Yolo Food Bank names new executive director

This morning the Yolo Food Bank board of directors named a new executive director. Karane Baker, who has served as the interim director since July, takes over the leadership of the organization.

Before this appointment, Ms. Baker served in cabinet positions and agency lead posts under California Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jerry Brown, and Gavin Newsom while leading California Volunteers, the State Office tasked with engaging Californians in service, volunteering and civic action in their communities.  Most recently, she served as the program architect and co-chair of Listos California, a $50 million statewide disaster preparedness campaign for diverse and vulnerable Californians that was then expanded to COVID education.

“We are thrilled to have Karen lead the Yolo Food Bank.  She has tremendous experience in the non-profit and public sectors and her expertise in effectively reaching California’s most vulnerable will be a great asset for our organization,” said Liz  Schmitz, chair of the Yolo Food Bank board of directors.”

Founded more than 50 years ago, the Yolo Food Bank started as a volunteer-based gleaning program.  In partnership with Feeding America, a national non-profit,  the Yolo Food Bank serves the nutritional needs of tens of thousands of Yolo County residents annually.

“I am very excited to lead Yolo Food Bank and work to effectively address the needs of our community at such a critical time,” Baker said. “We live in one of the nation’s most productive agricultural counties, yet food insecurity is very prevalent throughout the region.  We will be relentless in our focus to maintain existing partnerships and create new ones to address and meet the needs of the residents in our county who are food insecure.”