MANNA FoodBank welcome new CEO

MANNA FoodBank has a new face, and she is ready to meet the challenges of the future.

Meet Hannah Randall, CEO for MANNA FoodBank. Randall’s proven track record in engineering, warehouse operations, business administration, high-level corporate leadership, and advocating and volunteering for many nonprofits over the years, is unique for an incoming nonprofit director. Her experience speaks to her ability to take on a range of responsibilities when it comes to taking over the helm of one of the largest nonprofits in Western North Carolina.

MANNA FoodBank’s new CEO, Hannah Randall (left), joins Gary Landwirth, MANNA’s CEO transition consultant, and Cindy Threlkeld, MANNA’s recently retired Executive Director

“Hannah Randall emerged as an excellent choice to lead us into the future,” said Jim Mathews, President of MANNA’s Board of Directors and member of the CEO transition committee. “She demonstrated strong leadership skills early in her career, working her way from operations and engineering positions to become the youngest plant manager at Duke Energy.”

“We were very impressed with her lifelong passion for serving people in need,” said Mathews, of Randall’s experience in a variety of roles with nonprofits, including Animal Protection Society of Person County, Carolina Cross Connection, and the Lincoln County United Way, among others. “Her commitment to the wellbeing of the greater community is obvious in everything she does, both in her personal and professional life.”

“I was immediately drawn to MANNA’s mission,” said Hannah Randall, who began her tenure at MANNA on May 2, one day after staff, board, volunteers, and supporters celebrated the dedication of MANNA’s recent expansion to warehouse more nutrient-dense perishable foods. “MANNA is a very special organization, with an amazing network of dedicated support from the WNC community. I am looking forward to doing what the board of directors chose me to do, and build on the strong foundation set by the organization’s past leadership.”

The Stage is Set
“MANNA experienced significant growth over the past five years under the leadership of Cindy Threlkeld,” said Mathews. “We increased both the quality and quantity of food distributed, and renovated our facilities to be ready for the future.”

With the stage set, Randall’s priorities include growing MANNA’s strategic partnerships, particularly in relationship to addressing the root causes of poverty and the intersection between food insecurity and health.

“Partnerships are incredibly important to the work we do,” said Randall. “When people and organizations come together with a singular goal, there is no limit to what can be accomplished.”

Randall’s itinerary for her first weeks as CEO is a full one. It’s no simple task to onboard at MANNA; with thousands of volunteers, hundreds of partners, and countless donors and businesses that support MANNA’s work, there are a lot of people to meet, faces to name, and basics to cover.

“I have met so many people that are dedicated to our mission,” said Randall. “It is incredibly humbling, and illustrates one of the characteristics that our community shares: a strong dedication to ending hunger here in the mountains.”

“We have a strong staff, a committed corps of volunteers, an engaged board, and a stable financial base,” said Mathews. “MANNA is ready for the next phase of our journey towards a hunger-free Western North Carolina.”

Image Caption: MANNA FoodBank’s new CEO, Hannah Randall (left), joins Gary Landwirth (center), MANNA’s CEO transition consultant, and Cindy Threlkeld (right), MANNA’s recently retired Executive Director, at the recent dedication ceremony for the successful completion of the Space to Erase Hunger building project. The building project was a major initiative under Threlkeld’s tenure at MANNA, and sets the stage for Randall to further the food bank’s work to end hunger in Western North Carolina. Image courtesy of MANNA FoodBank