FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Melanie Ryan
Director, Communications & Marketing
Children’s Hunger Alliance
614-643-8051
mryan@childrenshungealliance.org
Children’s Hunger Alliance, a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to fighting childhood hunger, announces the retirement of Judy Mobley, President and CEO of the organization. Mobley joined CHA in April of 2016 after a 30-year career at Battelle. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded many programs that support the needs of hungry children throughout Ohio.
“It has been an honor to lead this great organization over the past seven years,” Mobley said. “I’ve been fortunate to have dedicated staff and a supportive Board and I’m extremely proud of what we have accomplished together. I am confident our Board will find a truly exceptional leader to continue this important work focused on finding more ways to reach children in need.”
Mobley led the expansion of CHA’s sponsorship of USDA federal nutrition programs from afterschool and in-home childcare providers to include childcare centers and summer meal programs. During her tenure, CHA added other programs to provide food to children such as the Weekend Meal Program, the Adopt-a-School Program, and was instrumental in the creation of a partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital Primary Care clinics in high-need areas.
Mobley also guided CHA during the tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic, which saw the greatest increase in childhood food insecurity in generations. In Ohio, over 400,000 children live in food insecure homes – a number that was over 700,000 at the height of the pandemic. Through Mobley’s leadership, CHA was able to pivot and help children access food when schools were not operating normally, and many families were experiencing difficulties making ends meet.
Another of Mobley’s major accomplishments is CHA’s strong financial outlook. Through her efforts, the state first invested $500,000 in CHA in the 2018-2019 state budget and has now increased CHA funding to $7.5 million in the 2024-2025 biennial budget.
“We cannot thank Judy enough for the work she had done to bring more food to more children throughout Ohio,” said John Kompa, Chair of CHA’s Governing Board. “Children’s Hunger Alliance has reached more children and is the most financially stable it has been in years, and we owe that to Judy’s guidance and leadership.”
One in five Ohio children live in a food-insecure household, meaning they are unsure of when they will have their next meal. Over the years, CHA has expanded its partnerships and the number of sites providing meals to meet the growing need for their services. With its 1,400 partners, CHA serves approximately 9.5 million meals to Ohio’s children annually in afterschool programs, summer programs, family childcare homes, childcare centers, and through its weekend meal program.
Mobley plans to stay with the organization through the end of the year, and then serve in an advisory role to ensure a smooth transition for the next President and CEO. The Board has engaged BeecherHill to assist in the search for her successor.
About Children’s Hunger Alliance
Since 1970, CHA has worked to ensure that children across Ohio have access to the food they need to live a healthy life. Through their work, CHA provides healthy meals to hungry children, advocates for the welfare of Ohio’s youngest citizens, and teaches nutrition and physical education. For more information, please visit www.childrenshungeralliance.org. Follow us on Facebook – @CHAohio, Instagram – @childrenshungeralliance, and LinkedIn – @chaohio.
###