The Community Harvest Food Bank’s Board of Directors is proud to announce that Carmen Cumberland will be stepping into the role of President and CEO of its organization.
Community Harvest Food Bank Announces Carmen Cumberland as President and CEO
Fort Wayne, Indiana (July 4, 2021) – Since 2016, John Wolf, CEO, and Carmen Cumberland, Executive President, served as the Leadership Team of Community Harvest Food Bank. Following John’s retirement on June 30, the Board of Directors is proud to announce that Carmen Cumberland will be stepping into the role of President and CEO of Community Harvest.
“The Board is pleased to share that Carmen has accepted a new role as President and CEO,” said Donna Van Vlerah, Board Chair. “Her passion for eliminating food insecurity in our local communities will continue to be a blessing for northeast Indiana. Carmen’s background and experience will serve Community Harvest Food Bank and allow it to grow for many years to come. Please join me in congratulating Carmen.”
“I strongly believe in who we are, our mission, and the people we serve,” said Cumberland, President and CEO. “It is imperative that we continue to provide support to our clients, the agencies that walk alongside us in the fight against hunger, and the community. This new fiscal year, we’ll focus on building member agency capacity, growing our endowment for a sustainable future, and being mindful of nutrition as we focus on the distribution of healthy whole foods. The food bank team and I are ready to continue the mission so no senior, Veteran, child, or family has to worry about where their next meal is coming from. As we have learned during the past year, it takes all of us to make hunger relief a success and we will continue to engage the community and make good use of our time, talent, and treasure to help people in need.”
Carmen has served for more than 20 years at the food bank, starting as Director of Finance and Human Resources, before stepping into the role of Interim Executive Director in 2015. In January 2016, Carmen took the role of Executive President in a Leadership Team with John Wolf, CEO.
Carmen is a Fort Wayne native and graduated from South Side High School. She is also a Veteran, having served four years in the United States Navy, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. In addition to her work at Community Harvest Food Bank, Carmen serves on several boards and committees. She is a Board Member and Volunteer Co-chair at Northeast Indiana Base Community Council (NIBCC), which serves as a catalyst in unifying the military and civilian components of our community. In addition, she serves as a Committee Member for Fort Wayne Homeless Veterans Stand Down, a Selection Committee Member for Multiplying Good, a member of 100+ Women Who Care Fort Wayne, and NIPSCO East Region Community Advisory Panel (CAPS).
In 2017, she and her husband purchased a 23-acre farm, which includes 16 tillable acres and a greenhouse. They grow green beans, sweet corn, edamame, peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli that are distributed through CHFB’s northeast footprint.
About Community Harvest Food Bank
Established in 1983, Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc. feeds 21,100 people every week. Last year, CHFB distributed 17.1 million pounds of food to nearly 80,000 unique individuals. Donna Van Vlerah serves as Board Chair and Carmen Cumberland serves as President and CEO. Community Harvest is one of 200 Feeding America member food banks in the United States, and one of 11 regional members of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. Community Harvest feeds hungry people in the nine counties of northeast Indiana. For more information, please visit https://www.communityharvest.org/.
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