Elizabeth O. Tuckermanty, Ph.D. is National Program Leader for Community Systems at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, and currently directs the Community Food Projects Competitive Grant Program and the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center Grant. Liz has worked at USDA for 20years. Prior to USDA she worked in various sectors in Washington, D.C. including The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Howard University, a trade association and a management company. She is a nutritionist by training and has worked on a wide array of issues on food, nutrition, children-youth-and-families at risk and local-sustainable food issues.