Training Announcement! Advocating at the State Level:Turning Relationships into Policy
Emma Bliss
Training Announcement!
Advocating at the State Level: Turning Relationships into Policy
March 26th- 1pm EST
Explore how grassroots organizing and legislative strategy work hand-in-hand. We’ll unpack coalition building, engaging county-level officials, and translating community relationships into lawmaker-by-lawmaker action. Coming off their success procuring state funding for a SNAP Stretch program, we’ll hear from Spencer Moss and Cordel Bostic of the West Virginia Food and Farm Coalition. A must-attend for anyone working at the intersection of grassroots power and policy change.
About Speakers:
Spencer Moss is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, where she leads statewide initiatives to strengthen farm viability, expand market access, and improve food and nutrition access across rural communities. Since joining the organization in 2015, she has overseen the development and implementation of multi-million-dollar federal and regional investments supporting value-added production, aggregation and distribution infrastructure, and policy-driven food access programs. Her work bridges economic development and food systems policy, aligning public funding, regulatory strategy, and hands-on technical assistance to produce measurable outcomes for producers and communities. Spencer brings a background in communications and public administration to her legislative engagement, translating complex funding and regulatory frameworks into actionable strategies that support both farm profitability and community resilience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Missouri Western State University and a Master of Public Administration from West Virginia University with an emphasis in local governance and community development.
Cordel Bostic is a West Virginia native with deep roots in the state and a strong record of advancing state and federal policy that strengthens food access and agricultural opportunity. A graduate of Davis & Elkins College with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Cordel began his career supporting community development initiatives across West Virginia as a grant writer before bringing his expertise into the policy arena. As Legislative Liaison for the West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, he has helped secure key policy wins that expand nutrition access, strengthen local food purchasing, and support farm and food business viability. In addition to his civilian policy work, Cordel has served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Human Resource Analyst and, during deployment to the Middle East, advised in areas of federal law and policy. His work reflects a commitment to pragmatic, results-driven policy solutions that directly benefit West Virginia communities.