PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Stan Siegwald (502.741.3565), stan@daretocare.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 24, 10:00 am
DARE TO CARE SELECTS VINCENT JAMES AS NEW CEO
Board selects James to lead organization after national search
Louisville, KY, August 24, 2021 – Dare to Care today announced that Vincent James will become its new CEO and President effective in October, 2021. The Dare to Care Board of Directors selected James, currently Louisville Metro’s Chief of Community Building, after a months-long, intensive, national search. The Board’s Search Committee was led by Board Secretary Al Cornish and assisted by national search firm Boardwalk Consulting.
Dare to Care Board Chair Carly Launius, Global Community Relations Manager for Brown-Forman, said the Board is thrilled with James’ appointment. “The Dare to Care Board is so excited to welcome Vincent to his new role. Brian Riendeau and his team have created a strong foundation of service and innovation over the past decade. Vincent’s experience, wisdom, and vision make him the right leader to build on this momentum and continue moving us toward a hunger-free Kentuckiana.”
James has a strong background and history of leadership experience in the private, faith, and public sectors. In his current role as Chief of Community Building, he oversees a broad array of critical Metro departments including Safe & Healthy Neighborhoods, Resilience & Community Services, Parks & Recreation, Youth Transition Services, and the Louisville Zoo.
“I’m honored to accept the position as President/CEO of this well-established and well-loved organization that consists of an extremely talented team and long history of dedicated donors and nonprofit partners,” says James. “I’m eager to join the Food Bank’s phenomenal staff to further its vital mission ‘To lead our community to feed the hungry and conquer the cycle of need.’ I’m committed not just to feed the line but to end the line of hunger.”
“Vincent was an integral member of my leadership team during some of the most challenging times in our city’s history, and I’ll be forever grateful for his wise counsel and work ethic,” said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. “A thoughtful leader and skilled convener, Vincent brought compassion and management skills to the job every day. It is fitting, and much appreciated, that Vincent will continue his life of service in another vital leadership role in our community as the CEO of Dare to Care, helping countless residents live healthy lives without hunger. We look forward to working with him in this new capacity. Chief James will be leaving Metro Government in October. Transition details will be announced later. He will remain on the Metro team in an advisory capacity to our safe and healthy neighborhoods work.”
When he begins in October, James will take the reins of the 4th largest nonprofit in the Louisville region in Louisville Business First’s most recent rankings. The area’s leading anti-hunger organization, Dare to Care partnered with more than 200 nonprofit organizations to distribute 27 million pounds of food to struggling families and individuals the past year. Dare to Care programs serving the community include Kids Cafe, Prescriptive Food Pantries, School Food Pantries, and Cooking Matters Nutrition Education.
James will replace the retiring Brian Riendeau who has led Dare to Care since 2009. During Riendeau’s tenure, Dare to Care not only tripled the amount of food it distributed, but he also oversaw a heightened emphasis on nutrition and healthy food and the creation of innovative programming to address food access issues throughout the community.
Dare to Care food Bank is a local nonprofit agency with a mission to lead the community to feed the hungry and conquer the cycle of need. In the past twelve months, Dare to Care distributed over 23 million meals in eight Kentucky and five Indiana counties. For more information, visit www.daretocare.org.
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