The following is a message from Share Our Strength
Thomas C. Nelson, former chief operating officer at AARP, will join the national anti-hunger nonprofit Share Our Strength® as theorganization’s president on October 3. In addition to his role as president,Nelson will also assume the duties of chief operating officer.
Nelson arrives at Share Our Strength as the organization, which was founded in 1984, experiences phenomenal growth fueled by its No Kid Hungry® Campaign, aimed at endingchildhood hunger in America. For the past three years, childhood hunger has been at record levels in the United States. According to Household Food Security in the United States in 2010, released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 16.2 million children, one out of every five, grappled with hunger last year.
Share OurStrength builds public-private partnerships at the state level toconnect more children with food and nutrition programs, supports local hunger efforts, teaches families how to cook healthy meals on tight budgets, and mobilizes individuals to take action to fight hunger. In addition to Share Our Strength’s work on the national and local level, the organization’s No Kid Hungry Campaigns are active in 14 states, with four more states coming on line before the end of 2011. The campaigns have drawn the support of major corporations and politicians,including Governors Martin O’Malley (D-MD), Bob McDonnell (R-VA), Mike Beebe(D-AR), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Bev Purdue (D-NC).
"Tom brings tremendous experience in growing an organization to the scale necessary to meet the needs of vulnerable populations," said Share Our Strength Chairman and CEO Bill Shore. "His combination of entrepreneurship, management skill and knowledge of how nonprofit services and advocacy intersect with public policy make him the perfect leader to help Share Our Strength meet its goal of ending childhood hunger in America."
Nelson will oversee the day-to-day management of Share Our Strength, including working with the organization’s executive and senior teams to implement a strategic growth strategy. While at AARP, Nelson led the build-out of its state strategy in all 53 states and territories.He also led the reinvention of the AARP Foundation, which today has a donor base of over one million and provides direct service to more than 2.7 million individuals.
"Share Our Strength has an innovative, field-tested strategy to connect children at risk of hunger withthe food they need to thrive," said Nelson. "I am extremely pleased to help lead the organization as we are poised to end the scourge of childhood hunger in this country, and joining Billy Shore, who is widely regarded as one of thenation’s leading social entrepreneurs, is the chance of a lifetime."
Nelson has a long history of service to civic organizations including the National Hispanic Council on Aging,Consumer Federation of America and the Alzheimer’s Association. Nelson also serves as Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School ofBusiness, teaching in the MBA program about nonprofit leadership and management. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California and an M.A. from Columbia University.
About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives.Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign - a national effort to end childhood hunger in America-Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in federal nutrition programs, invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals, and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, nationally and atthe state and city levels. Visit www.Strength.org to learn more.
