Haniff will lead the state's largest nonprofit
provider of food resources for hungry families and single largest
provider of meals to older Pennsylvanians
HARRISBURG, Pa., July 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hunger-Free Pennsylvania today
named Stuart I.R. Haniff, MHA, as
its new executive director. Haniff is a nationally recognized
anti-hunger voice with more than two decades of experience in
nonprofit leadership, administration and health-care management. He
is a food banker at heart and fundraiser by trade.
Haniff becomes only the second executive director in the 40-year
history of the nonprofit, which has been led since its inception by
Sheila Christopher, who retired
June 30.
"It's impossible to describe what Sheila has meant to
Hunger-Free Pennsylvania," said board chair Jennifer Brillhart, President & CEO of the
York County Food Bank. "She has dedicated her whole life to this
organization and the individuals and families we serve. We'll miss
her but wish her all the joy and happiness she deserves.
"With Stuart taking the reins, we won't miss a beat," she
continued. "His background and experience make him the perfect fit
to lead Hunger-Free Pennsylvania and write the next chapter for our
organization. We're so fortunate to have him join our team and so
excited about the skills and talents he brings to help us advance
our mission of serving those who need it most."
Hunger-Free Pennsylvania is the state's largest nonprofit
provider of food resources for hungry families and the single
largest provider of meals to older Pennsylvanians and needy
seniors. Its statewide network of 18 food banks serves all 67
counties.
Haniff most recently served as Chief Development Officer and
Vice President of Philanthropy, respectively, for two of the
largest food banks in South
Florida. Prior to that he served as Chief Executive Officer
of The Food Bank of The Rio Grande Valley, one of the largest food
banks in Texas, and successfully
shepherded the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic, a direct
hit from Hurricane Hanna, and the worst winter freeze in more than
100 years.
His work food bank work began when he was Chief Philanthropy
Officer for Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino in California from 2015 to 2018.
"My goal is to do more than simply feed people," Haniff said.
"Hunger is big, but the compassion, commitment and contributions of
our community are bigger. I believe it's our responsibility to help
our vulnerable neighbors who face the anxiety and uncertainty of
not knowing where their next meal is coming from."
In 2016, Haniff completed Feeding America's Advocacy Academy,
where he lobbied on Capitol Hill on behalf of child hunger and food
insecurity in the Inland Empire in Southern California. He also served as an
ambassador for Feeding America's National Hunger Action Month
Committee (HAM) and has robust experience in the fields of advocacy
and community engagement with his service to various initiatives
and committees with Feeding America.
Haniff has provided leadership within some of the most venerable
nonprofit organizations in the country, including The United Way
and Make-A-Wish Foundation. His passion for bettering the lives of
those less fortunate is manifested in promoting health and
wellness, fighting poverty and promoting art initiatives throughout
Southern California and across the
country.
His nonprofit expertise includes resource development, capacity
building, strategic planning, governance, capital campaigns,
organizational development, program delivery, and operations,
bringing more than 15 years of improving policies and delivering
services to those most vulnerable.
Through his consulting work, he has supported non-profit and
healthcare organizations to grow capacity and strengthen the impact
of their mission.
Born in Glasgow, Scotland,
Haniff comes from a family of medical professionals who instilled
in him a lifelong dedication to tackling the issues of hunger,
health and poverty. He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), with a degree in political science. He also
has a master's degree in health-care administration (MHA).
Hunger-Free Pennsylvania retained The Batten Group Executive
Search & Consulting to conduct a national search for a new
executive over the course of several months.
"It is such an honor to pass the baton to someone of Stuart's
caliber," Christopher said. "The organization is lucky to have him,
and Pennsylvania is better for it.
He has what it takes in terms of skills, compassion and drive not
only to keep up the fight against hunger, but also to address the
underlying policy issues that perpetuate food insecurity. I wish
him all the best."
Christopher has been synonymous with Hunger-Free Pennsylvania
for four decades, helping to launch the organization in 1983 when
the national recession peaked and nearly a quarter of residents in
some communities were out of work when factories shuttered and mill
doors closed.
Her work has been lauded statewide and nationally, and under her
leadership Hunger-Free Pennsylvania has received numerous awards
for its extraordinary efforts to provide life-sustaining meal
deliveries and nutrition services to needy residents.
Christopher long has been a champion of service to low-income
and homebound seniors, with recognition from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Recently, she helped launch an innovative partnership
with DoorDash to have healthy, nutritious meals delivered to
homebound seniors, resulting in dramatic increase in the number of
food boxes delivered each month and demonstrating the
transformational power of partnerships to serve those in need.
For more information, visit www.HungerFreePA.org.
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SOURCE Hunger-Free Pennsylvania