Expertise in the Field: "Paperwork, Policy, and Women’s Access to Support"

A Live SHECP Talks Event

On Wednesday, October 1st at 3pm ET, Lelaine Bigelow, Executive Director of the Georgetown Center for Poverty and Inequality (GCPI), will join Dr. Jeremy Everett, Executive Director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, for a live recording of SHECP Talks. They will discuss the changes that the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) makes to SNAP, Medicaid, the disproportionate effect these changes are poised to have on women, and possible long-term health, education, and future earnings impacts for children in those impacted households.

The Georgetown Center for Poverty and Inequality recently published an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey that shows that out of the 15 million women (ages 19-64) who participated in Medicaid in 2023, about 6 million (42 percent) would be subject to a new "One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) work requirement.

During the event, Bigelow and Everett will also discuss evidence from states that experimented with similar measures, showing that that millions of working women, single moms, and grandmothers are at risk of losing access to food assistance and health coverage — not because they don’t work hard enough, but because they are unable to meet the burdensome paperwork requirements.

Date: October 1, 2025

Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

Who Should Attend: This event is open to the public.

Check out this event's recording here!

SHECP programming is designed to provide opportunities for student learning and reflection, to cultivate best practices and research within the Consortium, and to create forums for sharing those insights and knowledge with the larger community. For more information about any of SHECP's virtual events, visit: https://www.shepherdconsortium.org/virtual-events

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About the Speakers: 

Lelaine Bigelow

Lelaine Bigelow is the Executive Director of the Georgetown Center for Poverty and Inequality. She leads work to generate policy solutions to improve the lives of people experiencing poverty in the United States. Collaborating with government and movement leaders, we provide timely, evidenced-based ideas to impact decision-making, increase economic well-being, and advance racial and gender equity. In 2025, Lelaine was named an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow.

Previously, Lelaine was the vice president for social impact and congressional relations at the National Partnership for Women & Families, where she was responsible for creating and executing strategies to turn policy work into social change. Her accomplishments include passing the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA) and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). She ran a major national campaign for paid family and medical leave that included a broad coalition of workers, business and bipartisan leaders across the country. Lelaine has extensive experience working in government and effecting change as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama Administration and in Congress, including roles with Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL), and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

Lelaine graduated from the University of Florida and the Graduate School of Political Management at The George Washington University. In 2012, she was named a Champion for Children by First Focus and established a National Commission on Children and Disasters in 2008. Lelaine was also named a 2025 Aspen Ascend Fellow. (https://www.georgetownpoverty.org/experts-staff/lelaine-bigelow/)

Dr. Jeremy Everett

Dr. Jeremy Everett is the founder and executive director of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. The Baylor Collaborative integrates research, policy, and practice through projects such as: the Hunger Free Community Accelerator; the Baylor Collaborative Innovation Hub; the Master’s degree in Theology, Ecology, and Food Justice; and the Hunger Data Lab.

With nearly 80 staff, interns, and researchers, the Baylor Collaborative team has assisted community-based, state-based, and national efforts to increase hundreds of millions of additional meals through innovative, researched-based interventions. In Dr. Everett’s tenure with the Baylor Collaborative, he has raised more than 300 million dollars to support faculty research, public service, and policy analysis.

Prior to his appointment with the Baylor Collaborative, Dr. Everett worked for international and community development organizations as a teacher, religious leader, community organizer, and farmer. He frequently delivers presentations to congregations, non-profit organizations, universities, and the government sector about hunger and poverty.

Dr. Everett earned a bachelor’s degree from Samford University, a Master of Divinity from Truett Seminary at Baylor University, and his Doctor of Ministry from Duke Divinity School at Duke University. Jeremy is a Next Generation Fellow of the University of Texas LBJ School’s Strauss Center for International Security and Law, an Affiliate with Temple University’s Hope Center, and was the 2022 Waco Tribune Person of the Year. In 2014, Dr. Everett was appointed by U.S. Congress to serve on the National Commission on Hunger. He serves on various boards such as the 2030 Collaborative and Bread for the World where he is currently serving as Chair. (https://hungerandpoverty.web.baylor.edu/person/dr-jeremy-everett)