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.
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on X.com.