Charles McLimans will succeed Bonnie Bellehumeur as president and chief executive officer of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, the nonprofit organization announced today.
Bellehumeur, who was named nonprofit executive of the year during BizTimes Media’s inaugural Nonprofit Excellence Awards, retired at the end of 2014 after 23 years at the helm of the organization.
McLimans, a Wisconsin native, began his new leadership role on Tuesday. He previously served as president and chief executive officer of Loaves & Fishes Community Services, a Naperville, Ill.-based hunger relief and anti-poverty organization that is affiliated with the Feeding America food bank in northern Illinois. McLimans spent seven years at Loaves & Fishes Community Services, holding responsibility over its finances, fundraising, client services and community relations.
“In Charles, we have found a proven executive with the skills needed to keep this fine-tuned organization moving forward to serve more people throughout the state,” Ted Balistreri, co-owner of Balistreri Sendik’s stores and board chairman of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, said in a statement. “The fact that he is a native Wisconsinite and Packer fan is a plus.”
“I am thrilled to bring my experience and passion for fighting hunger to the next level of impact in my home state of Wisconsin,” McLimans said. “It is a true honor to lead such an important organization as Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin in the vital work of ending hunger and providing hope to families, so that no one goes hungry.”
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, which has two distribution facilities, supports food stocks at pantries, meal programs and shelters in the eastern portion of the state. The organization serves 36 counties.