The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee Board of Directors announced today that Nancy Keil will become President & CEO of the leading non-profit. The appointment concludes an extensive national search, begun last fall when long-time leader Jaynee Day announced her decision to retire at the end of June 2019.

Keil has served the last five years at Second Harvest as Chief Development and Marketing Officer. She has developed a high-performing marketing and fundraising team to achieve the food bank’s objectives around fundraising, awareness, engagement and advocacy initiatives.

‘Exactly the right person at the right time’

Jonathan Flack, Board Chair of Second Harvest, said Keil is “exactly the right person at the right time” to ensure a seamless transition of leadership for the food bank, which serves 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee.

“We interviewed a number of exceptional candidates for this position, but it was Nancy’s unique experience, know-how, dedication and determination that really stood out,” Flack said. “Nancy has been instrumental in helping us strategically grow our capacity to help feed more people in our region and has been tireless in those efforts. Our work is not over, and Nancy is the right leader to continue moving us forward.”

Integrity, empathy and passion

“I am deeply honored and have been inspired by the very best in Jaynee Day,” Keil said. “From our staff to our Partner Agencies to our volunteers, we are people who wake up every day with one goal in mind – helping those who are hungry and don’t know where their next meal is coming from. We will build upon our strong foundation, and it is my personal mission to serve as a leader with integrity, empathy, and passion – giving hope to thousands of people in need.”

In addition to her work with Second Harvest, Keil has an extensive background in strategic consumer marketing and innovative business development having worked as an executive at companies including O’Charley’s, Inc. and Applebee’s International, Inc, as well as leading her own brand marketing consulting firm.

She also has more than a decade of experience in marketing in the real estate development and property management industry. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, Keil received her Executive M.B.A. at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri. Read Keil’s full bio here