Kristen’s Farewell

Celebrating Kristen Miale’s transformational impact on food insecurity in Maine

After leading the Food Bank since 2012 and guiding it through transformational growth during her tenure, Kristen will step down to pursue new opportunities.

Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine

Leading Change: A blog series celebrating Kristen Miale

Hand cutting carrot with knife on Cooking Matters cutting board
Improving access to nutritious food and the health and well-being of Mainers
Kristen and team member in warehouse standing in front of bin of carrots
The Bold Goal
Crowd gathered in front of the Hampden Distribution Center with Kristen Miale on stage
Opening the Hampden Distribution Center
Improving Nutritious Food Choices
Setting a Bold Goal to Close Maine's Meal Gap
Opening the Hampden Distribution Center
Man in distribution center packing a pallet of cans
Leading and Learning through the Pandemic
Kristen Miale standing in front of Auburn's solar panels
A Vision for the Future
Coming June 5
Coming June 7

A transformational impact on food insecurity in Maine

When Good Shepherd Food Bank says farewell to longtime leader President Kristen Miale on June 30, 2023, we’ll be on the cusp of meeting the vision she has carried for nearly a decade: making sure all Mainers experiencing food insecurity have access to enough nourishing and culturally relevant food they need, when and where they need it.

After taking on the role of president and helping the organization transform its focus to sourcing and distributing nourishing, healthy food, Kristen helped inspire a new bold goal to close Maine’s meal gap. It is estimated that more than 30 million meals are missing from the plates of Mainers each year, and we have been working with Maine’s charitable food network to strategically close that gap since 2015.

Together, we’ve increased food distribution by 180% from 10.7 million meals a decade ago to nearly 30 million meals today. We are closer than ever to closing this gap, with plans to close it completely by 2025.

Along this journey, Kristen has helped lead through immense change, starting by helping the organization focus on healthy foods and then building our capacity to distribute more meals through a second distribution center in Hampden. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kristen helped lead through listening and learning, which inspired the expansion of our advocacy platform and strengthened the Food Bank’s commitment to equity. Kristen’s leadership has helped transform the scale and scope of our work and the organization is now poised to continue to lead change through the Food Bank’s next chapter.
Please join us in celebrating Kristen’s impact on Maine.

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Well wishes for Kristen Miale

Thank you for being an incredible mentor and leader to all of us during your time at the Food Bank. It has been an honor to work, learn, and grow alongside you!
Kristen, the passion, energy, wisdom, humor, and humility with which you led the Food Bank will be deeply missed. I'm so grateful to have had the privilege of working alongside you.
Dear Kristen, Thank you so much for your joy and vision. It has been such a pleasure to work with you. I look forward to cheering on your next adventures! All my best, Amy
Thank you, Kristen, for building such an extraordinary team and inspiring them to achieve your bold goal. We have more work ahead, but you've made Maine an even better place to be.
Kristen, You are a joy to collaborate with, but more important, I value how much you have inspired me over the years. You have brought your bold vision to life and Maine is better off because of it. While there is more work ahead, you have helped countless Mainers and your legacy will live on. Take care!
Hi Kristen, All the best to you in your future life adventures. You will be missed, but your good works will live on after you. We are so grateful for people like you who work to make our community a stronger and better place to live. The Good Shepherd is a model for the rest of the country and the world.
Kristen, I’ve watched in awe from afar as you have put your big brain, bold heart, and boundless energy to work for this great cause. Sending you love and gratitude as you pursue your next adventure!
Thank you for dedicating a huge part of your personal and professional life to the well-being of Maine families. You built Good Shepherd Food Bank into a multi-faceted, innovative, and tireless organization. It's not only an organization that Maine is proud of. It's an organization that food bank partners across the country think highly of. Your energy and tenacity to pursue new initiatives delivering nutritious meals to food-insecure Mainers are contagious. It's evident in the dedicated team you assembled over the years at the Food Bank, whose longevity is a testament to your leadership. There's been no task too big for you to overcome. Whether converting an empty old printing press in Hampden into a facility to serve a wider population or pursuing a public policy that brings fresh produce from Maine farms to those struggling to put food on the table, you rolled up your sleeves, put the game plan together, and delivered.
What a wonderful blessing that we have the Good Shepherd food bank and that Ms Miale’s contributions have gone so far to help alleviate hunger in Maine over the years; we can all be so thankful to her.
Once in a while you have the opportunity to work alongside someone who inspires, uplifts and embodies the transformation they bring into the world. I consider myself fortunate for the time I have had to work with and alongside you Kristen. You have made a lasting impact on my life and so many others! The state of Maine is better for your leadership and kindness...best wishes, you will be missed!
Kristen. Thanks so much for your leadership in raising awareness of the need for food assistance in Maine, and for leading the vehicle (GSFB) that enables donors to help. Good luck in your new endeavors.
I clearly recall our first meeting with Kristen and wondering afterwards how you would navigate such a drastic change in your environment. It is beyond impressive how you have combined the best of the for-profit world with the best of the not-for-profit world. I suspect having boundless energy and being an eternal optimist was helpful. I am grateful that you can start the next chapter of your life knowing you made such a postive impact on your community. All the best, Larry
Working with you over these past 12 years has been a gift that I will be forever grateful for. You've set the bar high for humility, generosity, grace, authenticity and for what it means to be a human-centered leader whose most important role is making sure others have what they need to thrive. Your forever friends at GSFB look forward to carrying your light forward as you go illuminate your next adventure and we can't wait to see how our paths will keep crossing in the future!
Dear Kristen, we have never met, but we share a common concern: Food insecurity among children. I felt compelled to go from an occasional holiday donation to an auto monthly one, and after a year, I increased it. Thank you for raising awareness by reaching out to regular folks like me in the community. I will continue to support GSFB and wish you continued success and joy in your new endeavor.
Dear Kristen, The Angolan Community Members wish you a pleasant farewell...
Dear Kristen What a wonderful visionary job you have done! Thank you for leading such a worthwhile endeavor so well. Sarah
Thank you so very much for all you’ve done over the past decade+ to address food insecurity in Maine! Best wishes to you!
Thank you for all you have done; it is people like you that keep this world going. Wishing you the best.
We all want to make a difference in our lives. You, Kristen, have made the state of Maine a better place. You have improved the lives of tens of thousands of Mainers. You successfully led Good Shepherd Food Bank through the pandemic, helping even more Mainers in need. You are an inspiration to me and countless others. Thank you, Kristen, for all you have done. The state is better because of you.
Kristen, We're all in awe of what you've accomplished in a short decade that included a pandemic! You managed to show us the human side of food insecurity while leading large projects to increase food storage and distribution throughout Maine. Your vision and determination have made GSFB an even stronger powerhouse in fighting hunger in Maine! All the best.

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