Statement from The Nashville Food Project Board Chair Jeff Warne:
As many of you know, we have been on a long journey under difficult circumstances to find a new CEO for The Nashville Food Project. While Tallu Schuyler Quinn will remain in the Founder role, it is crucial to establish strong leadership moving forward.
After intensive planning, interviews and the careful consideration of a Search Committee comprised of board and staff representatives, the Board of Directors has hired C.J. Sentell who will begin as CEO of the Food Project, starting July 6.
C.J. brings years of experience as a seasoned nonprofit leader and social entrepreneur. In addition, he has actively farmed for the last decade, informing a component of his doctoral dissertation which traced the relationships between freedom and food through the intersection of slavery and agriculture.
C.J.’s strategic vision impressed the Search Committee and Board, and he conveyed a deep understanding of the complex food systems in which The Nashville Food Project works. Furthermore, C.J. has a demonstrated ability to diversify boards and staff, and leveraged his own nonprofit’s resources to support BIPOC-led/focused nonprofits. For these reasons, and more, the Board looks forward to the meaningful work and passionate enthusiasm C.J. will bring to The Nashville Food Project.
This transition also comes as we commemorate the organization’s 10th anniversary. As an organization that began in a modest church kitchen, with a handful of volunteers and a truck delivering sandwiches and bottled water to homeless camps, The Nashville Food Project has evolved to encompass multi-faceted, interrelated initiatives—with a clear mission to grow, cook and share nourishing food with the goals of cultivating community and alleviating hunger in our city.
As we welcome our new CEO and reflect on a remarkable decade, we thank you for your continued support as The Nashville Food Project takes another big step towards furthering its essential mission and deepening its impact in our community.
Sincerely,
Jeff Warne
Chairman, Board of Directors
The Nashville Food Project