Puyallup council member departs Puyallup Food Bank after three months as CEO
A Puyallup City Council member has departed from the Puyallup Food Bank after less than three months heading the nonprofit.
The food bank announced March 2 that Dean Johnson has left his position as CEO, and the nonprofit is searching for his replacement.
Food bank board chair Anna Madden told The Puyallup Herald she could not say much about Johnson’s departure.
“I can’t go into the detail of how we decided to no longer work together, but we are focused on the crisis we are in and serving the three times of people we normally do,” Madden said.
Johnson declined to comment.
The Puyallup Food Bank is using a search firm to find a new CEO, Madden said. In the meantime, Puyallup native and entrepreneur Shawn Manley has been named interim CEO for an estimated three to five months.
Responding to increased demand during the coronavirus pandemic is the priority, Manley told The Puyallup Herald.
“What we’ve done is keep the organization moving forward and clients served,” Manley said.
The nonprofit has faced a number of obstacles this year, pleading for volunteers, donations and space.
With a surge of more food requiring more space, the former Safeway building in the Valley Plaza served as the Puyallup Food Bank for about six months, before Safeway leased the building. The food bank moved back to its smaller building in December and relied on the Washington State Fair to become a warehouse of sorts. Individuals and families are served at the 110 23rd St. SE location. Organizations that rely on the Puyallup Food Bank pick up food at the fairgrounds.
There are 54 organizations that depend on food from the Puyallup Food Bank, like Puyallup Valley Salvation Army, the Edgewood Food Bank and the New Hope Resource Center. Manley said that number is triple the usual amount.
Madden said the Puyallup Food Bank served more than 9,000 people and enough food to equal about 352,000 meals in Feb 2021, compared to last February, when 4,000 people were served and about 130,000 meals.
An estimated 440,000 pounds of food is going out every month, with only 200,000 pounds coming in, Madden said.
“I have never seen anything like this,” Madden said. “This is the most clients we have ever served. The demand is so high.”
The food bank is finalizing a warehouse purchase in downtown Puyallup, Madden said. While space is less of an issue now, Madden said the food bank still needs donations and volunteers.
She estimates that they have 500 more volunteer hours a month to fill. Those interested in donating can visit the puyallupfoodbank.org/.
This story was originally published March 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
