The Chattanooga Area Food Bank announced on Friday the appointment of Christa Mannarino as interim president, effective Oct. 26. Ms. Mannarino will lead the organization while the CAFB board of directors oversees an executive search to select a permanent president. Simultaneously, the CAFB board of directors announces six new members, as well as a full slate of officers and board members for fiscal year 2016.
Leading a network of over 300 partners in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank works to eliminate hunger and promote better nutrition in a 20-county service region.
Through the leadership of the board and interim president, the CAFB is well-positioned to continue pursuing an aggressive strategic plan to close the gap between the number of people in need and the number of people served each year.
“We are grateful Ms. Mannarino has agreed to assist us during this important time in the Chattanooga Area Food Bank’s history and know her wisdom and experience will benefit the organization considerably as we move forward,” said CAFB board of directors Chair Dan Gilmore.
Ms. Mannarino is a certified fundraising executive and holds an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Having recently served as director of Development & External Relations at Girls Preparatory School, Ms. Mannarino has a rich work history of nonprofit and civic action including tenures at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Association for Visual Arts, Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Chattanooga Venture. Her current board service includes the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute and Mark Making.
“Ms. Mannarino, along with all six of our newest board members, embodies the spirit of community and brings talent, expertise and energy to the table. We are very fortunate to have such a strategic team by our side as we continue to serve the community in our region,” said Marisa Ogles, director of External Relations.
Simultaneous to Ms. Mannarino’s appointment as interim president, the CAFB board of directors announces six new members.
Ben Brown, founding partner with Alderman Holdings, brings a background in finance, operations, and consulting. A graduate of Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management, Mr. Brown’s career spans a series of investment banking, venture capital, and private equity firms. He also currently serves on the Boys and Girls Club of Chattanooga board of directors.
Stefanie Crowe of Cornerstone/Smartbank is a seasoned banking veteran with experience in private banking, trust and wealth management, marketing, investor and government relations, corporate philanthropy, and strategic planning. In addition to serving on the Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation Board of Directors, she also serves as co-founder and general partner for The Jump Fund.
Rock Bridge Community Church (Rock Bridge) Lead Pastor Matt Evans brings a background of faith-based leadership, community organizing and engagement, and military service. As a current CAFB agency partner, Rock Bridge currently serves five counties in the Northwest Georgia region through mobile pantry efforts and the coordination of school Sack Pack distribution.
Community volunteer Mary Kilbride is an accomplished nonprofit board leader and civic activist. She brings with her a wealth of experience through her work on education, public television and arts organizations boards as well as through steering numerous committees and fundraisers. Ms. Kilbride currently serves on the Friends of the Festival, United Way of Greater Chattanooga and the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga Boards of Directors. She also serves as a board member at large for the Association for Visual Arts and ArtsBuild.
Jason Luna, a local entrepreneur who serves as both a founder and owner at 38 Degree Draft and Chief Operating Officer at Rapid RMS, returns to the CAFB Board of Directors. During his prior tenure on the CAFB board, Mr. Luna led the executive search committee in its selection of President Maeghan Jones. He has resumed his position and is spearheading search committee efforts to select a new CAFB president.
Elizabeth (Betsy) McCright, executive director at the Chattanooga Housing Authority, is a highly engaged civic leader with broad understanding for the challenges community members face. She brings a diverse background in law, government relations and urban development. Ms. McCright also serves on the Chattanooga United Way and Women’s Leadership Institute boards of directors.
The slate of board members for fiscal year 2016 is listed below:
Dan Gilmore, Squire Strategies – Chair
Tom Sullivan, Shaw Industries, Inc. – 1st Vice Chair
John Clark, TN Development Resources – 2nd Vice Chair
Dallas Joseph, Baylor School – Treasurer
Elizabeth (Betsy) McCright, Chattanooga Housing Authority - Secretary
Lewis Belknap, McKee Foods
Ben Brown, Alderman Holdings
Stefanie Crowe, Cornerstone/Smartbank
Mike Drew, Baylor School
Matt Evans, Rock Bridge Community Church
Fred Flint, Insurity Group
Mary Kilbride, Community Leader
Doug Loveridge, WRCB-TV
Jason Luna, Rapid RMS and 38 Degree Draft
Jere Young, Community Leader