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WhyHunger Names New Board of Directors Chair
Grows membership from Universal Music Publishing Group, ASCAP, The Bronx Community Foundation and more
New York (December 12, 2023) – WhyHunger —a non-profit working to end world hunger and the injustices that cause it—announced changes to its Board of Directors. Leading the Board is newly elected Chair Cindy Secunda and Vice Chair JoJo Brim, SVP of Artist & Fan Experience, WEA/Warner Music Group.
New additions to the Board include: Marc Cimino, Chief Operating Officer, Universal Music Publishing Group; Rachel Lipschutz, Dr. Meisha Porter, President & CEO, The Bronx Community Foundation and formerly the NYC school chancellor and Loretta Muñoz, Assistant Vice President, Membership, ASCAP; who previously served on the board.
“We are entering into an exciting and pivotal new chapter at WhyHunger, and I’m thrilled to welcome our new Board leadership and members who not only embrace our vision but are truly passionate about our mission of creating a just hunger free world,” said WhyHunger Executive Director Jenique Jones. “Our Board members bring rich experience and talents to the table, and I’m confident that together we will lay the foundation to achieve even greater impact than ever before.”
In nearly five decades of innovation and evolution, WhyHunger’s programs and grassroots partners in 24 countries have expanded agricultural practices that are better for the planet, helped communities address the root causes of hunger, and ensured access to nutritious food. In their new roles, Board members will work to provide support and strategic guidance to enhance the organization’s impact and critical programmatic work, aimed at protecting the basic human right to food and ending hunger.
“Under our new leadership and Board, WhyHunger is well positioned to soar to greater heights than ever before. I’m proud to serve alongside such a renowned group of leaders and in support of the dedicated staff and grassroots partners who are at the heart of the organization. I look forward to all we can accomplish together to strike at hunger and its root causes,” said Cindy Secunda.
Additional WhyHunger Board Members Include:
Diane Blagman
Senior Director of Governmental Affairs, Greenberg Traurig
Mark Blake
Independent Strategic Advisor
Tom Chapin
Musician/Songwriter/Performer/President, Sundance Music, Inc
Robin Lewis – Secretary
Environmental Justice Advocate
Liz Norris
Partner, Activist Artists Management
Caralene Robinson
Executive Director, 220th Street Productions
Alysia Steinmann – Treasurer
Partner at EY
Pearl Thompson
Chef
Vanessa Trinidad
Associate Director, Brand Development, Freixenet Mionetto USA
Previously, in 2022 WhyHunger connected over 1.4 million people to healthy food and essential services in their communities; raised over $7 million in revenue; fueled long-term community-led solutions to hunger in the 24 countries; and provided life-saving rapid response in the U.S. and 8 other countries in the aftermath of natural disasters, war, and economic instability.
About WhyHunger
Founded in 1975 by the late Harry Chapin and radio DJ Bill Ayres, WhyHunger funds and supports community solutions to protect the human right to food. In nearly five decades of innovation and evolution, our programs and our grassroots partners in 24 countries have expanded agricultural practices that are better for the planet, helped communities address the root causes of hunger, and ensured access to nutritious food for millions of people. As a grassroots support organization, we stand behind the leadership of the people most impacted by hunger and injustice. We prioritize providing resources to support the rights of communities who have been historically excluded from defining and controlling their food systems. We advocate for workers’ rights and champion agroecological food production that unites science and sustainability with Indigenous knowledge and wisdom. Together we can build socially and economically just food systems that nourish all people and the environment. Learn more at whyhunger.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram.
