Audrey Rowe is the Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C. FNS provides children and needy families with better access to food and a more healthful diet through its 15 nutrition assistance programs and nutrition education efforts.
She brings to the Federal government an extensive career in human services policy development, fiscal management, program design, service delivery and marketing with a particular focus on vulnerable populations, low income women, children and youth.
Most recently, Rowe served as Deputy Administrator for Special Nutrition Programs at FNS, leading the effort to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the legislative centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation.
Rowe has vast experience working on issues related to FNS programs. Her leadership has included roles as Human Resources Administrator in New Haven, Connecticut, and Social Services Commissioner for the State of Connecticut and the District of Columbia. In addition, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the National UrbanLeague.
In private industry, Audrey served as Senior Vice President and Managing Director for the Children and Family Services division for Affiliated Computer Service (ACS), formerly Lockheed Martin IMS. In this capacity, she spearheaded industry leadership in the realms of child support payment processing and enforcement and the electronic dissemination of public assistance benefits, including implementing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) programs in over 20 states. Additionally, Audrey was appointed Senior Vice President for Public Affairs where she managed the corporation's government relations, philanthropy, and community relation programs.
Audrey's publications include:
* The Feminization of Poverty: An Issue for the 90's, Yale University Journal of Law and Feminism, Fall 1991
* Editor, The State of Black America, 1991, "To Be Equal," National Urban League.
Audrey is a graduate of Federal City College and was a fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government Institute of Politics at Harvard University. She is married and resides in West Virginia.
