ERIE — The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania board of directors announced that Karen S. Seggi, CEO of northwest Pennsylvania’s only food bank, will retire in February 2025.
Current board President Doug Starr shared, “Karen’s commitment to Second Harvest and the community it serves cannot be overstated. Her passion and commitment are as strong today as it was when she first started working at the food bank 34 years ago. She has been a true advocate for our neighbors in need and we are grateful for all her hard work.”
The board will begin a national search for a new chief executive officer in May with plans to have a new CEO in place by February of 2025. When asked, Seggi said, “I am leaving Second Harvest poised for a successful future. There is more work to be done to help those who are food insecure, and I am confident that the organization will continue to grow under new leadership.”
She was hired at Second Harvest as an accountant in 1990 and became Chief Executive Officer of the 11-county area food bank in 2001. At that time, Second Harvest had 270 member agencies, 16 employees, collected $399,603 in donations, and distributed 7.3 million pounds of food. At retirement, Seggi has grown the food bank to include 376 member agencies, 45 employees, has raised more than $3.3 million this year, and is on track to distribute 13 million pounds of food. Under her leadership, Second Harvest was able to increase its annual charitable giving by 888%. Seggi also increased the organization’s endowment by 518%.
During her tenure, Second Harvest became the lead agency for TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) in all its eleven counties and became the lead agency for the State Food Purchase Program in Clarion, Jefferson, McKean, Forest, and Erie counties.
