Our Mission : Executives & Board

The Board and Executive Team of The Greater Boston Food Bank bring skill and passion to our mission. They come from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, and are leaders in both the business and nonprofit communities of eastern Massachusetts.

PRESIDENT AND CEO

Catherine D'Amato

Catherine D'Amato has been in the food business since her Italian immigrant parents opened a restaurant when she was eight. She's been a leader in the nation's food bank network for 32 years, coming to The Greater Boston Food Bank as Executive Director in 1995, and named President and CEO in 1997. Under her leadership and guidance, GBFB's distribution of food has increased from 8 to over 40 million pounds of food per year. Today, the organization is a $60 million charitable food business, with nearly 550 agency partners, and a new, state-of-the-art food distribution warehouse in the heart of Boston. Last year, GBFB distributed enough food to feed as many as 545,000 people in need.

D'Amato's passion for ending hunger was instilled by her hard-working father, whose modest restaurant had a policy of feeding homeless and hungry people, and whose compassion and generosity still inspire her. She believes people have a right to food, and that letting them go hungry is simply wrong. This drives her vision for GBFB, and frames her message to government, business and community leaders. "Hunger can be solved," she says. "But it will take social and political will, greater awareness and more resources."

With the support of GBFB's dedicated board and staff, and the generosity and commitment of donors and volunteers, D'Amato is leading the implementation of an ambitious strategic plan, "End Hunger Here", that will increase food distribution to over 41 million pounds in 2013, or enough to provide 32 million meals. That will put GBFB closer to providing at least one meal a day to those at risk of hunger in eastern Massachusetts.

"Achieving that goal will require everyone to play their role in ending hunger in our community," continues D'Amato. "With our member hunger-relief agencies already working beyond their capacity to meet the region's growing hunger problem, GBFB is expanding its own food distribution programs, and collaborating with public and private partners to provide healthy food to those who earn too much to receive government food assistance, but still can't afford to feed themselves or their families."

"Food banks are evolving to meet ever-increasing needs," she concludes. "We're expanding our capacity, working in innovative and collaborative ways with partners and supporters, and becoming more efficient and effective. With under- and unemployment still too high, this is our future, and what we have to do if we're going to end hunger here."

Click here for Catherine's complete biography.

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Carol Tienken

Carol Tienken has been Chief Operating Officer of The Greater Boston Food Bank since 1999. Prior to joining The Food Bank, Tienken was at Polaroid Corporation in Domestic and International Marketing for 18 years. She also was an employee member of the Polaroid Foundation for five years, working on grant responses for the Boston-Area Community Committee. She serves on the board of directors of the Newmarket Business Association and is an active member of its Issues Committee. Tienken grew up in Sub-Saharan Africa as the daughter of an American diplomat and received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and MSJ in Magazine Editorial from Northwestern University.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

David Noymer

David Noymer joined The Greater Boston Food Bank as Chief Financial Officer in July 2009. In this role, he is responsible for Finance and Accounting, along with Information Technology. Prior to joining The Food Bank, Noymer served as CFO for several different service sector companies over the past 22 years. Most recently, he was CFO at Accounting Management Solutions. Previously, he served as CFO at Feinstein Kean Healthcare, Information Mapping, and Clinical Data. Noymer also served as a Director for the Boston Chapter of Financial Executives International from 1999 – 2001. He earned a BSBA in Accounting from American University, and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts. Noymer is a CPA in Massachusetts.

Board of Directors

The Greater Boston Food Bank is fortunate to be guided by a dedicated and generous board of directors who are devoted to our mission to end hunger in eastern Massachusetts.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chair – Philip Licari, Babson College

Vice-chair – Woody Bradford, CFA President and Chief Executive Officer, Conning

Vice-chair – Peter S. Lawrence, President, ArQule, Inc.

Vice-chair – Verne Powell, Retired, Shaw's & Star Market

Vice-chair – Seth Weinroth, CEO, Aldwin Apartments

Treasurer – Lon Povich, EVP, General Counsel & Secretary, BJ's Wholesale Club, Inc.

Clerk – Trudi Veldman, Senior Director Biologics, AbbVie Bioresearch Center

Member Ex Officio – Catherine D'Amato, President & C.E.O, The Greater Boston Food Bank

Member Ex Officio – Christopher P. Flynn, President, Massachusetts Food Association

MEMBERS

Carol Anderson, Former Managing Director of HarbourVest Partners, LLC.

Vivian Bolt, Independent Human Resource Executive

Robert Bralower, Principal, The Baupost Group, L.L.C.

M.W. Sam Davis, Senior Managing Director, Allstate Investments, LLC

John A. Fassak, Business Development Officer, Dunkin' Brands, Inc.

Vicary M. Graham, Regional President, BNY Mellon Wealth Management

Minnie Joung, Former Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Fidelity Investments

Mary Jo Meisner, Vice President Communications, Community Relations and Public Affairs, The Boston Foundation

Les Nanberg, President, Cornerstone Wealth Management

Sharyn Neble, Philanthropist & Community Activist

Chip O'Hare, Chairman and CEO, JOH

Judith M. Palmer, Director of Marketing and External Communications, Stop & Shop/New England Division

Joanna Travis, Attorney (Also affiliated with Dunkin' Brands)

General Counsel

Anthony Hubbard, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo

FOUNDER

Kip Tiernan (1926-2011), nationally recognized pioneer and advocate for the provision of housing and food to those in need. Read more here.

Board of Advisors

Chair – Gail Graham,  SVP, United Capital

Hannah Commoss, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Public Markets and Director of Strategic Initiatives, Commonwealth of Massachusetts PRIM Board

Teddy Cutler,  Founder, The Interface Group-Massachusetts

John Fish, President/CEO,  Suffolk Construction Company, Inc.

David Frost, Vice President, Director of Corporate Accounting, State Street Corporation

Deborah Goldberg,  Rabb/Goldberg/Cahners Family Foundation

Karen Holmes Ward,  Director of Public Affairs and Community Services,  WCVB Channel 5

Joanne Jaxtimer, Regional Executive - New England,  BNY Mellon

Kenneth Lee,  Vice President, Global Business Services and Transformation, Avery Dennison

Mark Levine,  Executive Vice President,  Eastern Insurance Group

Wendy MacGregor, Senior Vice President, AOL

Theresa McLaughlin , Group Executive Vice President & Chief Communications & Marketing Officer,  Citizens Bank

Rick Roche, CEO,  Roche Bros.

THE GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK BOARD REPRESENTATIVES

Sharyn Neble,  Philanthropist & Community Activist

Judith M. Palmer,  Director of Marketing & External Communications,  Stop & Shop/New England Division

HONORARY MEMBERS

Anne and Chad Gifford , Former Chairs,  Bank of America

Mayor Thomas Menino,  City of Boston

CELEBRITY MEMBERS

Matt Damon,  Actor

Food Industry Council

Chris Flynn – GBFB Board of Directors; Massachusetts Food Association

Verne Powell – GBFB Board of Directors; Shaw’s Supermarkets, retired

Lori Hall – BJ’s Wholesale Club

Mark Hintlian – Leavitt Corp.

Judy Knapp – Hannaford’s Supermarkets

Kimberly Rose – Whole Foods Market

Don King – Acosta Sales & Marketing

Barry Milanese – Costa Fruit & Produce

Chris Reisner – Kayem Foods

Kevin Griffin – Griffin Publishing

Paul Nerney – Shaw’s Supermarkets

Rick Roche – Roche Bros.

Agency Advisory Council

Mary Anderson - Family Pantry Corp.

Sr. Joyce McMullen and Edna Bates - Project Care and Concern

Linda Sottile - Franklin Food Pantry

Fabrizio Bordo - Elliot Community Human Services (ECHS)

Michelle Burch - Hebron Food Pantry Inc.

Kathy Casaletto - Community Supper Inc.

Beth Chambers - Catholic Charities/Boston

Joe Consalvo - Hyde Park Food Pantry

Sue Gabriel - Beverly Bootstraps Community Services, Inc.

Kathi Garrison - ERSCC/Quincy Crisis Center Food Pantry

Rev.John Hopkins - Lighthouse Christian Ctr. Food Pantry/Bethany Gospel Food Pantry

Phyllis Horsley - Grant AME/ Self Help

Julie LaFontaine - Open Door Food Pantry & Meal Program

Mae Lang - Full Gospel Tabernacle Food Pantry

Joyce Lonergan - St Anthony Shrine/Franciscan Food Center

Yvonne Mitchell - Church of God/Roxbury

Sue Morong - Women's Lunch Place

Jack Nolan - Pine Street Inn

George Paiva - Annelle Delorme Hagerman Food Pantry

Bill Pye - Sacred Heart Outreach Pantry /Middleboro

Dick Rogers - MHSA/Bristol Lodge

David Andre - American Red Cross

Brenda Swain - Falmouth Service Center

Lyndsay Haight - Our Neighbor's Table Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen

Paul Yates - Hope House Inc