CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Area Food Bank (Food Bank) recently hired Dominique Brandt as chief development officer and Jeannine Carpenter as director of advocacy. This is part of the Food Bank’s five-year strategic plan to invest in people to move forward the mission, increase awareness, ignite public passion, and mobilize the community in the fight to end hunger.
“We’re fortunate to have access to a wealth of talent in our own backyard, with Dominique’s corporate and nonprofit experience and from the advocacy community with Jeannine,” said Food Bank President & CEO Melissa Blevins. “Both bring years of experience from their fields to strengthen our mission and vision, while furthering our resources and our ability to serve our communities, while building pathways to long-term stability in southeast Tennessee and northwest Georgia.”
Brandt has 25 years of fundraising, organizational visioning, event & volunteer management, and community engagement experience, thirteen of which have been spent in nonprofit organizations. Beginning at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Miami, Brandt moved to Chattanooga in 2013 to serve as development director at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, where she grew faith-based giving, established the endowment fund and launched the Women Build Breakfast. Prior experience includes the United Way of Greater Chattanooga and work in the legal field. Dominique and her husband, Jack, have three adult sons. Dominique enjoys traveling, reading, and hanging with friends and neighbors on her front porch.
“I’m excited to join this dynamic team in the fight to end hunger. Increasing equity in distribution and lowering barriers to access to healthy foods, including fresh produce and milk are key initiatives of our strategic plan. Our communities are ready for this work and the Food Bank is positioned to lead it,” said Dominique.
Before joining the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Jeannine worked as the Director of Research and Policy at the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga. While at the Women’s Fund, Jeannine wrote legislation, advocated on behalf of women’s issues and led advocacy education programming. Jeannine received a PhD in Sociolinguistics from Duke University, a Master’s Degree in English language studies and a Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina State University. She is the proud mother of a two-year old boy and an eight-year-old Doberman. (Continued on Pg. 2)
” I’m so grateful for the opportunity to begin this meaningful work of creating systemic change- to advocate for policy changes that benefit the families and individuals and community we serve, to build partnerships that amplify a collective voice, and increase access to nutritious food to those in need,” Jeannine says.