United Fresh Hires New Senior Director of Nutrition Policy

United Fresh Produce Association has hired Mollie Van Lieu as senior director of nutrition policy. Van Lieu joins the association following the retirement of long-time nutrition policy leader Lorelei DiSogra.

“I am thrilled that Mollie will be joining us full-time on the United Fresh team as we’ve already been working closely on fruit and vegetable issues for many years,” said Tom Stenzel, president and CEO, United Fresh. “Mollie is highly respected by her peers in the public health and nutrition community, and has outstanding relationships with nutrition stakeholders on Capitol Hill and in all of the relevant regulatory agencies.”

Van Lieu is currently senior associate of government relations at The Pew Charitable Trusts. She joined Pew in 2014, where she led federal government advocacy for the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project. During that time, she was instrumental in advancing school food policies to bring more healthful and nutritious foods to kids. From 2011 to 2014, Van Lieu held the position of senior education policy strategist for the National PTA, where she served as the association’s senior lobbyist handling education and children’s issues, and worked closely with United Fresh on child nutrition issues. She began her Washington, D.C. career in 2008 on the staff of Pennsylvania Congressman Todd Platts, working on his sponsorship of the House’s 2010 Child Nutrition Reauthorization. She is a graduate of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.

“Mollie’s strong experience in driving child nutrition policy will allow her to hit the ground running as part of our public policy team,” said Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy, United Fresh. “With a new Farm Bill on the horizon, and continuing regulatory challenges on the nutrition policy front, Mollie will be a great asset as we work to influence strong, science-based public health policy.”

Van Lieu will begin work at United Fresh on Sept. 5, just in time for the association’s annual Washington Conference from Sept. 18-20.