Shawn P. O’Grady has been elected as chair of the Feeding America National Board of Directors. His two-year term will begin on July 1, the beginning of Feeding America’s 2025 fiscal year. As O’Grady’s term begins, three newly elected board members will also begin their two-year terms – Julie Butner , president and CEO of the Tarrant Area Food Bank, Kofi Bruce , General Mills chief financial officer, and Rita Carreón , vice president for health at UnidosUS.
“Shawn is an exceptional leader who couples his profound expertise in the food industry with his passion for a hunger-free America,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot. “With food insecurity remaining stubbornly high, I am grateful for Shawn as he steps into his new role with Feeding America and continues to partner with our neighbors facing hunger to co-create solutions where everyone has the food they need to thrive.”
O’Grady has served on the Feeding America board since July 1, 2023, and served as co-chair of the Network Strategic Planning Committee and as a member of the Governance Committee. He succeeds Kelvin H. Taketa, retired president and CEO of the Hawai’i Community Foundation.
“I am honored to be elected chair by my dedicated board colleagues and am energized to serve alongside them in the movement to end hunger,” said O’Grady. “This movement can succeed when people facing hunger are at its heart. Together with Feeding America, the public, policymakers and the private sector, we are capable of achieving a food secure future for everyone.”
O’Grady will retire from General Mills on June 30, after a 34-year career in the food industry. Most recently, he led the North America Foodservice segment, which focuses on serving the needs of foodservice operators, including restaurants, bakeries, schools, universities, and hospitals, in the United States and Canada. Before that he led the U. S. Retail Sales organization for General Mills consumer food products.
Prior to joining the Feeding America Board of Directors, O’Grady served as a member of the board for Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank, including as chair from 2020-21.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Notre Dame and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
The Feeding America Board of Directors is made up of a diverse group of individuals from both private corporations and non-profits. The group helps to set and guide Feeding America's strategic direction to help fulfill the vision of an America where no one is hungry.
Contact
Please contact one of our media representatives or call 800-771-2303
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.