Feeding Northeast Florida\u2019s Board of Directors recently announced that Susan King, president and CEO, will retire later this year following a nearly seven-year tenure of transformative leadership and service to the organization and the community.<\/p>\n
King will remain in her role until a successor is identified and onboarded. A search committee appointed by the board will oversee the recruitment process, with the goal of naming the organization\u2019s next leader by the end of 2026.<\/p>\n
King has played a uniquely important role in Feeding Northeast Florida\u2019s evolution. A founding board member when the organization was established in 2014, she assumed the role of president and CEO in 2019 and helped guide the food bank through a period of unprecedented innovation and community impact.<\/p>\n
Feeding Northeast Florida\u2019s day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives will continue uninterrupted throughout the transition. The food bank currently employs a staff of 96 and partners with more than 420 agencies that distribute food throughout its 12-county service area.<\/p>\n
King\u2019s tenure has been defined by transformational growth and the maturation of Feeding Northeast Florida into a leading regional organization addressing hunger, nutrition security and community well-being. Under her leadership, the food bank expanded its service area from eight to 12 counties, while significantly increasing both the number of neighbors served and the volume of food distributed across the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring my time at Feeding Northeast Florida, I have been privileged to work alongside an extraordinary team, dedicated partners and a community that deeply believes no neighbor should face hunger alone,\u201d said King. \u201cTogether, we have built something far bigger than a food bank. We have built a mission-driven organization focused on dignity, innovation and hope. I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished and excited for the next leader who will carry this mission forward. The opportunities ahead for Feeding Northeast Florida are even greater than those behind us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among King\u2019s most notable accomplishments was the creation of Project SHARE during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought together local restaurants, Florida Blue and community partners to prepare and distribute thousands of meals to vulnerable residents while supporting displaced hospitality workers.<\/p>\n
She also led several strategic initiatives that expanded the food bank\u2019s reach and impact, including the launch of the Corner Market mobile pantry program, the 2023 merger with Gainesville-based Bread of the Mighty Food Bank and the development of the organization\u2019s new $27-million Jacksonville headquarters. The campus more than doubled Feeding Northeast Florida\u2019s storage and distribution capacity and created a foundation for future growth.<\/p>\n
King further advanced the organization\u2019s focus on nutrition security through the establishment of a dedicated nutrition department and the creation of the Florida Blue Community Kitchen and Culinary Center. These efforts reflect Feeding Northeast Florida\u2019s commitment to improving long-term health outcomes while addressing immediate food needs.<\/p>\n
Today, Feeding Northeast Florida is recognized as one of Florida\u2019s leading hunger-relief organizations, supported by a strong leadership team, engaged board of directors, dedicated staff and an ever-expanding network of community partners. The organization is well-positioned for its next phase, as it continues expanding innovative solutions that address hunger, nutrition security, health outcomes and economic opportunity throughout Northeast and North Central Florida.<\/p>\n
\u201cSusan has helped transform Feeding Northeast Florida into one of the region\u2019s most impactful nonprofit organizations,\u201d said Dipak Rajhansa, chair of the Feeding Northeast Florida Board of Directors. \u201cHer leadership, compassion and vision strengthened our ability to serve neighbors facing hunger while building a culture rooted in collaboration, innovation and service. Because of Susan\u2019s leadership, Feeding Northeast Florida enters this transition from a position of strength. We are excited about the future and confident that the organization\u2019s next leader will inherit an exceptional team, strong community partnerships and tremendous opportunities to expand our impact across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information about Feeding Northeast Florida\u2019s services, go to FeedingNEFL.org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Feeding Northeast Florida\u2019s Board of Directors recently announced that Susan King, president and CEO, will retire later this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":311831,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[116,118,117],"class_list":["post-311830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}