The National WIC Association (NWA) is the non-profit voice of the 12,000 public health nutrition service provider agencies and the
over 6.3 million mothers, babies, and young children served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). NWA provides education, guidance, and support to WIC staff; and drives innovation and advocacy to strengthen WIC as we work toward a nation of healthier families.
Download "What is the National WIC Association?" a one-page flier about us.
The National WIC Association provides its members with tools and leadership to expand and sustain effective nutrition services for mothers and young children.
Our vision is a nation of healthier women, children, and their families.
For the National WIC Association, health equity is the ability of all individuals and families to achieve optimal health, irrespective of their identity, race, ability or class. This requires equitable access to nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, chronic disease prevention and management services, safe living environments, and good jobs with fair pay. It necessitates removing obstacles to families’ short- and long-term health and wellbeing including poverty, discrimination, and institutional racism and other forms of bias expressed through housing, healthcare, education, labor, and other public policies.
• Envisioning a nation of healthier women, children, and their families;
• Achieving optimal health, irrespective of identity, race, ability or class;
• Ensuring health equity for all individuals and families;
• Ensuring equitable access to nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, chronic disease prevention and management services, healthcare, safe living environments, education, and good jobs with fair pay;
• Removing obstacles to families’ short- and long-term health and wellbeing including poverty, discrimination, and institutional racism and other forms of bias;
• Ensuring that our members have the tools and leadership skills to:
o expand and sustain effective nutrition services for mothers and young children,
o advocate for and influence public policies that lead to a healthier nation for women, children, and their families, and
o achieve these principles for the families that we serve
The National WIC Association (NWA) endorses the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) Policy Statements on Breastfeeding.
The AAP policy statement “Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk” (2012) states, “Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for all infant feeding and nutrition. Given the documented short and long-term medical and neurodevelopment advantages of breastfeeding, infant nutrition should be considered a public health issue not only a lifestyle choice.”
The ABM’s “Position on Breastfeeding” (2015) states, “Suboptimal breastfeeding practices are unequivocally associated with a greater risk of infant morbidity and mortality not only in developing countries, but also in industrialized countries. Increasing breastfeeding rates is one of the most important behaviors we can promote to decrease infant death and illness worldwide.”
NWA promotes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life with continued breastfeeding through the first year and beyond with the addition of appropriate complementary foods. All WIC staff have a role in promoting and providing support for the successful initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.
With great respect, NWA would like to acknowledge that today the NWA National Office is located on the unceded territory of the Nacotchtank and Piscataway peoples, the original keepers of the land for millennia. The Nacotchtank – successful traders – were displaced or suffered significant deaths from communicable diseases brought by colonists. Those remaining relocated in 1668 to what is now Theodore Roosevelt Island in the Potomac River opposite Georgetown, and later sought refuge and were absorbed by the Piscataway of Southern Maryland. Click here to find out on what Native land you reside.
We are a proud partner in numerous collaborative efforts to promote the public health nutrition including:
2014 Annual Report
2014 Audit Report
2015 Annual Report
2015 Audit Report
2016 Annual Report
2016 Audit Report
2017 Annual Report
2017 Audit Report
2018 Year in Review
2018 Audit Report
2018 Annual Report
2019 Annual Report
2020 Annual Report
2020-2021 Audit Report
Our 990 form is available upon request
See highlights of our achievements and learn how the Association has evolved over the years.
The Rev. Fr. Douglas A. G. Greenaway is responsible for directing the Association as well as representing the WIC community’s interests to the White House, Congress, the US Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies and departments. He has served as President and CEO of NWA since 1990.
Contact him at douglasg@nwica.org.
Cecilia is responsible for assisting the President & CEO in directing, managing, and administering the NWA National Office. She is responsible for NWA’s internal and external nutrition-related programs, education, and activities. Cecilia supervises the Association’s professional staff and oversees the Association’s Human Resources functions.
Contact her at crichardson@nwica.org.
Georgia is responsible for directing program operations for NWA. This involves managing the NWA staff and working closely with senior management to ensure the Association develops projects, programming, and products that support the mission and vision of NWA. In addition, Georgia develops WIC research priorities and leads efforts to connect NWA members with new research findings and provides guidance on planning, conducting, and communicating WIC research.
Reach her at gmachell@nwica.org.
Brian is responsible for managing the Association’s advocacy strategy to advance NWA’s public policy priorities, including efforts to secure WIC funding and ensure efficient program administration. In this role, Brian manages NWA’s relationship with Congress and the Administration, leads targeted grassroots advocacy efforts, and coordinates policy partnerships with child nutrition stakeholders and industry. Brian also leads NWA’s annual policy conference in Washington, DC.
Reach him at bdittmeier@nwica.org.
Darlena is responsible for managing NWA’s nutrition and breastfeeding activities. Darlena’s work includes representing the Association on various committees both inside and outside the organization, developing public comments, participating in the Association’s advocacy efforts, and assisting in the review of research/studies as it relates to nutrition and breastfeeding.
Contact her at dbirch@nwica.org.
Noora is responsible for engaging state stakeholders to advance the mission and policy goals of the National WIC Association. She works to mobilize NWA's membership to advocate on behalf of NWA and WIC priorities. Noora is also responsible for monitoring state legislation, regulation, and policies that may impact WIC’s public health and nutrition mission.
Contact her at nkanfash@nwica.org.
Chandra is responsible for developing innovative ways to build and strengthen programming, engagement, and relationships with Association members through experiential education and events. She plans, organizes, and coordinates all activities related to NWA conferences, events, and webinars.
Reach her at cchampion@nwica.org.
Kay provides administrative support to NWA’s management and staff and serves as the receptionist at NWA’s office. He also assists with Association projects and provides customer service to NWA members, partners, and guests. Kay ensures the office's day-to-day operations are efficient and effective.
Reach him at kogundiran@nwica.org.
Emily directs and develops strategies for membership recruitment/retention programs. She directs and oversees membership-related administrative projects, including database management. Emily also serves as the manager for NWA Leadership Academy and as supervisor to the Membership Associate. She has worked at NWA since January 2017.
Reach her at egilcher@nwica.org.
Briana provides administrative and project management support to the Member Services Team. She also manages NWA’s database and other membership-related information and assists in planning member engagement opportunities to help enhance the overall membership experience.
Reach her at bharvey@nwica.org.
Whitney manages the National Recruitment & Retention Campaign, which includes working closely with WIC agencies to provide NWA members with outreach, marketing, advertising, resources, and more.
Reach her at wcarlson@nwica.org.
Chris manages the Operational functions of NWA. He ensures that administrative and operational systems are effectively and efficiently meeting staff needs. In addition, Chris coordinates vendor services such as IT support, communication services, and facilities management. He supports the HR functions of the organization including staff recruitment, payroll processing, records keeping, and on/off-boarding. Chris also supports the Comptroller in ensuring efficient financial policies and procedures and successful audits.
Chris can be reached at crothermel@nwica.org.
Karin is responsible for the growth and management of corporate and foundation partnerships, event sponsorships, and annual fundraising. She develops NWA's fundraising strategy, oversees prospect research, grant writing and management, grassroots and annual fundraising campaigns, and serves as NWA's advocate to existing and potential donors.
Reach her at khansen@nwica.org.
Christina is responsible for managing the translation of research and innovation to policy and practice. She is particularly focused on leveraging innovative strategies to improve the WIC participant experience. She manages research data collection, tracking and analysis, reports and educational material development. She also serves as the primary point of contact for external researchers interested in WIC and represents the organization in research working collaboratives.
Reach her at cchauvenet@nwica.org.
Brittany serves as the liaison between the communication and public policy teams. She is also responsible for supporting NWA's policy communications efforts to educate WIC stakeholders and catalyze grassroots action to support NWA's public policy priorities.
Contact her at bvanpelt@nwica.org.
Maureen is responsible for the National Recruitment and Retention Campaign, the WIC Hub, and NWA's website. She also supports NWA’s social media strategy, digital communications, and marketing campaigns.
Contact her at mlytle@nwica.org.
We are governed by a Board of Directors made up of NWA members. The four sections of our Board are the Executive Committee, the State Directors' section, including a reserved seat for a representative of the Indian & Native American WIC State Agencies, the Nutrition Services section, and the Local Agency section.
The Voting Members of the Association as outlined in the NWA Bylaws elect the Executive Committee members.
2021-2022 Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Sarah Flores-Sievers, NM, Chair
Paul Throne, WA, Chair-Elect
Berry Kelly, SC, Chair Emeritus
Amanda Hovis, TX, Treasurer
Meaghan Jenkins, MA, Secretary
Brittany Tybo, WA, Interim Secretary – Ex-Officio
Douglas Greenaway, DC, President & CEO
State Directors Section Representatives
Mary Anne Burghardt, NC, Southeast
TBD, Western
Kate Franken, MN, Midwest, Co-Chair
Mitzi Fritschen, AR, Southwest
Paula Garrett, VA, Mid-Atlantic
Cheri Nemec, WI, Native American Coalition
Lissa Sirois, NH, Northeast, Co-Chair
Dave Thomason, KS, Mountain Plains
Nutrition Services Section Representatives
Stephanie Bender, PA, Mid-Atlantic, Co-Chair
Samantha Blanchard, ME, Northeast
TBD, Western
Rebecca Gruenes, MN, Midwest
Angela Hammond-Damon, GA, Southeast
Beth Honerman, SD, Mountain Plains
Christina Windrix, OK, Southwest, Co-Chair
Local Agency Section Representatives
Regina Brady, CT, Northeast
LaKeisha Davis, NE, Mountain Plains
Sarah Bennett, NC, Southeast Region, Co-Chair
Jody Shriver, OH, Midwest
Tecora Smith, TX, Southwest, Co-Chair
Laura Spaulding, OR, Western
TBD, NJ, Mid-Atlantic
The National WIC Association is grateful to all of our supporters helping build a nation of healthier women, children, and their families.
We are especially grateful to the organizations and individuals who have contributed to our COVID Response Fund.
Individual Contributors
Ashley Larsen
Kay Stafford
Jay and Toshiko Tompkins
Our Business Council Partners are a distinguished group public and private organizations and corporations who are committed to retaining and enhancing the WIC Program’s vision and to supporting the National WIC Association’s mission. To learn more about how to apply to become a Business Council Partner, or other types of sustaining memberships, visit our Membership page.
Danone North America is committed to bringing health through food to as many people as possible.
And every day we work to help improve the American diet by offering more nutrient dense foods and making them more widely available.
Earth’s Best Organic® is proud to partner with NWA and WIC. Since 1985, Earth’s Best Organic® has been leading the way in improving accessibility to high quality organic baby food for all Americans, including WIC recipients.
We have worked closely with multiple states to authorize organic baby food as part of their WIC programs. Organic products currently eligible include Earth’s Best Organic® Baby Food Jars and Earth’s Best Organic® Cereals.
General Mills is proud of its longstanding partnership with NWA and WIC. Our relationship with WIC started over 35 years ago when Cheerios was reformulated with more iron to meet the needs of WIC participants. Today, General Mills manufactures over 250 products that meet federal eligibility requirements. From popular cereal brands like Cheerios™, Kix™, and Chex™, to Yoplait®; and Mountain High™ yogurt, Progresso™ beans, Muir Glen™ Tomatoes, to Cascadian Farm™ frozen fruit and vegetables – we make delicious, widely-available products that WIC consumers are proud to provide to their families.
As a proud NWA Business Council Partner, HemoCue supports WIC clinics nation-wide in their efforts to screen and monitor anemia. We at HemoCue understand that even mild anemia can result in extreme fatigue and can interfere with ones ability to work, perform daily tasks, or participate in family or social activities. In children, iron deficiency can result in developmental delays, behavioral disturbances, lack of attention and learning difficulties.
As a NWA business partner and member of the WIC community, we pursue opportunities for multiple WIC stakeholders to work together for the benefit of the program. A deep knowledge of WIC concerns allows us to create Kellogg products and nutrition communications to answer WIC needs.
Meredith Foundry 360 is dedicated to helping the National WIC Association provide moms with the best information on how to care for their growing families. Leveraging our status as the leading commercial publisher of parenthood content in the country, Meredith Foundry 360 acts as a strategic communications partner and consultant to NWA. As a company, we focus on providing all women with information and inspiration to create rich and meaningful lives.
In 2015, MOM Brands and Post Foods came together to form Post Consumer Brands—the third largest cereal company in the U.S. We now offer 25 WIC eligible cereals, approved in 49 states, plus Puerto Rico. No other cereal company offers as large a variety of iconic Hot Cereal and the Ready-to-Eat Cereal brands.
While providing all the nutritional benefits to meet Federal WIC eligibility, Post Consumer Brands offers some of America’s favorite combinations of sound nutrition and great taste. Which means families can look forward to —and really feel good about—breakfast, every day.
Cereal is the #1 choice for breakfast in the U.S. and a big part of WIC programs in every state. Over 8 million women and children in the WIC program count on cereal to provide the nutrition they need. What’s more, studies show that kids who eat breakfast do better in school. It’s indeed what makes breakfast the most important meal of the day.
Post Consumer Brands partners with Touchstone Growth Partners, a consulting firm to represent us with state WIC agencies. On behalf of Post Consumer Brands, Touchstone Growth Partners connects with WIC managers across 90 agencies, promoting the nutritious benefits of all our cereals. For more information, please contact: Dave Myers at (717) 715-2700 or email at dave@touchstonegp.com.
In addition to our governing Board, NWA's work is informed by committees and task forces comprised of our members.
"Standing Committees" are those committees that develop governance at the direction of the Board of Directors. "Committees" address broad policy issues to further the long term mission of the Association at the direction of the Board. "Task Forces" are created to carry out the work of the Association at the direction of the Board to address specific short-term goals or initiatives.
To learn more about joining a committee or task force, please click here. You can also see our full committee and task force roster here.
Bylaws Standing Committee
The Bylaws Committee periodically reviews the bylaws and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors as needed for revisions or clarifications. This Committee also reviews proposed operating policies developed by affiliate Sections.
Nominating Standing Committee
The Nominating Committee seeks candidates for Association offices and the following year's Nominating Committee. Members introduce candidates to the membership.
Annual Conference Planning Committee
The Annual Conference Planning Committee is charged with planning program content, organizing events, arranging speakers, and hosting the NWA Annual Education and Networking Conference.
Breastfeeding Promotion Committee
The Breastfeeding Promotion Committee works to develop recommendations and standards for the promotion and support of breastfeeding among mothers participating in the WIC Program. This Committee also works to encourage the active promotion of breastfeeding by NWA members.
Calendar Committee
The Calendar Committee develops the annual nutrition education calendar for purchase by the Association membership and others.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee
This committee serves as Health Equity Champions in the WIC community and develops recommendations and standards for the promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion in the WIC Program; encourage NWA members to actively integrate an equity lens into WIC research, policy, and practice; to assume additional responsibilities relevant to racial equity in WIC as directed by the Board.
Evaluation Committee
The Evaluation Committee represents NWA's interests in research and evaluation of the WIC Program, especially those efforts of USDA/FNS and USDA/ERS.
Leadership Academy Development Advisory Committee
This committee is charged with providing guidance, feedback, and recommendations to the NWA Leadership Academy Team (NWA staff and the Leadership Academy Academic Supervisor) on the direction, development, and growth of the NWA Leadership Academy.
Legislative Committee
The Legislative Committee participates in the development and implementation of regulatory and legislative policy as it affects the mission and goals of NWA and the WIC Program.
Member Benefit Fund Committee
In accordance with the guidelines for the Member Benefit Fund, established by the NWA Board of Directors, this committee recommends and coordinates the dissemination of funds from the NWA Member Benefit Fund to the NWA membership.
Nutrition and Breastfeeding Conference Planning Committee
The Nutrition and Breastfeeding Conference Planning Committee develops and plans the conference program and schedule for the Association's biennial conference.
Reach Them, Teach Them, Keep Them Committee
This committee examines and develops best practices to reach, teach, and keep WIC participants and has an advisory role for the National WIC Recruitment & Retention Campaign.
Technology, Program Integrity, and Vendor Management Conference Planning Committee
This committee develops and plans the Association's biennial technology conference.
Vendor Business Practices Committee
This committee develops Association policy and related position papers relevant to vendor relationships and implementation of vendor-related policies affecting the WIC Program and WIC participants.
WIC Hub Committee
This committee has two primary functions: creating strategic plans for developing and improving the user experience of www.theWIChub.org (the Hub) and reviewing content submitted to the Hub for publication.
Environmental Quality & WIC Task Force
The Task Force will examine WIC’s role in addressing environmental factors that could impact the health or safety of WIC participants. The Task Force will consider the effects of toxins and contaminants in the water and food supply chain, as well as broader environmental impacts on community health. The Task Force will develop recommendations and draft position statements for Board approval.
Farmers Market Programs Task Force
The Task Force examines WIC’s relationships with the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) and develops recommendations on opportunities to streamline programmatic efficiency and benefits delivery.
Inclusion of Dads in WIC Task Force
This task force assists state and local WIC agencies in the inclusion of dads in WIC. The task force offers and showcases best practices and steps agencies can take to implement inclusion of dads and others e.g. caregivers, grandparents, partners, same-gender couples.
Infant Mortality in WIC
This task force examines available research regarding WIC participation and infant mortality to identify best practices for addressing the issue while analyzing methods to reduce the incidence of infant mortality in WIC.
Maternal Mortality in WIC
This task force examines available research regarding WIC participation and maternal mortality to identify best practices for addressing the issue while analyzing methods to reduce the incidence of maternal mortality in WIC.
Recruitment and Retention of Registered Dietitians (RDs) in WIC
This task force examines and identifies best practices for recruiting RDs from outside of WIC while analyzing methods to optimize the retention of RDs currently working in the Program.
*WIC Program Management Task Force* NEW
The Program Management Task Force will consider a broad range of administrative and program management challenges and opportunities that WIC state and local agencies face including, but not limited to funding, staffing and staffing processes, ratios, and priorities, and indirect costs. Following Task Force findings, the Task Force will develop guidance and/or resources for state and local agency directors and put forth any policy proposals to the Board.
Joint Work Group with USDA/FNS
Risk Identification and Selection Collaborative (RISC)
RISC is a partnership between USDA/FNS and NWA to promote ongoing review and development of appropriate nutrition risk criteria for consistent application in the WIC program.
Outside NWA Partnerships include:
