We have a lot of good news to share with you from Flagstaff Family Food Center! I’m grateful for this opportunity to let you know about some new faces and new roles that are being filled by our dedicated team who supports our shared mission.
Welcoming Our New Board Chair
First, I’m honored to introduce our new Board Chair, Carol Dykes. Carol brings a deep sense of thoughtfulness, integrity, and a commitment to doing things the right way. She is widely respected in our community and was recently named Female Citizen of the Year by the Arizona Daily Sun.
We are fortunate that she has stepped into this role at such an important time. Carol brings stability, wisdom, and a deep passion for this work. I am genuinely excited about the work we will be able to do together for FFFC.
Welcoming Our Vice President of Philanthropy
This transition also calls for a moment of deep gratitude. Outgoing Board Chair Sylvia Johnson’s contributions to FFFC cannot be overstated. Her commitment to serving those who are struggling in our community has been unwavering and her style of leadership – rooted in humility, strength, and purpose – was a powerful example to me. I’m so thankful Sylvia will continue to serve as Past Chair, and honored to call her both a mentor and a friend.
We are also thrilled to welcome Chelsea McKeirnan as our new Vice President of Philanthropy. This is a new position created to help FFFC not only sustain, but scale up its services to meet the growing need in our community.
Chelsea comes to us from the Northern Arizona University Foundation, where she served as Senior Director of Development/ Principal Gifts.
She is no stranger to FFFC’s work. Chelsea helped facilitate the partnership that brought Louie’s Cupboard, NAU’s on-campus food bank, under the umbrella of FFFC. Last Thanksgiving, this partnership culminated in the Holiday Helpings distribution. With FFFC and NAU working together to distribute more than 1,000 turkeys to community members in a single day.
“I was on my feet for ten hours that day and beaming every single minute of it,” Chelsea said. “That day was a reminder that the most powerful philanthropy does not choose between institutions and individuals, students and neighbors, or partners and communities. It lifts everyone at once.”
That spirit is exactly why we created this role, and exactly why Chelsea is the right person to fill it. As she put it, the mission of neighbors feeding neighbors is not an abstraction, but “a living expression of everything I love about this community.”
Celebrating Our Team
We’re also proud to celebrate several well-earned promotions within our team. Ceara Chirovsky has been elevated to Senior Vice President. Chris Smiley moves into the role of Director of Programs. Max Faull takes on the position of Kitchen Manager, and Tasha Kelly steps into the role of Distribution Manager. Each of these individuals has shown tremendous dedication, and these promotions reflect the strength of the team we’ve built together.
No progress we celebrate at the Food Center belongs to any one person. It belongs to a community – staff, volunteers, partners, and donors – who show up every day with a shared commitment to something greater than themselves.
That community includes you. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to fulfill our mission of neighbors feeding neighbors, every single day.
Sincerely,
Ethan Amos
President & CEO
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A Grateful Tribute & A Call to Action
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