Recognizing excellence in food banking

I'm at the Feeding America National Executive Director Forum this week, a gathering of the CEO's of food banks from around the country.  And in my current role as Vice Chair of the Feeding America National Council, I chaired the selection committee for the John Van Hengel Fellowship this year.

The John Van Hengel Fellowship is named for the founder of food banking and is a kind of lifetime achievement award presented each year to someone within the Feeding America network who has demonstrated both local impact and national influence and who exhibits the highest level of integrity and the entrepreneurial sprit that is embodied in food banking.



Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America,
award recipient Larry Sly, and me.

As chair of the committee, I was thrilled to present the award today to Larry Sly of the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano in California.  In his 37 years in food banking, Larry has held regional and national leadership roles, has developed innovative new programs to help end hunger, and has mentored many other people who work in food banks around the country.

Congratulations, Larry!  It's an honor to work with you and to be able to recognize your work today.