Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Mark Dinglasan, MBA
Executive Director

Mark Dinglasan is currently the Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA). Under the leadership of Governor Murphy and Speaker Coughlin, the office is the first of its kind in the nation and will have the duty to coordinate outreach for food security programs, including developing new initiatives and outreach campaigns and identifying best practices, and conducting research and strategies to increase enrollment and outcomes in the State's food security programs and initiatives.

Prior to this role, Mark was the Executive Director of CUMAC, the largest anti-hunger organization in Passaic County. CUMAC is dedicated to fighting hunger at its root causes by using Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) research and asset-based community building principles to create more just food access systems and partnerships. Mark was the Executive Director of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Cook County before coming to CUMAC. Prior to joining CASA, he led national corporate development and fundraising at JTB – A Pipeline Organization, the foundation started by the Honorable Ann Claire Williams of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

With more than 20 years of experience in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, Mark has led teams in the areas of organizational development and strategy, fundraising and partnership cultivation, trauma-informed program design, and community engagement. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Monmouth University and received his MBA from the DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. In his spare time, Mark is a marathon coach, youth mentor, and church volunteer.

Dan Dychtwald, MPH, MS, PH.D.
Program Manager/Government Representative II

Dr. Dan Dychtwald joined the Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) in May of 2024 as a Program Manager/Government Representative. In this role, Dr. Dychtwald supports the director in coordinating efforts with state agency directors and program leaders in building strong relationships in facilitation of interdepartmental food security efforts. Dan also leads policy efforts preparing briefs and related documents outlining federal and state social safety net programs affecting food security while also keeping the team current on such legislation. He also supports strategic statewide planning efforts, grant preparation and writing, and provides technical and professional coordination and leadership in the execution of programming and project activities.  

Dan received his PhD in Nutrition from Drexel University, along with a Master in Public Health Management and Policy degree and a Master in Nutrition degree. At Drexel, Dan assisted in several studies in oncology, public health, and gender equity, leading to his thesis and dissertation exploring the roles and experiences of men with the WIC program. The research helped lead Dan to work with Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health and into advocacy work on behalf of fathers. During his time at Drexel, Dan also served as the State Policy Representative and Public Policy Chair for the New Jersey Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Prior to joining OFSA, Dan was with Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Department of Family and Community Health Sciences where he served as the Senior Program Administrator for the SNAP-Ed program covering four South Jersey counties. Before that, Dan was a Senior Project Manager with Rutgers Institute for Health where he managed several National Institutes of Health (NIH) and foundation-funded research studies.    

Outside of the office, Dan is a devoted uncle to two amazing young women, continues to advocate for causes dear to him, and is a consummate news junkie. His spare time is spent in the kitchen trying new recipes and creating healthier versions of childhood favorites.   

Rosemarie Loughlin
Program Coordinator

Rosemarie (Rose) Loughlin, Program Coordinator, is the primary point of contact for information about the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) and its many activities. Rose’s passion and purpose is to be of service to her community and to those inquiring about support from the department. Her responsibilities include coordination and administration of OFSA resources, finance, and human resource activities. Rose coordinates the office’s activities including scheduling and conference logistics, and serves as hospitality lead on site. Given that the office is the first of its kind, Rose is also instrumental in developing and documenting OFSA’s operational procedures to build institutional knowledge about the team’s work.

Rose graduated with highest honors from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a BA in English Literature and an MA in Teaching. Rose is also a trainer at Rowan College at Burlington County Continuing Education Business and Professional program and teaches middle school students in her community. In the span of Rose’s career, she has presented at several educational conferences and was honored to be awarded Excellence in Student Services from the National Society of Leadership and Success and Outstanding Volunteer of the Year by the Girl Scouts of Southern New Jersey.

Rose enjoys biking, music, planning adventures to events and destinations near and far, volunteering in her community, finding a good clearance sale, and is in training to care and raise plants of all types. Rose lives in southern New Jersey with her amazing husband and together they have raised three incredible children.

Jenny Schrum, MSW, MPH, PH.D.
Research and Evaluation Strategy Manager

Dr. Jenny Schrum works as the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate’s Research and Evaluation Strategy Manager. Her role includes establishing food security theoretical and operational understanding as well as implementing research efforts to recognize multi-sector best practices and gaps in understanding. Prior to this role, Jenny worked as Director of Strategy & Evaluation at City Green, a New Jersey non-profit implementing sustainable agriculture, environmental education, and a statewide Good Food Bucks program. Her work established organization-wide goals, objectives, and evaluation as well as evolved the School Garden program and youth development efforts. Jenny started her career at Horton’s Kids in Washington D.C. where she managed a community garden installed by Michelle Obama and established food security-focused programming such as a food pantry, farmer’s market, and nutrition education.

In addition to these positions, Jenny has served on committees at the Capital Area Food Bank, the DC Diaper Bank, AmeriCorps, and Rutgers School of Social Work’s Doctoral Student Association. These experiences, coupled with her training as a Research Assistant throughout graduate school at the Rutgers Center for Prevention Science has informed Jenny’s passion for strengths-based and community-informed evaluation. Jenny holds a Ph.D. and Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University and a Master of Public Health degree from George Washington University.

Jemmell’z Washington-Rock
Program Manager

Jemmell’z Washington-Rock serves the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate as its Program Manager, building healthy consensus for advancing food security by developing convening and communications strategies for the office. Prior to joining the team, Jemmell’z served as the Communications Manager for New Jersey Health Initiatives, a statewide grantmaking program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, during which time she began to build relationships with community-focused coalitions, community-based organizations, and funders throughout the state. Her editorial background with The Roanoke Times and The Philadelphia Tribune has evolved into a robust communications portfolio that includes commissions from higher education institutions, nonprofits, and others. Jemmell’z also served as a resident writing coach for New Jersey high school students in the Dow Jones News Fund Hugh N. Boyd Journalism Diversity Workshop at Monmouth University.

A proven global citizen, she has traveled to Guatemala, Honduras, and Zambia with Habitat for Humanity International and One Thousand Schools (née Students Helping Honduras). Those experiences, plus past regional volunteer work with Spells Writing Lab and the SHARE Food Program, inform Jemmell’z’s understanding of the social and economic factors that committed partners are addressing to advance food security and health equity. Jemmell’z graduated from Albright College and earned a Master of Journalism degree from Temple University, where she also completed additional graduate-level coursework in Urban Studies. She is always interested in exploring narrative work as a tool for meaningful change and has participated in both the frank gathering for public interest communications professionals and the Health Equity Narrative Infrastructure Project co-led by County Health Rankings & Roadmaps and Human Impact Partners. She is an avid home chef and volunteer Sunday School teacher for children and youth, and helped her paternal grandmother map 100+ members of their family tree.