

Wednesday, June 12th 2024
(130 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208) & Virtual
Natasha Pernicka
The Alliance for a Hunger Free New York / The Food Pantries for the Capital District

Natasha Pernicka has been leading The Food Pantries for the Capital District as Executive Director since 2011 and The Alliance for a Hunger Free New York since 2023. With more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector, Natasha has developed and implemented new programs, created growth in fund development efforts, and led strategic initiatives throughout her career. She has experience in hunger relief, food as/is medicine, homelessness/housing, mental health, older adults, and youth development.
Her work with The Food Pantries includes increasing revenue and in-kind support more than 250% over her tenure, increasing programmatic impact for more than 65 food pantries who provide more than 4 million meals for 69,000 people annually, and leading the Filling the Gap Food Pantry System and Community Needs Assessment and initiatives. Initiatives include: Launching the New York State Food as Medicine Coalition; New York State Food Connect Resource database and map; and the creation of the New York State Community Food Assistance Network, now known as The Alliance for a Hunger Free New York.
In addition, Natasha has served as the Chair of the Nonprofit Business Advisory Group of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, and serves on the Food Access, Food Equity, and Food as Medicine workgroups of the New York State Hunger and Food Policy Council, the Albany and Rensselaer County FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Boards, the Steering Committee for the Greater Capital Region Food System Assessment, the New York eHealth Collaborative CBO & VBP Advisory and Policy Committees, a member of the The Roundtable Steering Committee, Nutrition Security Workgroup member of the NYS Master Plan for Aging, and has served on the board of Women in Development of Northeastern New York. She is a guest lecturer on food insecurity, nonprofit leadership, and has presented at events such as the New York State Anti-Hunger Conference, on air on WAMC’s Roundtable, New York NOW, and Capitol Tonight, and has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. In addition, she is a graduate of the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Tech Valley program.
Speaking In:
Moving Beyond the Curtain: Food Insecurity and The Yellow Brick Road Out of OZ
For decades front line emergency food providers have hungered to make sustainable and impactful community based change, have worked long hours to meet community need, and have often scraped by with the deepest levels of care and shallowest levels of external support. In this talk, West Side Campaign Against Hunger CEO and founder of the Roundtable NYC will dive deep into the work of West Side Campaign Against Hunger, The Roundtable and The Alliance for a Hunger Free NY to showcase the power of collaboration across our vast frontline network. As a dad with two young girls, Greg knows the power of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, and in this talk he will focus beyond the curtain and on the collaborative road we can take towards truly making sustainable change in our communities across the state.
Moderator
10:00 a.m.
Armory Main Stage
Advocacy 101: Your Questions, Answered
Explore the fundamentals of effective advocacy in our Q&A session. Join experts as they share insights and tips on lobbying tactics, preparation, and more. This interactive discussion offers a candid look at the advocacy process, providing attendees with valuable knowledge to navigate and engage in meaningful advocacy efforts. Bring your questions and join us for an informative session designed to empower individuals to make a difference in their communities through effective advocacy practices.
Moderator
12:00 p.m.
Armory Main Stage

Wednesday, June 12th 2024
(130 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208) & Virtual