This spring, the Food Bank will say goodbye to CEO Andrew Schiff, who will retire after 18 years of leadership and service to the Rhode Island community. Schiff is known for his commitment to listening — to staff, to the community, and to member agencies — and learning how best to meet their needs.
“Andrew’s legacy is the space he created for work to happen,” shared Chief Operations Officer Jen Tomassini. “He is a strong, calm, empathetic leader who trusts his team and their vision.”
Food Bank Chief Financial Officer Christine Cannata echoes the sentiment. “Andrew’s commitment to not just the work, but to making the Food Bank a great place to work, speaks volumes about the type of leader he is.”
Schiff’s legacy since his start in 2007 includes:
- Began distribution of healthier, more culturally relevant food, while increasing food distribution by millions of pounds.
- Built new relationships with under-resourced communities, impacting both individual guests and the communities at large.
- Imbedded a DEI focus into the organization, shaping policies, hiring practices, and the day-to-day focus of our work.
- Launched the annual Status Report on Hunger, a sought-after source of information on food insecurity.
- Demonstrated calm, strategic leadership through the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession, which hit shortly after he joined the organization.
- Led the organization through the pandemic, ensuring uninterrupted food distribution.
All of this happened against a backdrop of decreasing food donations from the food industry, as their inventory management became more sophisticated, and they no longer had excess food to donate. Under Andrew’s leadership, the Food Bank more than doubled its annual food distribution since 2008, raising the funds needed to purchase by the truckload what we were not receiving through donations, or from the USDA-an incredible accomplishment.
“Andrew brought a thoughtful and strategic brand of leadership to the Food Bank,” said Lisa Roth Blackman, Chief Philanthropy Officer. “His focus on the dignity of those we serve led to a greater focus on distributing healthy, fresh, culturally relevant foods to people who are struggling.”
