News
March 11, 2021The Regional Food Bank Of Northeastern New York’s Executive Director, Mark Quandt To Retire In Fall 2021
After a remarkable 38-year career at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, Mark Quandt is retiring.
“Mark has served the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY with unwavering dedication, passion and vision. His ability as a leader and devotion to the mission of the Food Bank and the communities we serve, has made a profound difference and will have a lasting impact,” said Jim Santamarina, President of the Board of Directors.
Quandt began his career in 1983 as a Warehouse Manager when the Food Bank was serving just 60 agencies in 8 counties distributing approximately 400,000 pounds of food. Quandt was promoted to Executive Director in 1984 and today, through his leadership, the Regional Food Bank serves nearly 1,000 agencies in 23 counties distributing over 55 million pounds of food annually. Under Quandt’s direction, the Regional Food Bank has become one of the largest food banks in the Feeding America network, feeding over 350,000 people a month!
As one of Quandt’s many accomplishments, he was the driving force behind three successful capital campaigns for the Regional Food Bank, a $1 million campaign in 1988-1990, a $3 million campaign in 2001-2003, and a $2.1 million capital campaign in 2016-2018. These initiatives enabled the Food Bank to first relocate to a larger space and then make much-needed capital improvements, facility upgrades, equipment and vehicle purchases in order to expand operations and better serve the 23 county-region by increasing the amount of fresh and frozen food that could be stored and distributed by the Food Bank.
Under Quandt’s leadership, many innovative programs were developed to expand the reach of the Food Bank to underserved communities with specific emphasis on providing services to children and seniors. He used creative approaches to connect available food sources to the Food Bank communities including operating a 200-acre sustainable farm to provide fresh produce, building relationships with food manufacturers and wholesalers, and organizing hundreds of retail grocery stores to donate food that would otherwise go to waste. He has worked tirelessly to broaden partnerships, increase awareness and continually communicate the need to alleviate hunger in our communities.
“Mark’s leadership over the past year during the height of the pandemic has been nothing short of commendable. The requests for food nearly doubled and Quandt put together contingency plans that assured all food requests were met and all staff and volunteers worked in safe conditions. It was impressive to witness,” said Suzanne Anlsow Gunther, 2nd Vice President of the Board of Directors.
Quandt not only succeeded in serving individual and community needs, but he has been instrumental in developing the complex infrastructure and sophisticated management required to operate the large food bank. He has built a highly-trained and professional team of staff and volunteers that carry out their duties with tremendous skill and an overwhelmingly caring attitude.
“He will certainly be missed by the organization, community, and everyone that he has engaged with over his storied career. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we wish Mark and his wife Christine all of the luck, happiness, health, and success that life has to offer as they begin their new chapter,” said Santamarina.
When asked about his thoughts on retiring from the Food Bank Mark Quandt said, “It has been an honor to work alongside professionals such as the board, staff, volunteers, agencies, donors and community leaders in the 23-county region, who are all truly dedicated to our mission of alleviating hunger and reducing food waste. I will always look back with affection and pride on what the Regional Food Bank has accomplished. It has been a wonderful (life-changing) journey. The Food Bank will always have a place in my heart and I will continue to support the organization in any way I can. Meanwhile, I will leave it in the very capable hands of the leadership team with confidence the great work will continue.”
A search committee has been formed to hire a new leader for the organization. Quandt will continue in his current role until his successor is identified and transitioned.
