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Jason Jakubowski has been chosen as the new President & CEO of Foodshare. He will take over leadership of the non-profit, anti-hunger organization on July 31. He currently serves as Vice President of External Relations at Hospital for Special Care (HSC) in Hartford and New Britain.
Jakubowski brings over 15 years of experience in public health, public affairs, nonprofit leadership and community relations to the position. His appointment comes after a nationwide search of candidates by Foodshare’s Transition Committee and Board of Directors.
“Jason is a recognized leader and builder of community partnerships with a lifelong dedication to tackling the issues of hunger, poverty, literacy, personal health, and job retention,” said Tom Buckingham, Foodshare Board Chair. “He is well prepared to execute Foodshare’s mission of leading an informed, coordinated response to hunger in our community.”
"Foodshare is a tremendous organization,” Jakubowski said. “From the minute I walked into the building and met the staff, I was blown away by their passion and dedication. I firmly believe we have both a moral and societal obligation to eradicate hunger - and working together as a team, that is exactly what we at Foodshare plan to do."
In his role at HSC Jakubowski is responsible for all government relations and public/community development at the hospital, its foundation and all subsidiary programs. He works closely with civic leaders, members of the media and elected officials at all levels on a variety of fiscal and non-fiscal issues that affect the hospital.
Prior to joining HSC, Jason worked as the Director of Corporate & Community Development at Charter Oak State College in New Britain, where he served as the primary liaison between the college and the Greater Hartford business community. He has been a member of the adjunct faculty at Central Connecticut State University since 2006 and has held graduate fellowships with both the Town of Plainville and the University of Connecticut.
Jakubowski recently completed a two-year term as Chairman of the Board at Community Health Resources in Windsor, and he serves as the Vice Chair of the Board at Leadership Greater Hartford. He serves on the boards of both the Middlesex County and Greater New Britain Chambers of Commerce, and in 2010 he served on the Transition Team for Governor Dannel P. Malloy. In 2008 he was named one of the region’s “40 Under 40” by the Hartford Business Journal, and in 2012, he was one of Connecticut’s seven delegates to the Electoral College for President of the United States.
A New Britain native, Jakubowski holds both a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Connecticut. He was elected twice to the New Britain City Council and served two terms as City Treasurer. He currently lives in West Hartford with his wife and five children and is a longtime coach with the West Hartford Youth Baseball League.
In announcing Jakubowski’s appointment, Buckingham also expressed the organization’s gratitude for the work of its interim CEO and former Board Chair Jack Hackendorn. “We are grateful to Jack for his interim management of the organization,” Buckingham said. “Because of his leadership during the transition, Foodshare continued to advance critical initiatives and has remained strong and dedicated to our mission.”
Keep up with Foodshare’s latest news on Twitter @Foodshare.
About Foodshare
Foodshare is leading an informed, coordinated response to hunger in our community. Foodshare is the Feeding America food bank serving Connecticut’s Hartford and Tolland Counties, where 127,000 people struggle with hunger. In partnership with the food industry, donors, community leaders and volunteers, Foodshare works to maximize access to nutritious food and other resources that support food security. Last year, Foodshare distributed 11.5 million meals worth of food to a network of 300 local partner programs including food pantries, shelters, and community kitchens. And, because hunger is bigger than food, Foodshare collaborates with anti-hunger organizations, policy makers, and the broader community to build effective solutions to end hunger.
Foodshare is changing what it means to be a food bank. For more information, visit www.foodshare.org, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
