Cindy Vong

Cindy grew up in Gunnison, Colorado, and graduated from Binghamton University with bachelor’s degrees in political science and environmental studies. She also holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver where Cindy pursued an independent thesis researching the intersection between food choice and self-esteem in single mothers. Cindy’s professional experience includes working as an associate of programs for the Orton Family Foundation, an organization that specializes in small town community development. She also volunteered for food-based nonprofits around the Denver area and served as a board member for MSterious Miracles.

Field placement: Pittsburgh Food Policy Council

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Cindy completed her fieldwork with the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, a collective impact organization that works to create a more just, sustainable, and equitable food system for all. In her role, Cindy adapted and executed the Allegheny County Food Policy Audit, a county-wide, multi-stakeholder, cross-disciplinary policy assessment. The resulting data provided a baseline inventory and gap analysis of policies that affected the Allegheny County food system and informed the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan.

Policy placement: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Washington, D.C.

Hunger Free Community Report

"Setting the Stage for Success: Using the Food Policy Audit to Guide the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan" - In 2018, the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council began the process of creating a regional food action plan, the first document of its kind in Allegheny County. Setting the Stage for Success: Using the Food Policy Audit to Guide the Greater Pittsburgh examines how the Food Policy Audit, a food policy assessment tool, was informative and formative to the process of creating the Greater Pittsburgh Food Action Plan.

Publications & Blog Posts