Second Harvest Food Bank Of North Central Ohio is excited to announce new board members and roles for the 2024-25 fiscal year which began on July 1.

“Our board is instrumental to our mission,” said Julie Chase-Morefield, president and CEO of Second Harvest. “They help guide our strategic plan, support our fundraising efforts, and share our passion for creating pathways to nutritious food. I’m excited for what we are going to accomplish together.”

New board members

Chris Patterson is the senior director of sales and business development at Nutrition For Longevity. His experience connecting people to healthy meals will benefit the board, particularly with increased efforts for food as medicine programming.

Dave Sokoll is the executive director of the Oberlin Food Hub. The board will benefit from his experience working with local agricultural partners as strengthening the local food system will increase food access for everyone in our communities.

Ian Whinnem is the chief financial officer at Civista Bank and has previously volunteered at our sister food banks in the region. His extensive banking background will be an asset to the board along with his dedication to the issue of food insecurity.

Chris Wolf retired from Progressive Insurance after 32 years. He has been a Second Harvest volunteer for the past three years. His corporate experience and knowledge of our organization will give him a unique perspective for the board.

New board roles

Lisa Brown is our new board chair. She has served on the Second Harvest board since 2020, helping navigate the pandemic and the end of pandemic relief support. In addition to her active role on the board, most recently as board vice chair, Brown serves as the executive director of the Lorain County Community College (LCCC) Foundation. LCCC partners with Second Harvest on their Commodore’s Cupboard food pantry and SNAP outreach efforts.

Manoj Kumar is our new vice board chair. He has served on the Second Harvest board since 2022. In his first year, he garnered support from the business community for our major events including Harvest For Hunger and Generous Helpings. Alongside his work on the board, Kumar is the vice president of strategy and global supply chain at Sherwin-Williams.

“People are struggling right now,” said Chase-Morefield. “We are seeing a 32% increase in food pantry visits compared to last year. The knowledge and support of our board will allow us to keep serving this increased need while growing our capacity to help even more.”

For more information on how to find help or to get involved with Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvestfoodbank.org or call 440-960-2265.

Submitted by Second Harvest Food Bank.