GOOD SHEPHERD FOOD BANK - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President of Public Policy and Research
Amy Regan Gallant, vice president of public policy and research, joined the Food Bank in December 2019. Her work includes state and federal advocacy, working with partner agencies to utilize research tools to assess the impact of our work, and engaging our Board, donors, volunteers, community, and those who have lived experience of hunger in grassroots advocacy. Gallant's work is grounded in building relationships with elected officials and staff on all sides of the political aisle. You can find her in Augusta, DC and on the road throughout Maine.
Gallant was previously employed by AARP Maine as the advocacy director and built the successful Tuesdays at the State House constituent engagement program. She began her career at Preble Street, a social services organization in Portland, Maine, and oversaw the Maine Hunger Initiative, Healthcare Outreach to Veterans, and Homeless Voices for Justice.
Gallant is a volunteer with The Prouty, the Eastern Trail Alliance, and is a board member of Portland Ovations. She cares deeply about the "New Mainer" community and organized the 2019 Welcome Picnic for 300+ asylum seekers. Gallant grew up in Buxton and is a proud graduate of Catherine McAuley High School. She graduated from Saint Anselm College with a BA in Politics, New York University with an MS in International Development, and lives in South Portland with her husband, daughters, chickens, and bicycles.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Wabanaki Public Health
Anna Mercier, Annual Giving Specialist, joined the Food Bank in October 2021 as part of the Donor Relations team. Anna coordinates the Food Bank's direct marketing program and supports mid-level donors and the Thrive365 monthly giving program. She has seven years of experience in fundraising and communications from working at the Forest Society of Maine, a statewide land trust. Before that, she was employed by several other Maine nonprofits in various capacities. Anna graduated from the University of Maine in Orono in 2010 with a bachelor's degree. She currently lives in Eddington with her husband and a rambunctious dog. "What I love about working for nonprofits," Anna says, "is that I can go to work every day knowing that what I do helps make a positive difference in my community. At the Food Bank, I get to be part of an amazing group of staff, donors, and volunteers who are equally passionate about lending a hand to our neighbors and making Maine a better place."
Job Titles:
- Development Operations Coordinator
Ashley Davis, development operations coordinator, is responsible for the operational functions of the Developmental Operations team and supports the fundraising efforts of the Food Bank by seeking ways to increase gift processing efficiencies and sending acknowledgments of thanks to our generous donors. A part of the Food Bank team since 2019, Ashley strongly believes that food insecurity is a nationwide pandemic and takes great pride in supporting a cause she is very passionate about. Having lived in Maine all her life, Ashley enjoys being outside with family and friends. Her passions include four-wheeling, gardening, swimming, repurposing antique furniture, and interior decorating. She resides in Buckfield, Maine, with her fiancé, Corey, three stepsons, Camden, Bohden, and Harrison, and her dog and cat, Roxy and Kitty.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Executive Committee
- Chairman, First National Bank
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Finance and Administration
Bryan O'Connor is Vice President of Finance and Administration at Good Shepherd Food Bank, overseeing the accounting, technology, and risk management functions.
A Certified Management Accountant, Bryan has 18 years of experience in accounting and leadership roles. Before joining the Food Bank in 2015, he served as Vice President of Finance at United Way of Greater Portland.
A graduate of Bentley University, Bryan is a father of two, a self-published author, and a Little League baseball coach.
As a Philanthropy Advisor, Carol works to understand donor interests and strategies to meet their community and philanthropic goals. Before joining Good Shepherd Food Bank in May 2021, Carol served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at IAALS, the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver. Claiming Colorado as her adopted home in 1993, she held roles at Colorado Public Radio, served as Donor Advisor at the Alzheimer's Association, and led the $30M Fast Forward Campaign at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In these positions, she built and implemented communications plans and managed robust pipelines of potential and current donors while expanding interest and engagement.
Carol believes deeply that meaningful philanthropy arises from organizational engagement and conversations that test boundaries of thought and status quo, sparking interest and raising more questions than answers. Taking a genuine interest in individual curiosities, tapping into the core human motivation to connect, solve problems, and help others, she is convinced: people want to give and be a part of something bold and visionary.
After raising her three children in the foothills of Denver, Carol joined family in Portland, Maine, in October 2020, trading her skis for a kayak and continuing her search for adventure, to hike, breathe, and paddle with her Minpin, Roxy. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology with a concentration in Philosophy from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.
Courtney Erin Holub, Philanthropy Advisor, is responsible for working with donors to support the strategic goals of the Good Shepherd Food Bank. Her work includes understanding our donors' interests and aligning their philanthropic goals with the programs of GSFB.
Since 2012 she has held positions in nonprofits, including programming, marketing, communication, and philanthropy. Her work has been focused on increasing opportunity and equity for underserved populations. In 2016 Courtney relocated to Maine and has been focused on philanthropy ever since. With the ultimate goal of mission delivery, Courtney is passionate about relationship building and finding funding partnerships that ignite the donor's excitement and increase the organization's capacity.
Courtney received a B.F.A in Art Education and 3D Fine Arts from Massachusetts College of Art and completed her Masters in Nonprofit Management at Northeastern University. She is a board member and volunteer adaptive ski coach for New England Disables Sports. Courtney lives in Portland with her husband and dog and enjoys spending her time being active, gardening and cooking.
Daniel Del Rossi, development assistant at Good Shepherd Food Bank, provides administrative support to the development team. His work includes many tasks such as scheduling, data management, and communicating with both internal and external partners. Prior to joining Good Shepherd Food Bank, Daniel built an almost two-decade career in the non-profit sector. He provided administrative support to a large team of account and patient program executives at the American Cancer Society. He also completed a year of national service as an AmeriCorps volunteer in mid-coast Maine. Daniel received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Maine. When he's not working, he's probably watching a baseball game on TV or in-person (and occasionally both at the same time).
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Development
- Vice President of Development and Communications
Erin Fogg, vice president of development and communications, is responsible for developing strategies to raise the organization's visibility and to significantly grow philanthropic revenue for strategic initiatives, annual operations and capital projects.
Erin has more than 15 years' experience in the nonprofit sector. She joined the Food Bank from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), where she was most recently the director of development operations after serving in annual and major giving capacities. Before joining JAX, Erin held leadership roles in communications and event planning at Friends of Acadia in Bar Harbor, ME, and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce in Montpelier, VT.
Erin received a B.A. in Communications from Elizabethtown College and completed her M.B.A. at Husson University. A native Vermonter, Erin and her family have made Maine their home since 2007. She is a board member for Hall-Dale Youth Soccer and formerly served in volunteer capacities at Jesup Memorial Library and Maine Seacoast Mission.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Major and Planned Giving
Erin Peck Yarema, director of major and planned giving, acquired a passion for development from her time as a college student receiving scholarship support and witnessing dynamic change on campus fueled by generous donors.
Ethan Minton, Philanthropy Advisor, joined the Food Bank in 2017. He obtained a passion for ending hunger in 9th grade while completing an English assignment and, as he entered college, Ethan started raising money for organizations including Save the Children and Good Shepherd Food Bank.
Ethan has over 20 years of experience in broadcasting and prior to Good Shepherd Food Bank he was a trustee and then program director at Mid Coast Hunger Prevention.
Ethan studied business management at the University of Maine and lives with his wife and daughter and their cats in Brunswick.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Supply Chain
George Fox joined Good Shepherd Food Bank as Vice President of Supply Chain in 2020. He is responsible for helping the Food Bank grow its capacity to feed food-insecure Mainers.
Prior to joining Good Shepherd, Fox held engineering and operational leadership roles at L.L.Bean for over 20 years and received a B.S. from the University of Maine in Forestry, an MBA from New Hampshire College, and MS from the University of Southern Maine in Manufacturing Systems. He lives with his wife and teenage son in Gorham.
Job Titles:
- Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer
"I'm excited to join the team at Good Shepherd Food Bank and support the goal of ending hunger in Maine through improved access, education, advocacy, and effective partnerships," stated Georgia Jenkins, corporate and foundation relations officer. "I've always had a passion for anti-hunger and anti-poverty work, beginning as a teenager serving meals at the local soup kitchen and deciding early on to focus on solutions-based work in the nonprofit field." Georgia has over a decade of nonprofit experience, with a focus on relationship building, grants management, and process improvement. Prior to joining the Food Bank, she worked as the grants manager at Preble Street. Georgia currently serves on the Board of Youth and Family Outreach, an early childhood education and community center in Portland. She earned her Master's degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University and holds a Bachelor's in Sociology from Drew University. She served two terms with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps which fueled her passion for volunteering, community engagement, and connecting with people. Georgia lives in Portland with her wife, two kids, and a very energetic border collie!
Job Titles:
- Development Communication Specialist
- Development Communications Specialist
Jennifer Wilson, Development Communications Specialist, joined the Food Bank in October 2022. After working in development for the last few years, she has learned the art of creating visually appealing content that resonates with donors while being able to proofread documents at light speed. She is now tasked with conveying the impact of our work to donors at all levels. Her work includes strategizing and creating content highlighting the investments and aspirations of the Campaign to End Hunger in Maine. Jennifer comes to Good Shepherd Food Bank after working and volunteering with international nonprofits and has over a decade of communications experience in the private sector. She earned her bachelor's degree in media studies, with a concentration in production and design, at the University of Southern Maine. She received her master's degree in international studies with a focus on Latin America from Concordia University Irvine, which included fieldwork in Guatemala and Colombia. Although she grew up primarily in Southern California, it isn't easy to pinpoint which city Jennifer is from, being the daughter of a former Marine. She has called Maine her home for over 15 years now, and she is excited to use her skills and experience, as well as her love of storytelling, to help her community and end hunger in Maine for good. When not promoting the Campaign to End Hunger, you will most likely find Jennifer traveling, hiking with her partner, or spending time with her two teens, bearded dragon and dingo, aka "Charlie, the dog."
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
- for Marketing and Media Inquiries
Jessica Donahue is currently director of marketing and communications for Maine's largest hunger-relief organization, Good Shepherd Food Bank. She would love to live in a world where socks always have their matches, mini-golf games are televised, and hot cocoa is always served with giant, fluffy homemade butterscotch flavored marshmallows. She parked thousands of cars on the Penobscot River shores when she helped create Bangor's Car Show: Wheels on the Waterfront and introduced new brews to the masses with Bangor's Beer Festival - Tap into Summer. All was done while she was the director of marketing and promotions for the Greater Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau in Maine. Skilled at no and low-cost marketing, she's always looking for new and innovative ways to promote products, which helped her as an account supervisor for Marshall Communications. There she oversaw the web development department and several clients' portfolios, including PR for Orvis and Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. You can find her most days striving to end hunger, writing PR and strategic marketing plans, navigating social platforms' algorithms, and working from home with her 70-pound Great Pyr mix named Bumble and new addition, Higgins, a lab mix puppy. And, yes, Bumbles do bounce!
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Lift Point Marketing & Communications
Job Titles:
- Development Operations Manager
Julie joined the Food Bank ten years ago and considers herself fortunate to work for an organization with a mission that is so close to her heart. Her work as the Manager of Development Operations allows her to see first-hand the generosity and kindness of the Food Bank's donors. Julie grew up in Massachusetts and having enjoyed Maine as a special place over the years made the move. She resides in Scarborough with her husband and cat.
Job Titles:
- Development Operations Associate
"One of my biggest hobbies is cooking; it brings a lot of joy to me and I love seeing how it can bring people together," said Kaitlyn Myers, development operations associate. "It's heartbreaking to see the level of food insecurity in Maine (and nationally!) and realizing that so many people are worried about getting enough food on the table that it can be one of the biggest stressors in their daily life. I love that I'm now part of an organization that hopes to remove the stigma and stress of food insecurity because I want everyone to have the chance to see food as something that brings their families together and maybe even sparks joy like it does for me." Myer's background consists of positions in HR and accounting at nonprofits that provided support to children and adults with developmental disabilities, she assisted with case management at a law firm and held an administrative position at a doctor's office. Myers also studied at Frostburg State University in Maryland and the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Job Titles:
- Donor Engagement Specialist
Kate Rice, Donor Engagement Specialist, coordinates community fundraisers, food drives and creates engaging educational events for Good Shepherd Food Bank's donors. Kate joined Good Shepherd Food Bank in September 2022 after working for several years with the Wells Reserve at Laudholm in Wells, ME. Previously, she held roles at All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota, FL, and served as an AmeriCorps Vista with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul community assistance center in Exeter, NH. Kate received her B.A. from the University of New Hampshire with a double major in Environmental and Resource Economics and Geography. When she's not working, you can find Kate tending to her gardens and chickens, hiking, camping, and enjoying Maine throughout the seasons with her husband and dog.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Secretary, Tilson
Kristen Miale is the president of Good Shepherd Food Bank, a role she has had the honor to hold for the past ten years. She has reoriented the Food Bank's work to prioritize access to healthy food for all, more than tripled the organization's food distribution, and expanded community partnerships across the state. She and her team of 100+ work with a network of more than 600 community-based organizations to distribute 30 million meals a year, making Good Shepherd Food Bank Maine's largest hunger-relief organization. Before Kristen became president of the food bank, she worked for over a decade in the private equity and business consulting fields. After volunteering for hunger relief organizations, she decided to make her passion for ending hunger her occupation. Kristen founded and ran Cooking Matters Maine, a cooking and nutrition education program created by the national Cooking Matters organization and implemented through Good Shepherd Food Bank for low-income families. Kristen received her undergraduate degree from Boston College, and her Master's in Business Administration from Boston University, where she studied both entrepreneurship and nonprofit management. Currently, she serves on the Board of the Maine Philanthropy Center and the Board of Crown of Maine Organic Cooperative. When she isn't traveling the state from Aroostook to York, Kristen resides in Kennebunk with her husband, Drew, and two sons (Sam and Alex). She enjoys reading (especially at the beach), running, cooking, and spending time with her two cats
Job Titles:
- Development Operations Associate
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Marketing & Communications
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Northern Light Health
Job Titles:
- President of Harvesting Good
Matt Chin, president of Harvesting Good, has been with Good Shepherd Food Bank for six years. Harvesting Good is a wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary of Good Shepherd Food Bank. Its mission is to improve access to nutritious food for people in need and strengthen regional food systems by creating food processing infrastructure for farmers in the Northeast. Previously, Matt was vice president of supply chain and was responsible for growing the capacity so the Food Bank could meet their bold goal by 2025, ensuring that all food-insecure Mainers have access to the food they need, when and where they need it. The Supply Chain organization includes distribution centers in Auburn and Hampden, our fleet of tractor-trailers, sourcing, inventory management, facilities, and safety. Prior to Good Shepherd Food Bank, Matt was the executive vice president of business operations at Goodwill of Northern New England. Before Goodwill, Matt spent 25 years at Fairchild/National Semiconductor working in process improvement, sales operations, finance, IT, and various marketing positions. Matt received his Sc.B. from Brown University and his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. He lives in Yarmouth with his wife and has two grown boys. He serves on Maine Medical Center's Planning and Program Committee, Fork Food Labs board and The Woodlands' Handicap Committee.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Equity and Impact
Megan Taft joined Good Shepherd Food Bank in 2018 as the advocacy and community organizing manager. In this role, she responded to the strategic priority of centering the voices of those most impacted by hunger in the Food Bank's work and decision-making. In 2019, alongside many community partners, Megan supported the Building Advocates Leadership Program (BALP) launch, a program designed to center and uplift the voices of food insecure Mainers in a statewide movement to end hunger. In 2021, the evolving work and priorities of the Food Bank culminated in a deepening commitment to understanding the racial and economic disparities underlying hunger. Megan accepted the director of equity, diversity, and inclusion position. She has a deep background and prior professional experience leading equity and diversity work. In this role, Megan works closely with the Equity and Advocacy Team and her colleagues across the Food Bank to envision a more just and equitable food system in Maine. Outside of her work with Good Shepherd Food Bank, Megan is the co-founder of Twin Villages Foodbank Farm, alongside her partner, Sara, and their daughter, Adley. Megan previously owned and operated Seed by Seed Farm and supported the start-up of an immigrant growers' cooperative in Madison, Wisconsin. She has an M.Ed in Diversity and Social Justice from the University of Massachusetts, focusing on food access and security.
Job Titles:
- Marketing and Communications Manager
Megan Gagne, marketing and communications manager, is responsible for supporting the execution of the communications strategy and marketing plans for the Food Bank. She develops website content, manages social media, assists with media outreach, and leads story collection strategy for the Food Bank. She has a strong background in digital marketing, social media listening, storytelling, and driving online customer engagement through social platforms. She moved to Augusta, Maine, in 2015 and started working for Marshall Communications as an account coordinator and then was promoted to account executive with many travel and tourism clients, as well as nonprofit clients, higher education, and healthcare industries. Prior to Marshall Communications, Gagne held nonprofit healthcare and sport marketing roles. Gagne received a B.S. in public relations and a double minor in English and writing from Northern Michigan University. Gagne was on the Northern Michigan University Varsity Swim and Dive Team, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), and a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). She lives in Sidney, Maine, and is a swim coach for the KV YMCA Stingrays and volunteers at the Augusta Food Bank. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, fishing, and spending time with her husband, dog, and cat.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- SKH Human Resources Solutions
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- for Human Resources Inquiries
- Vice President of People and Culture
Nicole Nadeau, vice president of people and culture, joined Good Shepherd Food Bank in February 2010. Nadeau nurtures a high-engagement culture throughout the Food Bank's statewide workforce that supports talent development, fosters employee wellbeing, and positions the organization to meet its short- and long-term goals. Her work is grounded in building meaningful relationships and delivering a great employee and volunteer experience. She is fascinated by learning about the energy and joy within everyone. General Mills previously employed Nadeau in Scottsdale, Arizona. While at General Mills, she was approached by St. Mary's Food Bank to host a volunteer group and donate cereal to the food bank. On her first experience with any food bank, she was captivated by the work the Food Bank was doing and fell in love with the spirit and essence of community support and helping others. Five years later, Nadeau moved to Maine and was excited to see an opportunity as a gift processor at Good Shepherd Food Bank. After a year in the gift processing role, she moved into the Human Resources department. Nadeau is a volunteer working with incarcerated women in recovery as they prepare to return to their community. She offers mentorship and group support sessions at the women's facility in Windham, Maine. She is an avid reader, explorer, and learner. She raises her three children to lead with kindness, compassion, and awareness.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Director of Donor Relations
With a decade of experience in nonprofit fundraising and communications, Robin oversees the donor experience, emphasizing annual giving strategies and donor services. She calls upon her experience with large-scale direct response and data-driven donor engagement strategies to create experiences that help donors make a difference in their communities. She is happy to talk your ear off about the value of a recurring monthly donation and appreciates crafting a good thank-you note. Robin grew up in central Maine, has lived and worked in the Midwest and Washington, DC, and now resides in Bucksport with her husband and dog.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Vice Chair of the Executive Committee
- Vice Chair, WoodworthMaker, LLC.
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President of Community Partnerships
Shannon Coffin, vice president of community partnerships, joined Good Shepherd Food Bank in 2010 and launched the first Youth & Families Initiatives partnerships in 2011. Under her leadership from 2011 to 2019, Youth & Families Initiatives grew from reaching 40 children in one school to over 5,000 families in over 150 schools. From November 2019 to August 2020, Shannon served as Good Shepherd Food Bank's Director of Community Partnerships, helping to lead the transition of our Community Resources team. She grew the team from four Field Representatives focused on agency compliance to seven Community Resource Representatives, building agency capacity and managing relationships with local retail donors through increased partner engagement.
Shannon is a part of Full Plates Full Potentials Leadership Council and has served as Chair for both their Child & Adult Care Food Program and Summer Food Service Program committees. She is also very active in the national Feeding America network. Most recently, she was selected to be a part of Feeding America's first Equitable Access Innovation Cohort. In the past, she has provided support to peers across the country as a Child Hunger Capacity Adviser and as a Child Hunger Corps Supervisor.
Prior to working at Good Shepherd Food Bank, Shannon was Marketing & Events Coordinator for Green Tree Event Consultants in Falmouth, Maine, from 2006 to 2010. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from St. Joseph's College of Maine in 2007 with a Bachelor's in Public Relations and Advertising. Outside of work, Shannon is an avid gardener, mother of twins, and a local Girl Scout Leader.