Feb 2026 - Cultivating Connections Webinar: Rural Food Security: Partnerships Driving Economic Development

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Cultivating Connections: Rural Food Security: Partnerships Driving Economic Development

Join us on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. ET for the Hunger Nutrition and Health Action Collaborative Monthly Webinar Series. Connect with partners across the U.S. dedicated to ending hunger and building healthy communities. This webinar will highlight successful strategies, food and nutrition system changes, multisector partnerships, and community-building efforts.

During this month's partner call, you will learn about innovative partnerships and strategies that are strengthening rural food security and bolstering local economies. Our panelists include Rial Carver, Program Director of the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University; Chris Gessele, Cooperative Development Specialist at the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives; and Jenna Gullickson, owner of Hoople Grocery Store in rural North Dakota.

Rial Carver is Program Director and a Rural Grocery Extension Specialist with Kansas State Extension's Community Food Systems team and Rural Grocery Initiative (RGI), where she has served in various capacities since 2017. Before joining K-State, she served as the Sustainability Coordinator for Virginia Tech Dining Services, where she increased local food sourcing, implemented composting programs, and initiated a reusable to-go container program. Rial holds a Master of Regional and Community Planning graduate degree from Kansas State University and a B.S. in Environmental Policy and Planning with a minor in Civic Agriculture and Food Systems from Virginia Tech.

Chris Gessele serves as a Cooperative Development Specialist on the Rural Development Services Team at the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Mandan, ND. A member of the team since 2023, Chris's areas of focus include partnering with rural communities across the state to improve food access and sustain quality of life in rural North Dakota. Chris's professional background is steeped in the cooperative model, with previous experience in corporate communications and newspaper journalism. He lives in Bismarck, ND, with his wife and three children.

Jenna Gullickson is the owner and operator of Hoople Grocery, an independently owned store serving a farming community of about 300 people in rural North Dakota. When the store's previous owners announced their retirement, Jenna and her husband Joe decided to purchase the business to ensure the community would continue to have a local grocery store. With strong community support, they have owned and operated Hoople Grocery since 2015. Hoople Grocery has been a member of the RAD Co-op for four years.

Don't miss this opportunity to learn and connect. Please mark your calendar and join us for an engaging and informative session. Email your questions for the panelists to hnh@cdcfoundation.org.

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