James Arena-DeRosa was announced as the new head of Foodshare on Wednesday, July 22.

James Arena-DeRosa. Photo credit: Spencer Sloan

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Foodshare announced Wednesday the appointment of James Arena-DeRosa as its new President & CEO. Arena-DeRosa becomes the third chief executive in Foodshare’s 33-year history and was chosen after a national search to build upon the impressive accomplishments of his predecessor, Gloria McAdam.

Arena-DeRosa will lead the $32 million nonprofit organization as it addresses the food security needs of the 137,000 Greater Hartford residents who are hungry.

“This transition is a very exciting time for Foodshare as the board and team welcome new energy, new ideas and new resources to leverage our significant community visibility and support,” said Mark La Fontaine, chair of Foodshare’s Board of Directors. “James brings the broad experience and proven skills needed to further our ongoing mission of solving hunger and alleviating poverty in Greater Hartford.”

“At the same time, on behalf of everyone associated with Foodshare, I want to thank Christine O’Rourke for her tireless, committed work as Interim President during this period, and we are delighted she will now be resuming her role as Chief Operating Officer” said La Fontaine at an event held at Foodshare headquarters in Bloomfield following Arena-DeRosa’s confirmation by its Board of Directors.

“I’m energized and honored to join this innovative, dynamic, and nationally recognized organization,” said Arena-DeRosa. “I’ve long admired the passion and professionalism of the Foodshare team as they balance meeting the current food security needs of the community with the ultimate goal of self-sufficiency. With its loyal donors and active volunteers, I look forward to partnering with regional agencies, businesses, funders, and policymakers, to inspire them to continue moving this fine organization forward.”

A life-long advocate for people experiencing hunger and poverty, Arena- DeRosa has dedicated his entire career to confronting food security and hunger issues and building collaborations with community organizations. He has served as Northeast Regional Administrator of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, leading the oversight of 15 federal food and nutrition programs serving one in four Americans in the Northeast United States. He was the New England Regional Director of United States Peace Corps, providing leadership and guidance for all Peace Corps operations in a 5-state region. He also conceptualized and led the Public Advocacy Program for Oxfam America, and is an adjunct faculty member at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA, in the Heller Graduate School for Social Policy.

Arena-DeRosa’s previous experience in Connecticut included coordinating with Governor Malloy’s team during Hurricane Sandy, the Department of Social Services and Connecticut Legislature to address long term issues with SNAP, and supporting initiatives such as the Connecticut School Breakfast Summit and Connecticut Grown agriculture. He has also worked with several Connecticut-based nonprofit organizations dedicated to heath, food security, and nutrition such as End Hunger Connecticut!, Hispanic Health Council and Wholesome Wave. He is a graduate of Harvard University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude.

Funding to support Foodshare’s transition process was provided by Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

About Foodshare

Recognized as one of the most innovative, progressive and efficient food banks in the country, Foodshare serves Hartford and Tolland counties and since 1982, has sought to solve the problem of hunger in the region. Last year, Foodshare provided enough food for 12 million meals to 300 partner programs including food pantries, community kitchens, and homeless shelters, and through its Mobile Foodshare program. Despite that significant effort, two-thirds of the need remains unmet. In order to bridge this gap, the organization is involving the entire community to increase the amount of food available from all sources while also helping individuals to achieve self-sufficiency. Looking beyond the immediate lack of food, Foodshare will address the chronic underlying causes of why there is still hunger in America, stemming from poverty and the lack of access to resources. Working in partnership with other community leaders such as the United Way, End Hunger Connecticut! and 211 Infoline, Foodshare has the experience and is building the networks necessary to help make this vision a reality.