Feeding America announced today that its national Board of Directors has welcomed six newly elected board members. Tim Cooper, senior vice-president of supply chain operations for Walmart, Christina Hennington, former executive vice president and chief strategy and growth officer for Target, Eric Leventhal, partner at Spencer Stuart, Colleen May, president of Cargill Bioindustrials, Gary Rodkin, retired CEO of ConAgra Foods, and Srini Venkatesan, chief technology officer of PayPal, started their two-year terms on July 1, the beginning of Feeding America’s 2026 fiscal year.
“My optimism around the Feeding America Network’s ability to help end hunger for good in this country is grounded in the extraordinary talents and tenacity of the people who choose to dedicate themselves to this work. The six new members of our board embody that dedication, each bringing unique expertise and perspectives that will help us to deepen our impact,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “Tim, Christina, Eric, Colleen, Gary and Srini are trusted champions for thriving communities, and they are sharing their time, experiences and abilities to help ensure everyone has access to the food and resources they need to thrive. I am looking forward to pursuing our mission –guided by the voices of people facing hunger –alongside these remarkable individuals.”
- Tim Cooper – Cooper is a senior vice president at Walmart, Inc., overseeing the nation’s largest grocery supply chain network and related operations, including imports and offshore services. He has held key leadership roles within the company, including serving on the President’s Inclusion Council and mentoring emerging talent. Prior to Walmart, Cooper served ten years as a U.S. Army Aviator, with assignments across Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S. His career is marked by values-based leadership, consistent results, and recognition such as being named one of Savoy magazine’s 100 most influential Black executives in corporate America.
- Christina Hennington – Hennington is a seasoned retail executive with nearly 30 years of experience in retail, consulting, risk management, and technology. She is known for her visionary leadership, strategic planning, and ability to drive growth through innovation and emerging technologies. Since joining Target in 2003, she has held multiple leadership roles, most recently serving as chief strategy and growth officer, where she helped drive over $30 billion in growth and modernized the enterprise. Hennington is also a strong advocate for equity and inclusion, championing initiatives that foster high-performing, inclusive workplaces.
- Eric Leventhal – Leventhal is a partner at Spencer Stuart, where he advises boards, CEOs, CHROs, and private equity investors on board and CEO succession and search. He has held several leadership roles within the firm, including head of the Americas and consumer global practice leader. Leventhal previously served on the Feeding America board for eight years, where he chaired the Outcome Committee and helped develop the “Missing Meal Gap” framework adopted across the national food bank network. He has served on the board of God’s Love We Deliver for the past eight years; and also previously served on the board of the Food Bank for Westchester.
- Colleen May – May is the president of the Bioindustrials Group, leading Cargill’s global expansion of renewable and sustainable solutions for the industrial segments. She began her career as a commodity merchant and has held a variety of trading, risk management and commercial leadership positions in Cargill across multiple industries, including food ingredients, animal nutrition, renewable fuels and structured finance. May is a member of Cargill’s Risk Committee. In addition to Feeding America, she also serves on the Mortenson Construction Company board of directors.
- Gary Rodkin – Rodkin served as CEO of ConAgra Foods for a decade, leading a major turnaround of the $19 billion company, before retiring in 2015. Prior to that, he was chairman and CEO of PepsiCo Beverages and Foods North America, joining the company through its acquisition of Tropicana, where he was president. He spent the first 16 years of career at General Mills, holding multiple leadership roles, including president of Yoplait Yogurt. Rodkin currently serves on the boards of McCormick & Company and Simon Property Group and previously chaired the board of Feeding America from 2019 to 2022. Rodkin serves as an Emeritus member of the Rutgers University board of directors and previously as a fellow of executive education at Harvard Business School.
- Srini Venkatesan – Venkatesan is the chief technology officer of PayPal, Inc., where he leads the strategic development and implementation of technology across the company’s global ecosystem. Over the past 25 years, Venkatesan has played a pivotal role in building and scaling technology organizations. He is passionate about combatting hunger and food insecurity across the United States. As the executive vice president of engineering at Walmart, he reimagined Walmart’s U.S. supply chain network, driving greater efficiency and speed to lower operational costs and keep food prices affordable for millions of people. Venkatesan is excited to bring his passion for combatting hunger and food insecurity to drive meaningful impact for Feeding America.
The Feeding America Board of Directors brings together leaders from both the corporate and nonprofit sectors with deep expertise and varied perspectives. Together, they help shape and guide the organization’s strategic direction in pursuit of its vision of an America where no one is hungry. Feeding America is made up of a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide associations, and over 60,000 agency partners, including food pantries, meal programs and faith-based organizations.
Contact
Please contact one of our media representatives or call 800-771-2303
About Feeding America
Feeding America is committed to an America where no one is hungry. We support tens of millions of people who experience food insecurity to get the food and resources they say they need to thrive as part of a nationwide network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs. We also invest in innovative solutions to increase equitable access to nutritious food, advocate for legislation that improves food security and work to address factors that impact food security, such as health, cost of living and employment. We partner with people experiencing food insecurity, policymakers, organizations, and supporters, united with them in a movement to end hunger. Visit FeedingAmerica.org to learn more.