Food Bank of South Jersey CFO Kathleen Horton Named Philadelphia Business Journal CFO of the Year Honoree

The prestigious award, bestowed annually to financial executives in the Greater Philadelphia area for outstanding performance in their roles as corporate financial stewards, serves as a testament to Horton’s strategic leadership over the organization’s finance processes and capabilities, working directly with Food Bank of South Jersey President & CEO Fred C. Wasiak to advance the organization to strategic performance levels in its mission to fight hunger.

After joining the Food Bank of South Jersey in 2019, Horton led the regional Feeding America food bank as it faced surging food insecurity due to the COVID pandemic during 2020, which created a heightened urgency to upgrade the organization’s accounting and inventory software, hardware and infrastructure, allowing employees to work form home securely and efficiently while maintaining the superior ethical integrity and productivity of the organization.

“My guiding philosophy as a CFO is to understand the operations, employees and customer’s needs. Networking is key to remaining current and open to new ideas and strategies,”
Kathleen Horton
Chief Financial Officer

Horton shares, “I spend less time on finance functions and more time communicating with stakeholders to ensure all departments and all staff members have the resources they need to maintain the flow of food to our community, particularly during times of amplified need.”

Horton leads financial, accounting and vital IT operations for the organization as it serves food-insecure communities throughout Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. During 2020, the Food Bank of South Jersey distributed more than 22 million pounds of food – the equivalent of over 18 million meals – to a region devastated by the economic impact of the pandemic. Digital transformation leveraged to elevate the organization’s financial planning and operational infrastructure were driving influences of Horton as the organization battled hunger during a year of unprecedented demand.

ABOUT FOOD BANK OF SOUTH JERSEY

Marking its 36th year in 2021, the Food Bank of South Jersey (FBSJ) is the leader in providing safe and nutritional food to people in need throughout South Jersey. FBSJ distributes food, provides nutrition education and cooking courses, and helps food-insecure families and seniors find sustainable ways to improve their lives.

Throughout 2019, FBSJ distributed over 15 million pounds of food, more than 230,000 summer meals and over 17,500 senior food boxes, as well as serving 95 health and wellness programs to more than 11,700 residents. Providing community impact through local support, FBSJ ensures that local donations stay local. FBSJ is a member of Feeding America, our nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. During 2020, with COVID-19 bringing school closures, stay-at-home orders, record-breaking unemployment and rising poverty, FBSJ distributed more than 22.5 million pounds of food – the equivalent of over 18.7 million meals – throughout four-county region of impact, increasing its partner agency network to over 200 and serving over 95,000 food-insecure South Jersey residents each month, including the distribution of nearly one million nutritious breakfasts and lunches to South Jersey’s food-insecure children and youths. To learn more, visit www.foodbanksj.org. On Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, follow the Food Bank of South Jersey @foodbankSJ.