Come Spend Your Day With Us!
Volunteers are an integral part of our food distribution and help bring our mission to life! Whether you have a half day or a full day to spare, we could use and appreciate your help.
OUR TEAM
"COMING TOGETHER IS THE BEGINNING. KEEPING TOGETHER IS PROGRESS. WORKING TOGETHER IS SUCCESS."
STEPHANIE OTERO, CPA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Stephanie Otero is a seasoned non-profit leader with over 20+ years of experience in the non-profit and financial/accounting industry. She specializes in non-profit sustainability and growth, including fundraising & development, financial accounting & reporting, team development & recruitment, board engagement, Human Resources and more. Her diverse background as a CPA, life coach, entrepreneur, and CEO allows her to lead and manage an organization from a broad perspective, thus maximizing potential, minimizing risk, increasing employee engagement, and creating innovative solutions that are impactful to the organization’s overall mission.
JOHN CROOKS
VP of Operations
JOANNA SOLORIO, MBA
Human Resources Director
CAROLYN SOLAR, MBA
Philanthropy Director
VANESA MERCADO
Programs Director
John is originally from Michigan. However, for several years now, he's been enjoying the warmer weather that Southern California has to offer! John is our "go-to-person" for anything operations, and when he's not busy at the food bank you can find him riding his motorcycle, off-roading in the sand dunes, or spending time with his wife Julie and dog, Coco.
One of Joanna’s favorite things about working at FARSB is that everyone shares the same vision and dedication to fighting hunger. Outside of work, she enjoys hanging out with her two fur babies, watching Netflix and teaming up with her husband on DIY projects, like their recent backyard refurbishment project. A natural wanderlust, Joanna hopes to someday travel to England, so she can visit its mega-city - London!
Carolyn joins the food bank family with experience running her own food blog, where she tastes, photographs, and reviews food from all over Southern California, and sometimes beyond. As a member of the community, Carolyn loves knowing that her work at the food bank makes a direct impact for a neighbor in need.
One of the many things Vanesa loves about working at "FARSB", is having an impact on the community! Back in the day, Vanesa was a competitive diver and competed in college. Though her diving days are over, her two kids keeps her busy! When Vanesa is not at the food bank you can find her singing in church and spending time with her family.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jill McCormick
Board Chair
Kaiser Permanente
Dr. Elaine Ahumada
Vice Chair
California Baptist University
Jason Brooks
Treasurer
KPMG US
Patrick Taber
Secretary
Taber Company
Victor Behnke
Wells Fargo
Gale Schulte
Schulte Contract Glazing
James Frame
Community Representative
Dr. Anil Garde
Community Representative
Clara Vanderpool
Community Representative
Aaron W. Hodgdon
Hodgdon Group
Jennifer Olson
Starbucks Coffee
Jeff Girod
University of California, Riverside
Windsor Richmond
Anthem Blue Cross
Sherri Anderson
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Kurt Schwabe
University of California, Riverside
Loren Sanchez
Ten Strands
The Board of Directors is responsible for the oversight of finances, management, and performance of FARSB and commits to serving in a voluntary, non-executive capacity. Individuals interested in joining the Board of Directors should send a resume and a short cover letter outlining their interest to Joanna Solorio, Human Resources Director, at jsolorio@feedingamericaie.org.