Susan Ahn
Emeryville,CA
Summary
Professional with extensive experience researching and interpreting federal program regulations and policies. Strong writing and editing skills complemented by focus on process improvement and collaboration. Committed to leveraging expertise in policy design or analysis, with focus on artificial intelligence.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
LEAD PROGRAM SPECIALIST
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
San Francisco, CA
10.2021 - Current
- Lead team of program specialists in providing regulatory guidance for federal child nutrition programs to state, tribal, and territory partners.
- Develop training materials aimed at simplifying complex regulatory and program concepts for both staff and state agencies.
- Assist in developing policies that guide program practices and standards.
- Develop and edit briefing materials for FNS leadership, enhancing clarity and focus on key issues.
- Collaborate cross-regionally with other regional Lead Program Specialists to ensure consistent operations across the agency.
- Establish and maintain partnerships with state, tribal, and territorial governments to expand program reach.
SENIOR PROGRAM SPECIALIST
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
San Francisco, CA
11.2016 - 10.2021
- Designed and managed projects at FNS Office of Program Integrity to enhance program integrity via data analysis and process improvement.
- Developed and published FNS tip sheet focused on improving integrity in breakfast counting within classrooms.
- Co-led regional efforts to expand Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) by facilitating adoption of provision by Los Angeles Unified School District, where more than 250,000 students at 339 schools in high-poverty areas gained access to free school meals.
- Collaborated with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to expand summer meals program in San Joaquin County, successfully bringing in county housing authority and local churches as new partners.
- Created educational materials for USDA leaders to inform Hawaii governor about CEP benefits, resulting in adoption of provision by 52 schools in school year 2019-2020 and 61 schools in 2020-21.
- Acted as region's primary NSLP contact for Continuity of Operations (COOP) team and disaster response.
PROGRAM SPECIALIST
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
San Francisco, CA
11.2015 - 11.2016
- Provided expert guidance to state agencies regarding federal child nutrition policies, focusing on NSLP and Summer Food Service Program.
PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER LEADER
U.S. Peace Corps
Benin, West Africa
08.2012 - 04.2014
- Served as liaison between Peace Corps Benin and West Africa Food Security Partnership, a collaboration tied to the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future global hunger and food security initiative.
- Conducted training sessions on computer literacy, web design, and computer maintenance in French for local communities.
Education
Master of Public Administration And Policy - Pi Alpha Alpha
American University
Washington, DCBachelor of Science - Mass Communication, Summa Cum Laude
Emerson College
Boston, MASkills
- Writing and editing
- Program management
- Regulatory compliance
- Problem solving
- Analytical skills
- Training development
Coursework
- Developing AI Policy, certificate, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, August 2025.
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training, Mountain Home Training, September 2018.
- Computer Science coursework (Intro to Computer Information Systems, Intro and Intermediate Web Page Creation/HTML/CSS, Intro to Dreamweaver, Intro to Flash, PHP/MySQL), Riverside City College, 2009-2010,
Affiliations
- Volunteer at Cat Town and Full Circle Cats, Oakland, California.
- Volunteer at monthly trash pickups with OCA East Bay, Oakland, California.
Languages
French
Professional
Spanish
Elementary
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
LEAD PROGRAM SPECIALIST
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
10.2021 - Current
SENIOR PROGRAM SPECIALIST
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
11.2016 - 10.2021
PROGRAM SPECIALIST
U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service
11.2015 - 11.2016
PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER LEADER
U.S. Peace Corps
08.2012 - 04.2014
Master of Public Administration And Policy - Pi Alpha Alpha
American University
Bachelor of Science - Mass Communication, Summa Cum Laude
Emerson College
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