About the Series
The “Meet the Board” series highlights the dedicated leaders behind the National WIC Association. Each spotlight offers a glimpse into the journeys, passions, and perspectives of our Board members, showcasing the people who help guide our mission to support and strengthen WIC across the country.
Georgia Machell, PhD, President/CEO, ex officio,
National WIC Association
As the National WIC Association celebrates 40 years of advancing access to nutrition and health for women, infants, and children, we’re continuing our Meet the Board blog series to spotlight the leaders helping guide NWA forward. Georgia Machell, President & CEO of NWA, has spent more than a decade advancing WIC through research, policy, and practice.
In the Q&A below, Georgia shares her experience with WIC, her goals for NWA, and NWA's role in shaping the program’s future.
Tell us about your journey to the National WIC Association Board. How did you get involved, and what inspired you to engage?
My journey to the National WIC Association Board began with a deep professional and personal commitment to food access and public health. After completing my PhD in Food Policy, I joined NWA in 2015 as the Research and Evaluation Manager. My academic and professional background is in qualitative research on food access, and it was through that lens that I truly fell in love with WIC—specifically, the powerful, tangible connections between research, policy, and practice.
Throughout my tenure—serving in roles from Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer to, most recently, Interim President & CEO—that core inspiration has guided my work. It has driven our efforts to secure critical funding, advocate for the program on Capitol Hill, and invest in making WIC more accessible and representative of the communities we serve.
It is a profound honor to now serve in this role and work alongside our Board to champion this incredible program and ensure all eligible families can access the vital support WIC provides.
What’s a goal or initiative you're particularly excited about this year?
I'm particularly excited about demystifying service on the NWA Board and the various ways our members can get involved with the Association. I want engagement to feel more accessible and less intimidating for our dedicated members who power WIC every day.
I believe that by lifting the veil on our governance and actively inviting participation, we create meaningful pathways to deeper member engagement and leadership development. My vision is to create clearer ways forward and provide more support, so every member who feels called to serve can see a place for themselves at the table.
Ultimately, this work strengthens both our leadership pipeline and our connection to the frontline, ensuring NWA's work remains rooted in and energized by the people we serve.
What impact do you hope the National WIC Association will have in the next five years?
Looking ahead, my north star for the National WIC Association remains to ensure that every eligible family can access and thrive with WIC.
In the next five years, I see NWA's unique role as standing firmly in the gap where others cannot—protecting, promoting, and strengthening WIC at the national level. We are the stewards of its future, and that responsibility matters deeply.
A critical part of this will be a sustained effort to raise WIC's public profile. We must ensure the program is better understood, genuinely valued, and robustly supported not just by policymakers, but by the general public and our partners. When WIC's value is unmistakably clear, its support becomes unshakable. That is the enduring impact we will work to achieve.
Coming out of the recent NWA Board meeting, what inspired or energized you most, and how do you hope to carry that momentum into the year ahead?
Coming out of our last NWA Board meeting, what truly inspired me was the profound commitment of the fellow leaders seated around that table. These are individuals who are, every single day, running complex WIC programs and managing demanding workloads. Despite those immense responsibilities, they continue to dedicate their precious time and energy to the NWA Board to lift up the voices of their colleagues nationwide.
That is profoundly grounding and motivating. It serves as a powerful reminder that our work at the Association is not abstract—it is always, fundamentally, in service of the WIC program and the people who make it work.
All that energy and passion drove home a key lesson from moments like the shutdown: We have to really listen, understand, and act on what our members need. The Board's shared focus made it clear—our members’ insights have to lead the way.
Carrying this momentum into the year ahead, my focus is to ensure that this member-centric ethos is woven into everything we do. I am committed to leveraging the board's passion as our compass, ensuring our advocacy, resources, and strategy are tailored to support the important work happening in every Local Agency.
What’s a fun fact most people don’t know about you?
A fun fact most people don't know is that I really enjoy gluten-free baking. It started after my family went gluten-free when my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease. I don't know if you know much about it, but gluten-free baking is not easy! You generally need a binder to replace the gluten and a variety of flour types for a decent texture. I've come to enjoy the challenge and the experimenting, and I'm now keeping a collection of the best recipes.
Interested in getting more involved with the National WIC Association? We’re continuing to explore new ways for members to engage, lead, and shape the future of WIC.
Members are invited to join an upcoming webinar focused on member engagement and opportunities to get involved, explore ways to support NWA’s end-of-year fundraising efforts, and learn more about NWA committees to stay engaged.