For Immediate Release
Contact: Emily Martin
Phone: (317) 632-2664, ext. 112
Email: emilymartin@secondhelpings.org
Second Helpings CEO Jennifer Vigran to Retire
Second Helpings CEO Jennifer Vigran announced her retirement after 20 years with the organization.
INDIANAPOLIS (March 22, 2021) – Second Helpings today announced the retirement of its CEO, Jennifer Vigran, who will step down later this year after serving the organization for nearly 20 years – beginning as a volunteer in 2001 and as CEO since 2010.
“It has been an honor and inspiration to spend the last 20 years serving Hoosiers through my work at Second Helpings,” Vigran said. “My decision to retire is bittersweet – I’m excited to embark on this new chapter of my life, but this organization is near and dear to my heart. The work that Second Helpings does is so important – particularly during these trying times – and I look forward to assisting the new CEO transition into their new role. I’ll always be grateful for the personal relationships and friendships I’ve made during my time with this organization, and for the many donors, staff and volunteers that make Second Helpings’ work possible.”
“Jennifer joined Second Helpings as a volunteer and has continued to lead selflessly in her role as CEO,” said Second Helpings Board Chair Ellen Butz. “Her leadership, dedication and service were instrumental in expanding Second Helpings’ impact in Indianapolis – she played a key role in the organization’s continued growth and our ability to serve Hoosiers in need. Jennifer and her predecessors have positioned Second Helpings extremely well to attain even greater achievements in the years ahead. We wish her and her family all the best.”
Second Helpings has selected and is partnering with Koya Partners on this critical search for its next CEO. Koya Partners is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Marissa Delgado, Managing Director at Koya Partners, will be leading the search. Those who wish to offer their insights or express interest can email secondhelpings@koyapartners.com.
In 2014, Jennifer Vigran was honored with the IBJ’s Women of Influence award, which recognizes Indianapolis’s most successful businesswomen from both the public and private sectors, while revealing the triumphs and challenges that have shaped their careers. During Vigran’s tenure at Second Helpings, the organization has been honored with the Martin Luther King Freedom Award from Indiana Minority Business Magazine and the MLK Drum Major award from the IUPUI Black Students Association, as well as numerous community partnership awards.
Earlier this year, Prosperity Indiana recognized Second Helpings with the 2021 Key Award Supportive Services Program of the Year Award for their satellite kitchen program. That initiative is part of Second Helpings’ expanded pandemic response to hunger in Central Indiana which provided 75% more meals to Hoosiers in the past year.
Second Helpings is one of the area’s largest hunger relief organizations. More than 100 other not-for-profit organizations rely on food from Second Helpings to strengthen their programs and address food insecurity among their clients. Its food rescue and hunger relief programs recover more than 3 million pounds of food annually and in the past year distributed 2 million prepared meals to serve children, families and seniors in need in Central Indiana. Second Helpings also addresses the underlying causes of poverty through its Culinary Job Training program, which helps unemployed and underemployed adults build meaningful careers in the foodservice industry.
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At Second Helpings, we’re helping transform lives through the power of food. By accepting donated perishable and overstocked food, we prepare nutritious meals for thousands of hungry children and adults every day and distribute them free of charge through social service agencies in Greater Indianapolis. For more information, visit www.secondhelpings.org.