The Maryland Food Bank has tapped its chief operating officer, Meg Kimmel, to be the organization’s next president and chief executive officer.
“I am honored to lead the Maryland Food Bank at this important moment,” Kimmel said in a statement. “I’m excited to continue the work to feed our neighbors and build stronger communities alongside our incredible teams, our network of food distribution partners, and our many donors, volunteers, and supporters. By working together, we can both feed people who need a meal today and address the barriers that create hunger and hold it in place.”
Kimmel will succeed the food bank’s previous CEO, Carmen Del Guercio, led the organization since 2016 until stepping down earlier this year.
“Not only does Meg know every nuance of the work of food banking, but she also brings inspirational vision to the fight to end hunger in Maryland,” said Terry Squyres, the Maryland Food Bank’s board chair from 2023-2025, in a statement. “After a rigorous search process, the Board is excited to take this next step with a leader who has shown creativity, expertise, and deep dedication to serving food-insecure Marylanders.”
Squyres led the national search process for a new CEO, which was conducted in partnership with the executive search firm Koya Partners.
Kimmel joined the Maryland Food Bank in 2012 and has served as the organization’s chief operating officer since 2023. She led the food bank’s efforts to address increased need during the COVID-19 pandemic, and she brings experience in food banking, nonprofit leadership, operations, strategy, external affairs, and programs.
Before serving as COO, Kimmel worked as the food bank’s chief strategy officer, chief external affairs officer, and vice president of marketing and communications.
She earned her bachelor of arts degree in international relations and Spanish from Bucknell University.
Founded in 1979 as the East Coast’s first food bank, the Maryland Food Bank is now the largest anti-hunger nonprofit organization in the state.
The food bank works with nearly 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and faith-based organizations to feed and serve food-insecure Marylanders.
The organization also works to address root causes of hunger with programs focused on workforce development, advocacy, nutrition education, and other initiatives.
The Maryland Food Bank distributed 43 million meals worth of food and served more than 1 million people throughout the state in the 2024 fiscal year.
