WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lynn Brantley, President and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank and the leader of hunger relief efforts in the Washington metro area since 1980, today announced she will be retiring at the end of this year.
"Lynn's vision and passionate commitment to the mission of the Capital Area Food Bank have remained unchanged over the years – to feed the hungry with dignity, prevent food waste and save partner agencies countless dollars while they serve those most in need," said Capital Area Food Bank Chairman Greg Ten Eyck, adding that Brantley will continue to serve the food bank as president emeritus.
Chosen unanimously by the Board, Brantley's successor will be Nancy E. Roman, currently Director of Public/Private Partnerships and Communications at the United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP), the world's largest humanitarian agency, feeding 100 million people in 75 countries. Roman will assume her new role as President and CEO of CAFB on Jan. 2.
Speaking on behalf of the CAFB Board of Directors, Ten Eyck said, "Nancy Roman embodies the skills and experience necessary to continue the tradition of excellence and innovation so critical to the future of the Capital Area Food Bank. Her success in raising awareness and resources for the fight against hunger worldwide is well-known and we are confident that her leadership and expertise will allow us to expand further to meet the complex hunger needs in the region."
At WFP, Roman supervises a global staff of more than 100 and pioneered innovative partnerships with the private sector that allow WFP to expand services to millions of more mothers and children in the poorest parts of the globe.
"It is a great honor to be chosen for this important role and to follow in the footsteps of a visionary leader like Lynn Brantley," she said. "The CAFB is on firm footing and prepared for the future because of her leadership and inspiration. I'm so grateful she will continue to advise and support us as president emeritus."
In the late 1970's, following cuts in the USDA's food stamp program, Brantley worked with the Interfaith Conference and the United Planning Organization to organize food provisions for the poor in the District of Columbia and surrounding areas. Brantley said, "We founded the Capital Area Food Bank in 1980 on January 15, Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday – as a temporary hunger relief operation, but, regrettably, the need continues to grow. Back then, we had hoped to see poverty and hunger diminish, but today more than 680,000 individuals, including 200,000 children, in our region look to us for help."
Due to the uncertain economy and the increasing numbers of those suffering from inadequate nutrition, Brantley directed the Capital Area Food Bank to embark on a capital campaign five years ago. "We were outgrowing our former warehouse and were no longer able to meet the growing demand for food," she said.
The Capital Area Food Bank's new headquarters, located at 4900 Puerto Rico Avenue, NE, officially opened July 31. Over time, the new food distribution center will allow the CAFB to more than double its storage and food distribution capacity to meet the growing need.
In the early days the food bank was a small operation providing 1,537 pounds of food per month to a few thousand people. Today, the CAFB has 130 employees and distributes 33 million pounds of food a year – half of which is fresh produce – through 700 non-profit partner agencies in Washington, DC; Northern Virginia; and Prince George's and Montgomery counties in Maryland.
Under Brantley's leadership, the CAFB developed a comprehensive approach to addressing hunger by providing nutrition education and training; hosting hunger conferences; attracting some 18,000 volunteers to the food bank annually and advocating on behalf of those who rely on such programs as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which was previously known as the food stamp program.
Brantley said, "Our many partnerships with the community over the years have been central to our role in educating, empowering and enlightening our neighbors about the issues of hunger and nutrition. The community's continued support will encourage the Capital Area Food Bank to grow far beyond the doors of our new facility as we stand behind our mission to serve others 'til no one is hungry."
The Capital Area Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, is the Washington metro area's largest nonprofit food and nutrition education resource. To learn more, go to http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/
The Capital Area Food Bank logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13079