Comeau is the first Oklahoman to be selected for the highly competitive program.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, September 5, 2023—Richard Comeau, Chief Program Officer for Hunger Free Oklahoma (HFO), was recently welcomed to Aspen, Colorado, where he began his tenure as a Food Leaders Fellow of the Aspen Institute. The 2023 Food Leaders Fellows include entrepreneurs, investors, and civic and nonprofit leaders dedicated to changing the food system to eradicate food and nutrition insecurity, support entrepreneurs and farmers, and push forward sustainable solutions. Bringing both personal experience with and professional focus on the challenges of the food system, the new fellows will collaborate to address the issues they are all so passionate about. The fellows, who hail from across the United States, will work both within their cohort and with the larger Food Leaders Fellowship community.
“It is truly an honor to be included in this amazing program and to sit among this elite, diverse group of participants,” said Richard. “I look forward to learning from everyone involved and using this experience to evaluate, improve, and expand our programs. I also hope to share Hunger Free Oklahoma’s experiences and knowledge with the group so that others may benefit in their own programs and services.”
As the first HFO employee, Comeau has already been a local food leader in Oklahoma where he oversees a variety of innovative and effective anti-hunger interventions. In his role at Hunger Free Oklahoma, Comeau serves as the principal investigator for Double Up Oklahoma, one of the largest nutrition incentive programs in the country. He thrives at the intersection of mission and implementation and leads teams to anticipate challenges, leverage data to drive decision making, and develop and action a broad portfolio of anti-hunger programs. A Texas native, Richard brings a rich family history in agriculture and ten years of experience in food and anti-poverty policy to Oklahoma which he now proudly calls home. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture Development, a Graduate Certificate of Regulatory Science in Food Systems from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Public Administration from The Bush School of Government and Public Service.
Referring to the group that joined Comeau in Aspen for their first meeting, “This cohort continues our program’s dream to bring emerging food leaders together in one place to challenge and support one another,” says Corby Kummer, executive director of Food & Society, the Aspen Institute department which manages the Fellowship.
“We are proud of Richard! Through his insight and experience, Hunger Free Oklahoma can continue to influence national discussions about food systems and food security,” shared HFO President and CEO Chris Bernard. “And we look forward to seeing how he brings the experiences of the fellowship back to our state. The Food Leaders Fellowship is an honor for Richard and HFO, and it will benefit the people of Oklahoma.
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Hunger Free Oklahoma leverages the power of collaboration to solve hunger in Oklahoma by improving systems, policies, and practices. Learn more at hungerfreeok.org. Oklahomans can find assistance with SNAP applications by contacting Hunger Free Oklahoma’s SNAP Hotline at 1 (877) 760-0114. Our trained SNAP specialists are available to assist. Current SNAP recipients can stretch their SNAP dollars by taking advantage of Double Up Oklahoma. Learn more at doubleupoklahoma.org.
The Food Leaders Fellowship at the Aspen Institute unites the most promising early-stage food leaders to ignite personal transformation, cross-sector collaboration, and scalable change. Drawing on the Aspen Institute’s history of successful leadership and policy fellowships, the Food Leaders Fellowship is becoming the foremost community of emerging leaders who will work towards sustainability, food justice, and good health. For more information, visit https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/food-and-society-program/food-leaders-fellowship/.