FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2021

Media Inquiries:
Vivien Minton
Marketing Director
vminton@foodshare.com
(805) 822-8027

FOOD SHARE WELCOMES THREE NEW MEMBERS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(OXNARD, CA) – Food Share, Ventura County’s largest hunger-relief organization, has appointed Drew West, Hannah Wirz, and Mark Miller to its board of directors. The board provides strategic and financial direction to the food bank’s leadership team, and actively participates in fundraising and networking activities.

In other changes, Shawn O’Hara, Principal of O’Hara Management Consulting is replacing Jeffrey Hathaway, Senior Vice President of Claims Litigation at Farmers Insurance, as board chair. Hathaway has served as chair since 2018 and will remain on the board. Additionally, Randolph Hinton, President of RH Wealth Advisors, who most recently served as vice chair and former treasurer has stepped down from the board after nine years of service. The vice chair position is now filled by Brad Bartlett, President of Dole Packaged Foods.

Drew West is the recently retired General Manager of Global Academic Partnerships for The Trade Desk, based in Ventura, collaborating with traditional and non-traditional education institutions to prepare students for successful careers within the AdTech industry. Drew lives in Ojai, and is an avid supporter of community service initiatives related to education, shelter and housing, food and nutrition, and at-risk senior and child assistance programs. Commenting on his appointment Drew said, “I support Food Share because I believe that meeting basic needs, such as access to good food and nutrition, is critical to the health of our community and that giving and helping others in need is critical to the health of our society.”

Hannah Wirz has over 22 years of experience in the agricultural industry and currently manages product supply for Bayer’s North America Vegetable business. She derives great satisfaction from being part of the food supply chain responsible for feeding our growing population. She enjoys using her business acumen and leadership skills to build strong teams and organizations. Hannah also serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for the Pacific Coast of the American Red Cross. “As someone working daily in the agriculture industry, I am excited to help make a vital organization like Food Share able to succeed and grow,” said Hannah. “Access to food has never been more important and I look forward to working closely with the board to further Food Share’s mission.”

Mark Miller has a diverse career background in marketing, sales and product management roles in entertainment, food safety, and healthcare. More recently, he has used his skills to bring custom lighting solutions to the food and construction industries. He lives in Camarillo and, in his spare time, enjoys cooking, discovering new restaurants, live music, museums, hiking, gardening and volunteering. “I’m excited to be joining the board of directors. Ventura County faces many compelling challenges, but food insecurity shouldn’t be one of them,” he said.

Commenting on the changes, Monica White, Food Share’s President and CEO, who herself previously served as a member of Food Share’s Board of Directors said, “My sincerest thanks to Jeff and Randy for their dedicated service and I look forward to working with our newest board members. Our board members are critical partners and sage advisors in helping guide the direction of the organization. Food Share is at a pivotal point. We’re moving forward with studies and analysis to determine how we can best meet the needs of our community in the future. They are joining our board at a challenging, but exciting time.”

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About Food Share of Ventura County:

  • Even in normal circumstances, an estimated 1 in 6 people in Ventura County experiences food insecurity, meaning that they are without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
  • Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Food Share of Ventura County has seen an unprecedented rise in need in addition to the 75,000 people the organization already serves on a monthly basis. Food Share now estimates the number is closer to 150,000.
  • Since April 1, 2020, Food Share has held more than 275 emergency drive-thru food distributions, distributing more than 350,000 emergency food boxes serving nearly 1 million individuals.
  • These distributions are a supplement to the ongoing work of Food Share’s pantry and agency partner network, of which approximately 15% remain closed.
  • For all the latest information on where to find food, how to volunteer and how you can support Food Share with a monetary donation visit: www.foodshare.com
  • Download Food Share’s new app , available for free in the App Store and Google Play by searching “Food Share of Ventura County.” The app provides a new Find Food Now search function, which allows anyone in need of food to quickly identify sources of free food on any given day. Visit: foodshare.com/app/ for details.
  • Food Share is honored to have been named a 2020 CA Nonprofit of the Year by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin.
  • Follow Food Share on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and tag posts #WeFeedVC
  • Food Share is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, as well as the California Association of Food Banks.