The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley has announced the appointment of two chief executive officers to oversee the operations responsible for providing meals to over 100,000 residents weekly, an effort that grew in scope as the nonprofit worked to address the needs of a community significantly impacted by COVID-19 in 2020.
Connie Ramos and Libby Salinas were appointed as the new chief executive officers following the departure of now-former CEO Stuart Haniff.
Ramos, originally from El Paso, arrived in the Valley in October 2019 to serve as the Food Bank RGV’s chief financial officer. Prior to her arrival, she had served as the finance manager with the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank.
“To be the CEO is an honor and a challenge that we were willing to take,” Ramos said.
Ramos’ arrival came on the eve of the COVID-19 pandemic. In nearly a year and a half, Ramos and the rest of the staff at the Food Bank RGV worked to feed families throughout the area during the pandemic, saying she understood the responsibility of continuing their work.
She said that working through the pandemic provided a unique experience that has prepared her for her new role.
“Just to know that the job you come to do everyday, we need to be out there making sure that nobody in the Valley goes hungry,” Ramos said. “If you work in food banks, you know the role — even if you’re the driver, front office, secretary, or the executive officer — it’s the same mission for feeding the hungry.”
Salinas grew up in Monte Alto and has worked with the Food Bank RGV for over 20 years, serving as both the chief programs and equity officer and more recently as chief operations officer.
“It’s been a wonderful journey to be able to do what I do,” Salinas said. “I look forward to this journey. We’ll keep doing what we’re doing — feeding our people right here in the Valley. This is our passion.”
When Salinas first started working with the food bank, she said her only goal was to feed and help people regardless of her position with the food bank.
“It’s always to feed people. It’s always to help kids. It’s always to help seniors and grandparents,” Salinas said. “Those are my goals, and they will always be my goals.”
As co-CEOs, the women will share many responsibilities, such as the performance and development of the food bank, while also focusing on their own areas of need — particularly finance and administration for Ramos and overseeing the food bank’s operations and programs for Salinas.
They also share similar upbringings growing up in low-income households, helping them understand the plight of those who rely on the food bank’s services.
“Being in that situation, knowing what it’s like to be hungry — I remember my mom said, ‘Do you want me to pay the light bill or the bill to buy food?’” Salinas recalled. “It makes you have empathy for people because you know what their struggle is. You know what they’re going through. You know the choices that they have to make on a regular basis. You know what it’s like.”
“I always tell our team, when a person is hungry and they’ve maybe had doors shut on them, they’re looking for relief. We need to make sure that we are that relief,” Salinas continued. “We never want to make anybody feel like they are bothering us. If someone comes in and they are asking for food, regardless of whatever their situation is, we are to open our doors and give them whatever it is that they need. That’s what we’re here for.”
The food bank serves roughly 103,000 people on a weekly basis throughout Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. At the peak of the pandemic, the food bank held a handful of mass food drives, providing food for up to 2,500 families at the most recent emergency mass food drive in February.
For the new CEOs, they hope to bring innovative ways to fight hunger in the Valley.
“We want to continue making sure we’re providing healthy food, nutrition classes, and access to community services,” Ramos said. “I think that’s why they picked both of us. They know that we have the same goals, but our main goal is to make sure that everybody — every person in the Valley does not go hungry.”
Anyone in need of food assistance is encouraged to visit the food bank’s website, www.foodbankrgv.com, or call (956) 682-8101 and select option 2 when prompted.
