Q & A with Woody Bradford: Chair of the Board of Directors

Meet The Greater Boston Food Bank’s (GBFB) newly appointed Chair of the Board of Directors, Woody E. Bradford. Mr. Bradford is a CFA and President and Chief Executive Officer at Conning. Prior to joining Conning in 2010, he was an Operating Partner with Advent International, a global private equity firm. Previously, he spent 12 years at Putnam Investments where he had multiple roles, including Head of Corporate Development and Chief Operating Officer of Global Distribution. Mr. Bradford is a graduate of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated with High Distinction, and of the Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar. Mr. Bradford is also a member of the Supervisory Board of Quoniam Asset Management GmbH. Q: What inspired you to become involved with GBFB and its mission to end hunger here? A: I have supported the mission to end hunger here since I was a teenager. While growing up, I helped establish the first food bank in Maine with my parents, now the Good Shepherd Food Bank. In those days, much of the work was about gathering, salvaging and sorting food, and distributing food directly to those in need. I became involved with GBFB when Catherine D’Amato and her team approached my employer for a contribution to the Capital Campaign to build the current Yawkey Distribution Center. I was responsible for recommending candidates for contributions, and quickly became an advocate for the campaign and for GBFB. We made one of the first institutional contributions to the campaign. From there, I joined GBFB volunteer groups, and haven’t stopped since! Q: What does being the Chair of the Board of Directors mean to you? A: It is a great honor to be nominated by my fellow Directors to be the Chair of the Board. I look at the contributions made by past Chairs, most recently Phil Licari and Vicary Graham, and can only hope to contribute a fraction of what they accomplished. They established a high bar. More importantly, I have the pleasure of supporting Catherine D’Amato and her fantastic team. Catherine is a friend with great talent who has made a tremendous difference in the mission to end hunger in Eastern Massachusetts. Assisting her and Team GBFB gives me great pride and personal satisfaction. Q: Can you share one of your favorite experiences with GBFB thus far? A: I have many strong memories since I’ve been involved with GBFB. One of my favorites was my first GBFB Banquet held in the old warehouse. The space was significantly smaller than what we have today. Watching the team turn the limited space into a banquet venue was amazing enough. But, what really stands out are the reactions of donors and supporters as they entered the warehouse venue and saw the shelves filled with food. This moment exposed them to the “front lines” and the robust operation GBFB runs. It drove home the significance of what they’ve been supporting and inspired continued support. Q: If you could tell people one thing about hunger in Eastern Massachusetts, what would you want them to know? A: I would want people to know that hunger is all around us, and often in forms that aren’t immediately visible. One in nine residents of Eastern Massachusetts is at risk of hunger. And, hunger is not a problem restricted to those in poverty. More middle class families are struggling to keep up with the cost of living. The stock market has improved and the economy is slowly recovering, but job growth has been disappointing. Additionally, more cutbacks in federal and state funding are likely (e.g., SNAP). As a result, more and more people are living “on the edge” of being able to care for their families. People often need support as a result of a crisis, a “bridge” of sorts to get them through. The food support network facilitated by GBFB plays a central role in maintaining that “bridge”. We all have a role in helping those in need, and can help to end hunger here. Q: If you could tell people one thing about GBFB, what would you want them to know? A: GBFB is a very smart, focused, efficient and effective organization aimed squarely at a basic need in our communities, ending hunger. Thanks to Team GBFB’s smart work, we are able to allocate 92 cents of every dollar donated directly to hunger relief efforts. Q: Any final words? A: I am very proud to be associated with such a wonderful organization that is making a huge difference in people’s lives every day. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I’m looking forward to helping GBFB reach their food acquisition and distribution goals of 46 million pounds of food this year. You can make a difference. Start today by learning how you can get involved: http://www.gbfb.org/how-to-help/donate.php.