Behind every great organization is a great Board. And the Board of FRN blows that notion out of the water. Our Board of Directors are responsible for maintaining the health and well-being of our organization, and I want you to know FRN is in very capable hands. Each and every Board member cares about the success of FRN just as much as each of you. And I have some exciting news to share with everyone.

First, some bittersweet news: After 3 years as our Board Chair, Robert “Bob” Grimm, Director of the Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Maryland, is stepping down from this role. On the bright side, he’s not going far as he will remain on the FRN Board—so we’ll still benefit from Bob’s expert guidance and knowledge.

Please join me in congratulating Ernie Minor, Vice President Business Development with Sodexo, who is stepping into the role of Board Chair. Ernie has been on the Board since 2014. Ernie brings years of business experience to help navigate FRN as we aim for bigger and bigger goals. He has been instrumental in connecting FRN to his colleagues to foster the growth of more chapters. Sodexo is a major sponsor of FRN, and they have helped catapult us into the national stage.

I am also so thrilled to announce that in February two new amazing individuals joined the FRN Board of Directors. Please join me in welcoming Nosheen Ahmad, Program Manager with FH1 360, and Kristine Young, Sustainability Manager at Darden Restaurants. Among many other areas, Nosheen is passionate about planning and implementing long-term complex projects, and Kristine has a deep understanding of sustainability and food recovery, and is known for her people-connecting abilities. Both Nosheen and Kristine will add expertise to support FRN as we move into our next phase as an organization.

I look forward to sharing more about our Board members in the upcoming months. Many of them will be at the National Food Recovery Dialogue next month, too!