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Join us for the 2026 Washington Food Coalition Conference

Conference registration is now open for the 2026 Washington Food Coalition Conference! Join food banks, pantries, meal programs, and partners from across the state for several days of learning, connection, and collaboration.

This year's conference will feature workshops, networking opportunities, keynote speakers, and practical resources designed to support and strengthen hunger relief efforts in our communities.

WHEN

September 23-25, 2026

WHERE

Kitsap Conference Center

2026 Keynote Speakers

We’re thrilled to welcome two incredible keynote speakers this year: Marty Kooistra and Dr. Julie Pham!

Dr. Julie Pham

DR. JULIE PHAM

THURSDAY KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Pham is an award-winning leader who applies her community- building experience to strengthening teams. She worked as a journalist, historian, tech industry marketer, and nonprofit executive.

Read Full Bio

Dr. Julie Pham founded CuriosityBased to help people practice curiosity in the world, starting in the workplace. She wrote the #1 Amazon New Release and Bestseller, 7 Forms of Respect: A Guide to Transforming Your Communication and Relationships at Work, and gave a TEDx talk on "Curiosity as a practice." Dr. Pham is an award-winning leader who applies her community-building experience to strengthening teams. She worked as a journalist, historian, tech industry marketer, and nonprofit executive. She got her “real-life MBA” by running her family’s Vietnamese-language newspaper during the Great Recession. She earned her PhD in history at Cambridge University as a Gates Cambridge Scholar and graduated magna cum laude from UC Berkeley, where she studied history.

Marty Kooistra

MARTY KOOISTRA

FRIDAY KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Marty Kooistra is a leader in the New Network Leader movement and the Executive Director for the Housing and Development Consortium of Seattle-King County.

Read Full Bio

Marty Kooistra is a leader in the New Network Leader movement and the Executive Director for the Housing and Development Consortium of Seattle-King County. He has been a champion of community revitalization and affordable housing for over 27 years, serving in leadership roles both domestically and globally. Marty came to the Puget Sound in 2008 serving as the CEO of Habitat for Humanity Seattle-South King County. Marty was awarded an Archibald Bush Foundation Leadership Fellowship for study at the Joint Center for Housing in the Graduate School of Design and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. During this time, he met Professor Jane Wei-Skillern and has been learning about the value of networked nonprofits ever since. He has been a featured keynote speaker at several Washington Nonprofits conferences and is a popular workshop facilitator on new ways to collaborate.

Registration Pricing

Early bird registration is now closed. Regular pricing now applies to all registration passes.

WFC MEMBERS

EARLY BIRD

$175

 REGULAR $200

NON-MEMBERS

EARLY BIRD

$200

 REGULAR $225

ONE-DAY PASS

EARLY BIRD

$125

ANY SINGLE DAY

Important Deadlines: All ticket sales will close September 1st – earlier than previous years. We encourage all attendees to register early.

Scholarship Information

If you are interested in receiving a scholarship to attend the conference, please contact Kellie McNelly at KMcNelly@ROOFCommunityServices.org before registering. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
Please note that scholarships are limited and you must be an active member of Washington Food Coalition to receive a scholarship.

Book Your Hotel

Attendees can reserve rooms at both conference hotels at the special rate of $159/night. The discounted rate is available through August 31, 2026, or until rooms fill up — book early to secure your preferred accommodations.

Note: Although our discounted room block has sold out, both accommodations still have regular rooms available.

The conference takes place September 23–25, 2026.

Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Bremerton

Discounted Nightly Rate–SOLD OUT

Regular accommodation may still be available at this location.

Hampton Inn & Suites Bremerton

Discounted Nightly Rate–SOLD OUT

Regular accommodation may still be available at this location.

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WSDA Logo

This conference is made possible through support provided by the Statewide Technical Assistance and Training Grant through the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Food Assistance.

2026 Conference Agenda Preview

We’re still putting the finishing touches on the conference schedule. This preliminary agenda is subject to change, and session descriptions, speaker bios, and additional details are forthcoming. Check back for the finalized agenda and full session information.

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