Our very own Sally Petersen, Chief Financial Officer and long-time Second Harvest supporter, retired at the end of June 2019.

“My work at the food bank is the capstone of my career. It is the most meaningful work I’ve done because the mission is compelling and the people I work with to accomplish our mission are the most compassionate, caring, awesome, capable and talented people,” Sally said.

For those of you who may not know, Sally (bottom left) and her team have always been very competitive during our past Halloween competitions – 

Sally has led our financial team for the last 12 years and the food bank has seen consistent growth under her leadership. This year, she was selected as a finalist for the Bay Area Chief Financial Officer of the Year Awards.

Her accomplishments at Second Harvest include:

  • Ensured sustainability during considerable growth:
    • Meals distributed more than doubled from 26 million to 55 million.
    • Average people served per month increased 60% to 259,350 as of June 30, 2018.
    • 9% average revenue growth per year.
    • Funded six-month operating reserve each year and also $7.7 million capital replacement reserve.
    • Budget ended in the black every year.
  • Financial oversight of a $10 million capital campaign that was successfully completed, upgrading a newly acquired facility with a large cooler and freezer and docks.
  • Partnered with the VP of Operations to negotiate and manage the complex time and materials construction contract for the year-long remodel of a 75,000 square foot facility, while operations in the building continued.
  • Inaugurated and grew a Board Designated Endowment fund.
  • Earned Charity Navigator’s 4-star rating each year, based on accountability, transparency, financial health and significant growth, exceeding industry standards.
  • Lead and built her function from two to ten staff, adding financial planning and analysis, treasury and working capital, legal, compliance, risk management, capital budgeting, and supply chain cost analysis.
  • Created and maintains a strong esprit de corps in her unit with 100% of the finance staff stating they are highly or moderately engaged in the employee survey.
  • Partnered with the CEO, the Board of Directors, and the executive team on all strategic, business and operational areas.

Sally, we are grateful for your 12 years of dedication to Second Harvest and for your strong financial management. We wish you all the very best for your retirement, you deserve it!