Compass Helping MoCo Food Security Collaborative Find Success

A business consulting organization called Compass has granted the Montgomery County Food Security Collaborative $130,000 in-kind hours to help the group combat hunger in Montgomery County.

Compass is a Washington, D.C.- based organization that provides pro bono business consulting to nonprofits whose work benefits the Greater Washington, DC and Philadelphia communities.

The Montgomery County Food Security Collaborative is teaming up with a group of 10 accomplished business professionals to establish a partnership in the county’s fight against hunger. Launched earlier this fall, the Montgomery County Food Security Collaborative aims to create synergy between business, non-profits, food-providers and families. By redistributing fresh, perishable food and increasing collaboration within the community, the Collaborative strives to significantly reduce hunger in Montgomery County by 2020.

“The hunger movement in Montgomery County will be successful because of collaborative efforts, not individual ones,” says Andy Burness, chair of the Montgomery County Food Security Collaborative and president of Burness Communications, a Bethesda-based communications firm supporting nonprofits. “We must do something different than what is currently being done, and the talent that Compass has provided us with can help us do just that.This is the greatest infusion of management talent the County has ever had for tackling the challenge of reducing hunger.”

The Compass team comprises alumni from top universities including Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Michigan and Johns Hopkins. Among the team members are current Vice Presidents of Finance, Directors of Administration, Law Firm Partners and senior consultants for some of the leading financial firms. Their areas of expertise cover the broad range of skills required to manage a nonprofit organization, from governance to strategic planning and financial management.

“I’ve had the experience of not knowing where my next meal was coming from,” says Compass team leader Kimberly Corbin, a Harvard MBA, referring to her personal struggles earlier in her life. “My story is not unique but it gives me the passion to join with the Collaborative and do what I can to fix this problem. I am honored to represent Compass with my other amazing team members.”

Montgomery County Food Security Collaborative Compass Team:

• Alex Hymanson-Project Consultant, The Advisory Board Company
• Barbara Phillips-VP FinanceSaul Centers, Inc.
• Chris Sutton-Strategy and Operations Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton
• Kevin McCrory-Senior Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton
• Kimberly Corbin-Executive & Strategy Consultant
• Michelle Olenoski-Senior Manager of Product, Capital One
• Roberta Horton Partner,-Arnold & Porter LLP
• Thomas Johnson, Jr.-Project Manager/Business Analyst, iDoxSolutions, Inc.
• Vassilena Ivanova-Senior Consultant, Kaiser Associates
• William Upshur-Senior Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton

About Krista Brick

Krista Brick is a multi-media journalist with Montgomery Community Media.

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