Govenrnance
Governance
Our leadership team takes immense pride in how effectively we transform donations into results. Meet the people who help make it happen and review our financial statements and audits.
Advocacy Board
Gary Brandenburger
Tim Brenneman, Ph.D
Fred Brown
Tina Bruce
Marie Casey
Alison Ferring
Donna L. Harper
Lora Iannotti, Ph.D
Sally Johnston
Ron Jones
Peter H. Raven, Ph.D
Greg Reinhart
Jamie Rhoads
Olivia Robinson Johnson
Pam Schantz Rich
Jennifer A. Schwesig
Thad W. Simons
Jean Alfred Thomas, MD
JEFF KLOPFENSTEIN
Board President
Board Member since January 2012
Jeff is the former President of the Methionine Business Unit at Novus International, Inc. He is currently consulting on business development in the animal nutrition space.
ARLENE MOORE ROSS
Secretary
Board Member since May 2021
Arlene has been a CRNA since 1986 and recently retired from Washington University in St Louis. She has supported MFK for over 2 decades, serving as a co-chair of the Annual Gala and visiting the facility in Cap Haitien.
Hadi Alhorr, PHD
Board Member since May 2023
YVENA LESPERANCE ATKINS
Board Member Since May 2021
Yvena is a Haitian-American strategist and entrepreneur. She is an avid supporter of Meds & Food for Kids locally in Haiti and served as a co-chair for the annual gala.
FREDO DERAZIN
Board Member Since June 2017
Fredo is the principal at Bel Cleaning Services. Partnership. Service. Inspiration.
JOHN HARLAN
Board Member Since August 2019
John is the founder and current president of The Harlan Company, a mid-sized general contracting company based in St Louis, Missouri.
Mickheila Jasmin-Beamon
Board Member Since March 2022
Mickheila Jasmin-Beamon is a workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant with a personal passion for helping diverse law students shape their professional paths with fulfilling employment opportunities. Mrs. Jasmin-Beamon serves as owner and Chief Executive Officer of Citadelle Consulting LLC, an equitable workplace consulting firm. She is also a proud member of the Nassau Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,Vice Chair of the Nassau County Minority Affairs Council and Board Member at The Elmont Cultural Center.
Mrs. Jasmin-Beamon received a B.A. in Psychology from Princeton University along with certificates in African American Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies. Mrs. Jasmin-Beamon went on to receive her Critical Race Studies J.D. Specialization from UCLA School of Law. In addition to studying the intersectionality of civil rights law, she has extensive experience in employment litigation. Mrs. Jasmin-Beamon investigated complaints of unlawful discriminatory practices and prosecuted cases on behalf of the Sexual/Gender-Based Harassment Unit of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Mrs. Jasmin-Beamon also served as an associate focusing on civil rights, fair housing, employment discrimination, voting rights, police misconduct, wrongful death and criminal law.
Ronald Link
Board Member Since July 2022
Ron Link is a former Senior Vice President and General Manager at Smithfield Foods, Pilgrim's, and Tyson Foods with sales in excess of $12 billion. Ron also spent time at Pacific Seafood as VP of Sales and Marketing. Ron has 20+ years of C-Suite experience in global organizations. He is experienced in retail foodservice and industrial sales and marketing, international business development, business integration, operations, finance, strategic planning and execution, new product/brand development, turn around and crises management, with full P&L responsibility.
Ron is now focused on new ventures in food and beverage, technology, healthcare, energy and the development and implementation of global innovative and technology. He lives in Kansas City.
Chris greene
Chief Executive Officer
Chris started as CEO of MFK in 2022. Before this, Chris lived and worked in Haiti for 8 years. He joined MFK initially in 2015, and has served as the manufacturing director and chief operating officer.
Linda Locke
Board Vice President
Board Member since September 2022
Linda Locke is a retired management consultant specializing in reputation, risk and crisis management. Previously she was a Partner and Senior Vice President at The Standing Partnership; Group Head and Senior Vice President for reputation and issues management at Mastercard Worldwide, among other positions in her 35+ professional life. Her first job out of Kansas State University was as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco.
Steve Morris
Treasurer
Board Member since November 2022
Steve is a General Manager for Sensient Flavor & Extract business in North America. He has worked for over 30 years for multinational companies in commercial and operational leadership roles.
Bidisha Chakrabarty, PHD
Board Member Since October 2021
Dr. Bidisha Chakrabarty is the Edward Jones Endowed Chair Professor of Finance at Saint Louis University. She is a prominent scholar in academia with publications in the top Journals in Finance, Accounting, and Management. She works with accounting and finance regulators and serves as an Editor for Journals and reviewer for Grant Foundations.
THOMAS GREENWAY
Board Member Since May 2021
Thomas is the Vice President of Supply Chain Strategy and Services for Meijer, a grocery supercenter chain located throughout the midwest.
TERRY HATFIELD
Board Member Since April 2013
Terry is the former Vice President of Market Operations for Europe and Executive Vice President for Global Sales Operations, both with Ralston Purina.
Robert Kemerait, phd
Board Member Since May 2023
JOHN KUENZI
Board Member since January 2018
John is past President/CEO of CJ Foods. He is currently President of NQV8 and CEO of Rubicon Scientific. He is past Chairman of Kansas State University Research Foundation; Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship; Mentor and Board Member of Kansas State Entrepreneurship Program. He also has served on the Emmaus University in Haiti Board and is currently serving on the Morris Animal Foundation Board; Pet Food Advisory Board; and past club President of his local Rotary Club.
Suzanne langlois
Board Member Since December 2010
Suzanne is the co-founder of Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company, a roaster, wholesaler and retailer of specialty coffee. She served as the Interim CEO of Meds & Food for Kids from July 2021- June 2022. She teaches entrepreneurship and sustainability at Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
Candace O'Connor
Board Member Since May 2022
Candace is a St. Louis author of 14 books, mostly institutional histories. She served for six years on the original board that founded MFK and was a member of the MFK CEO Search Committee in 2021-22.
Rex reed
Board Member Since May 2023
Rex worked for 30 years for IBM, later for Union Pacific before he helped found and run the Social Enterprise and Innovation Program at Washington University. He provided advising support to Dr. Pat Wolff and MFK in the early stages of the factory in Haiti.
PATRICIA B. WOLFF, MD
Founder & Senior Advisor
Dr. Wolff founded MFK in 2003, and served as the organization’s Executive Director until 2021. Dr. Wolff is Professor Emerita of Clinical Pediatrics at Washington University. She earned BA and MD degrees from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. After a residency at Washington University Medical School, she worked as a pediatrician for 35 years in St. Louis City and was President of Forest Park Pediatrics until the summer of 2011, when she resigned to devote herself full-time to Meds & Food for Kids. Dr. Wolff has been recognized for her service to children with numerous awards, including Humanitarian of the Year Award from the World Affairs Council, NAACP 25 Most Inspiring St. Louisans Award, and the Global Stewardship Award from the St. Louis Peace Corp.