The Freestore Foodbank has tapped Kreg Keesee as its next president and CEO, the nonprofit’s board announced, putting an operations-minded leader at the helm of the region’s largest hunger-relief network just as demand keeps climbing across the tri-state.
Freestore is hardly a small neighborhood pantry. The organization distributes about 47.2 million meals each year through hundreds of partner agencies in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, according to Freestore Foodbank. That scale gives Keesee a sprawling logistics and workforce operation to oversee, from mobile food markets to job-training programs.
From Corporate Ops To Feeding The Tri-State
The board selected Keesee, a longtime operations and finance executive, to step into the top job. He most recently served as interim chief financial and operating officer at The Springer School and Center and previously held senior roles at Cold Jet, Sun Chemical, and Procter & Gamble. He also served as chief operating officer at Michelman.
“Kreg brings a proven track record of building high-performing teams and turning strategy into action,” Freestore board chair Dwinelva Zackery said when the board announced the hire, per LINK nky. Keesee will follow Kurt Reiber, whose 15-year tenure saw Freestore expand food distribution and roll out workforce programs such as LIFT the TriState and KIND, initiatives the organization highlights in its impact reports.
Why This Hire Matters
Keesee steps in at a tricky moment. Freestore and other regional food banks are wrestling with rising need and shifting federal support. Leaders reported about a 35 percent jump in neighbors seeking help and warned of federal funding cuts that trimmed roughly 2 million dollars for local produce purchases, according to FOX19. With that kind of fiscal squeeze, the food bank has had to scrutinize everything from procurement to volunteer capacity and program hours, which makes an operations-focused CEO a strategically safe choice rather than a flashy one.
Keesee introduced himself on ARC Cincinnati after the announcement, the station reported, and the board has described him as the organization’s incoming leader while sharing few details publicly about the transition timeline, according to WKRC. Off the clock, he is active in local civic life, including serving as SORTA board chair, a role noted by WCPO.
