Shireen Malekafzali, PolicyLink, Oakland, California

Derek Birnie, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association, Seattle, Washington

2:10–2:30 pm

Break

2:30–4:00 pm

Panel III: How do community perspectives influence decision makers?

Moderator: Mary Story, PhD, RD, University of Minnesota

Key Questions:

• Where does obesity prevention evidence fit into public policy decision making?

• How do policy makers gather, use, and evaluate evidence in decision making?

• What challenges do policy makers face in finding and using evidence?

• What types of evidence are most useful to policy makers?

• What are examples of policies in obesity prevention that have been influenced by specific programs?

Speakers:

Dan Drummond, Fairfax City Council Member, Fairfax, Virginia

Ben Thomases, City Food Policy Coordinator, New York, New York

J. Walter Tejada, Arlington County Board Member, Arlington, Virginia

George Leventhal, Montgomery County Council Member, Rockville, Maryland

Gretchen Musicant, Commissioner, Department of Health and Family Support, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Pierre Vigilance, Director, Department of Health, Washington, DC

Closing Remarks