Natalie Spooner named Ottawa Food Bank CEO after 15 years with organization

Natalie Spooner has been appointed chief executive officer of the Ottawa Food Bank, the organization announced Tuesday. She takes the role after serving as interim CEO since January.

Spooner joined the Food Bank 15 years ago and has spent her tenure rising through the ranks. Most recently, she was the director of programs and planning, a role in which she worked with the organization's 67 member agencies—including other food banks, kitchens, and community partners across Ottawa—to strengthen programming and respond to changing needs.

Board chair John Ariyo said the organization conducted "a comprehensive and diligent recruitment process spanning the entire country" to identify candidates. "Natalie brings a steady and tenacious leadership that reflects and advances our unwavering commitment to the organization, its network, and the community it serves," Ariyo said in a press release.

Spooner immigrated to Ottawa from Ireland in 2005 and initially volunteered to gain local experience before her work in the non-profit sector became a career. She described the city's sense of community engagement as a key draw. "When I landed here, I was like, 'This is it.' This is where I feel like the community spirit in Ottawa is just asking for us to be engaged," she said in an earlier interview.