Sarasota food bank CEO announces retirement

After 11 years at All Faiths Food Bank, CEO Sandra Frank has announced she will be handing off her responsibilities at the end of 2023 with plans to retire.

During her career there, Frank had many highlights including rebranding the organization with a new mission in 2018 that she helped pull off alongside the board of directors and senior leadership team. Frank also helped lay the foundation for All Faiths’ fundraising program that included the Campaign Against Summer Hunger. The hunger relief organization reaches both Sarasota and DeSoto counties. 

The Campaign Against Summer Hunger, which is celebrating 10 years this year, provides students and their siblings with food throughout the summer while schools are closed. Since its inception, the campaign has raised over $14 million and reached over 35,000 children each summer.

“The Campaign Against Summer Hunger is one of my proudest organizational achievements as CEO,” Frank says in a press release.

The interview process for finding a recruitment firm has begun with the entire search process being led by Benjamin Hanan, former food bank chair. He expects to hire a recruitment firm and commence the national search for a new CEO within the next month. Frank will stay on as CEO throughout the process and transition.

“The transition has been well-planned,” Hanan says. “Our goal is to find a CEO who will continue to inspire program growth and advance our vision for ending hunger. In partnership with our committed board and senior leadership team, we will ensure that the new CEO enhances the food bank’s impact, reputation, assets, and visibility.”

The pandemic and Hurricane Ian prolonged Frank’s decision to retire in 2020. But with new leadership, both professional and volunteer, in place and the implementation of a new strategic plan, she decided now was the best time to move forward with her retirement plans.

“For the past 11 years, it has been my great honor and privilege to lead this incredible organization, and the decision to step down is not one I’ve taken lightly,” Frank says. “My top priority is to make sure that All Faiths Food Bank and its new leader are set up for success. We have built an expert and dedicated board and an outstanding senior leadership team; our new strategic plan provides the road map that will guide the organization to continued growth and effective, compassionate service to the community.”

The press release notes that during the 11 years Frank was with the organization, revenues increased by 360%. The organization reported $21.35 million in revenue in 2019.