Desiree is the Director of Partner Network Services at Feeding America and is passionate about building the capacity of non-profit organizations in underserved communities. As a thought leader and connector, Desiree empowers non-profit leaders to think strategically to achieve maximum mission impact. For 13 years, she served in a leadership capacity with the Feeding America network in both Mississippi and Texas as Director and Senior Manager of Partner Agency Relations with Mississippi Food Network and North Texas Food Bank. As a former food banker, she presented nationally and served on various Food Insecurity & Capacity task force initiatives.
Most recently, Desiree was selected to serve on Feeding America’s Equity Team. As an organization, we believe that racial healing and racial equity are essential to accomplishing our mission of supporting children, families, and communities that experience food insecurity. Established in 2020, the Equity Team catalyzes change by increasing our focus on the root causes of inequitable practices embedded in Feeding America’s programs and policies.
Prior to joining Feeding America, she worked as the Associate Director for Community Engagement at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX, and was a consultant with the Emory School of Public Health-Compass Initiative.
Desiree holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and Administration & Marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Belhaven University. Most recently, Desiree received a Certificate in Non-Profit Governance from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)-Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance and a certification in Project Management from Southern Methodist University (SMU).
