. Known for his “scale it or fail it” approach, he has led efforts to expand statewide solutions to food insecurity, including Double Up Oklahoma, SNAP outreach, and large-scale emergency response initiatives. His work focuses on turning effective ideas into sustainable solutions that can reach communities across Oklahoma. 

Erika is CEO of Hunger Free Kansas, a statewide initiative working to end hunger and food insecurity through broad, bipartisan collaboration. With nearly two decades of experience in advocacy and public policy, including leadership roles at Meals on Wheels America, she brings deep expertise in building coalitions and advancing sustainable solutions to hunger at both the policy and community levels. 

Bekah is a San Antonio-based journalist whose work explores the intersection of politics, policy, faith, and social issues. Her reporting has appeared in Texas Monthly, The Guardian, The Texas Tribune, Christianity Today, Sojourners, and other national and regional publications. Known for bringing clarity to complex systems, Bekah centers the people most affected by policy decisions and communicates their stakes with depth and humanity. 

Kate is Associate Professor at the LBJ School of Public Affairs and Co-Director of Innovations for Peace and Development at the University of Texas at Austin. A leading scholar of global development and economic governance, her work explores how data, transparency, and public policy can strengthen efforts to address poverty and other complex global challenges. Her research spans international development, global economic governance, and the politics of data, with a focus on translating information into more effective policy and practice. 

Norbert is Director of the World Food Policy Center and Professor of Food, Economics, and Community at Duke University. An economist and leading food policy scholar, his work explores how food systems, policy, and individual choice shape access to healthy food and community well-being. His research spans food access, affordability, consumer choice, food waste, and domestic and global food systems, bringing an interdisciplinary perspective to some of the most pressing challenges in food and nutrition policy.