Leadership Team - Tarrant Area Food Bank
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Leadership Team
Julie Butner
President & Chief Executive Officer
Julie Butner serves as President and CEO of the Tarrant Area Food Bank, serving 13 counties in North Texas, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the U.S. The Tarrant Area Food Bank works with 500 community partners to distribute more than 1 million meals each week to a half million residents facing food insecurity. Julie’s leadership began three short months before the onset of a global pandemic. Julie led the food bank through unprecedented times, providing record amounts of food into the community. Tarrant Area Food Bank saw an 80% increase in the need for food and doubled the amount of food processed, an historic record of food distribution that continues today to meet the increased rate of population.
Julie has led the Food Bank to develop innovative strategies to fulfill the Food Bank’s mission to alleviate hunger and improve health. As a result of her leadership, the Food Bank has increased and diversified its donor base, while making historic investments in building the capacity of the Food Bank to meet the growing need. Notably, Julie has led the Food Bank in establishing the healthcare partnerships, initiative, expanding the Food Bank’s community resources capacity, and opening four new facilities including the Sid W. Richardson Agricultural Hub, a regional produce hub; the Ready to Learn Resource Center, a hub of child-centric community resources for neighbors, children, and families; and two satellite branches – Tarrant Area Food Bank West in Parker County and TAFB North in Denton County.
Prior to joining the Tarrant Area Food Bank in January 2020, Julie held several executive leadership roles in the healthcare and hospitality industries, specifically focused on food and nutrition, and in operations and business development. Julie also served as a Captain in the United States Army during Operation Desert Storm.
Julie graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Coordinated Dietetics and holds a Master of Science in Food Systems Management with an emphasis in Health Promotion from the University of Oklahoma. Julie is a Registered, Licensed Dietitian.
Julie has served the Fort Worth community through leadership roles in many organizations including: the Feeding Texas Board of Directors, Food Bank News Editorial Advisory Board, Leukemia Society, Charles Schwab Challange Executive Women’s Day, Delta Gamma Fraternity, Fort Worth Sister Cities, and The Cowtown Marathon.
In her spare time, Julie enjoys running, yoga, golf, and travels with her husband of thirty years, Greg, and their two Labrador retrievers.
Val Aguilar
Chief Operating Officer
Val joined TAFB in 2016 after working most of his professional career in grocery retail operations. He currently oversees the Community Impact and Volunteer Services teams as well as Operations and Logistics for all TAFB facilities. He graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington with a Bachelor of Science and currently resides in Johnson County.
Brian Lochkos
Chief Financial & Information Officer
Brian brings over 30 years of finance and accounting experience, including 10 years serving as Chief Financial Officer with leadership responsibilities spanning finance, accounting, IT, and human resources. Most recently, he served as the CFO for several private equity–backed businesses in the energy and logistics industries.
Earlier in his career, Brian held key finance and accounting roles at respected organizations such as Deloitte, Thomson Reuters, EDS, and American Express. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Central Michigan University and an MBA from Eastern Michigan University.
Laura McEntire, LCSW
Chief Impact Officer
Laura brings more than 20 years of progressive leadership experience within non-profit and healthcare organizations. She oversees the Community Impact team who are implementing hunger ending solutions through TAFB’s community programs. The programs include Culinary Programs, Community Kitchen, Nutrition Programs, Garden and Farmers Market programs, Healthcare Partnerships, and Community Resource (SNAP) programs. Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts from Baylor University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Oklahoma.
Stephen Raeside
Chief Development & External Affairs Officer
A twelve-year veteran of TAFB, he leads the agency’s fundraising and marketing/communications team. Philanthropic support of TAFB comes from a wide variety of foundations, corporations, events, and generous individuals.
Jared Williams, Ph.D.
Vice President, External Affairs
Quarterbacks the organization’s Marketing and Communications, Grants, and Government Relations teams. His work focuses on strengthening awareness of the Food Bank’s mission and impact, leading grant strategy, building relationships with elected officials and community partners, and advancing policy priorities that alleviate hunger and improve health at the local, state, and federal levels.
Dr. Williams holds a bachelor’s degree from Fort Valley State University, a master’s degree from Texas Christian University, and a doctorate in Environmental Science from the University of North Texas.
Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Ty Stimpson
Chair
Varghese Summersett PLLC
Christy Lara
Chair-Elect
Albertson’s
Mark Jones
Treasurer
Mark M. Jones & Associates, PC
Valerie Washington
Member-at-Large
The City of Ft. Worth
Lou Ann Richardson
Member-at-Large
Wells Fargo
Karen Duncan
Past Chair
John Peter Smith Hospital
Semi Ali
Physician and active community member
Ashli Blumenfeld
Standard Meat
Mercedes Bolen
Hillwood
Rabbi Andrew Bloom
Congregation Ahavath Sholom
Judy Carter
BNSF
Diana Gardner
Walmart
Tom Hungerford
Lockheed Martin
Karen Love
Cook Children’s Health Plan
Sean Madison
Tarrant County College–Trinity River Campus
Scott McConaghy
Bank of America
Dr. Don Mills
Texas Christian University
Hettie Richardson
TCU College of Education
Robert Sturns
Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
Elaine Suleski
Acme Brick
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