Vicki B. Escarra Named America's Second Harvest President and CEO
Former Aviation Executive Brings Wealth of Experience to Nation’s Food Bank Network
CHICAGO --- February 1, 2006 --- America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network has named Vicki B. Escarra as President and CEO-elect, effective March 1, 2006.
Escarra is a 30-year veteran of Delta Air Lines, Inc., most recently serving as Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Service Officer. In that role, Escarra was responsible for corporate customer service strategy, leading a work force of 52,000 individuals including flight attendants, call center personnel, airport personnel, cargo personnel and customer care representatives.
Since retiring from Delta in 2004, Escarra has dedicated herself full-time to volunteer service. As Chairman of the Board of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, she leads a diverse team helping to bring more revenue through business and tourism to the area.
“Vicki Escarra brings a tremendous wealth of knowledge and experience to America’s Second Harvest,” said Peter Dunn, incoming Chairman of the Board of Directors for America’s Second Harvest. “With more people relying on their local pantries and agencies for daily survival, it is critical that the America’s Second Harvest Network of more than 200 food banks and food-rescue organizations have exceptional leadership. We’re confident that Vicki will take our organization to new heights, and we welcome her with great enthusiasm.”
Escarra will succeed current President and CEO Robert Forney upon his retirement June 30. Forney has led the organization since 2001.
Escarra was named to the position by the America’s Second Harvest Board of Directors following an intensive five-month search. Spencer Stuart, an international search firm, was retained to assist the search committee.
While in her marketing role at Delta Air Lines, Escarra expanded Delta’s revenue by establishing unique agreements with organizational partners, restructured the customer loyalty program to increase customer satisfaction and created a consumer research department to analyze brand positioning for organizational advancement. She was responsible for the first global redesign and reengineering of Delta’s flight schedule following the events of September 11, 2001.
Beginning her career in 1974 as a flight attendant, Escarra rose through the organization in human resources, in-flight services operations, reservation sales, marketing and customer service.
During her time at Delta, Travel Agent magazine listed Escarra among its “200 Most Powerful Women in Travel” in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001. Additionally, the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum presented her with the National Aviation and Space Exploration Wall of Honor certificate in 2000. In 2002, Escarra received the YWCA Women of Achievement Award.
A native of Decatur, Georgia, Escarra holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Georgia State University. She has completed Columbia University's Executive Management Program and Harvard University's Executive Leadership Program.
Escarra currently resides in Atlanta.
America's Second Harvest — The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food - rescue programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 23 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. For more on America's Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
# # # #
Contact:
PHIL ZEPEDA
Office: 312-641-6420
Cell:
312-622-2640
