John Sayles, the Vermont Foodbank CEO, has been appointed to a two-year term on the Board of Directors of Feeding America. He currently sits on the Feeding America Policy Engagement and Advocacy Committee which develops national policy direction for the organizations nationwide network of food banks.

Feeding America is the largest domestic hunger-relief in the country, overseeing a distribution network of 200 food banks. The network, which includes the Vermont Foodbank, provides more than 3.6 billion meals to people in need each year.

“We are delighted that John Sayles has joined Feeding America’s board of directors. John has been a strong leader in the fight against hunger and we welcome his experience, insights and commitment to our efforts to help feed the millions of Americans who face hunger,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America.
Sayles has been Vermont Foodbank CEO since 2009. He is vice-chair of the Feeding America Eastern Region and a member of the Feeding America Collaborating for Clients Initiative. In 2012, he was presented the Dick Goebel Public Service Award by Feeding America for contributions in public policy development.

“Serving on the board of directors is a great opportunity to continue to shape how we address the issue of hunger in America,” Sayles said. “I’m looking forward to working with the Board and know the work will benefit what we do here at the Foodbank. It gives us a platform to share our innovative approaches to tackling hunger and food insecurity in Vermont, while learning even more from our national partners.”

Sayles, who previously served 10 years in senior positions with the State of Vermont, lives in Montpelier with his wife and son.