The Nashville Food Project Announces Their Search For a New CEO

“This is a consequential year for The Nashville Food Project — one in which we will commemorate the organization’s tenth anniversary. I am honored to lead our board through this milestone as 2021-2022 Board Chair for The Nashville Food Project. It’s also a year in which we’re making deliberate, strategic, and thoughtful steps regarding leadership of The Nashville Food Project. And in so many ways, this is our most vital work of 2021. 

Last August, after The Nashville Food Project’s founder and longtime CEO Tallu Quinn was diagnosed with glioblastoma, the Board of Directors and I went to work to ensure that our important programs and services would continue and grow as strong as ever in service to this city and our community. We created a new role of Founder for Tallu to both recognize and continue to include her in essential organizational vision and strategy while relieving her of day-to-day management responsibilities so that she could focus on her health. We are happy to report that Tallu is doing well and receiving expert medical care from her team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She is chronicling her experience online here.  

In this time of transitional leadership, Christa Bentley and Teri Sloan were named Interim Co-CEOs while both continued their respective roles as Chief Programs Officer and Chief Operations Officer. Christa and Teri have provided exceptionally strong leadership during this time of significant transition, and the entire staff has worked tirelessly to continue our vital programs and services. The team’s effort is abundantly evident in The Nashville’s Food Project’s 2020 Community Impact Report.  

Although this interim structure has worked well, the Board recognizes the need for more permanent leadership to guide this incredible organization into its next decade. To that end, we will soon launch an official search for The Nashville Food Project’s next CEO. We have chosen Koya Partners, a leading executive search firm, to direct this effort — based on the firm’s successful placement of nonprofit leaders in Nashville and beyond. Koya’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion aligns with The Nashville Food Project’s core values and made them a natural fit for this search. The firm’s principals have been actively meeting with The Nashville Food Project’s staff and board members to refine the needs of the role, and we anticipate releasing a job description in the coming weeks. Candidate inquiries and requests for information on the search can be directed to our team at Koya:

Christy Farrell 

Vice President, Executive Search 

cfarrell@koyapartners.com 

Christopher Wilson 

Coordinator, Executive Search 

cwilson@koyapartners.com 

While the past year has challenged everyone at The Nashville Food Project — both personally and professionally — we have been reminded again and again of the important mission of this organization and the vital needs we serve in our community The entire Nashville community should look forward with confidence to seeing how The Nashville Food Project’s evolution continues to lead, impact and innovate work on issues of food security, food justice and food access.”

Jeff Warne 

Board Chair 

The Nashville Food Project