Blain to replace Webb as hunger nonprofit’s head
The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance has named Sylvia Blain as the nonprofit organization’s next chief executive officer, according to a news release issued Monday.
Blain’s first day leading the Little Rock-based group will be April 1.
For the past six years, she has served as the executive director of Potluck Food Rescue, a North Little Rock-based nonprofit organization that works to redistribute food that would otherwise be discarded.
In a statement included with the news release, Camille Wrinkle, president of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance’s board of directors, said, “Blain’s experience in hunger relief work and advocacy for policy changes to increase access will serve the Alliance well as we work to alleviate food insecurity across Arkansas.”
“Being able to take what I’ve learned, work with the amazing Alliance team and Board, and to have the opportunity to increase food security across the entire state is exciting,” Blain said in a statement. “I’ve worked with the Alliance for many years and have long admired their work.”
Kathy Webb, the current chief executive officer of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, will retire at the end of March, the news release said. In September, the organization announced that Webb would step down, although her retirement date was set as Jan. 31 at the time.
“While I’ll cherish my time as CEO of the Alliance, it’s time for me to step down and for a new leader to take us into our 20th year and beyond,” Webb said in a letter issued at the time.
Following her retirement, Webb “plans to work as a consultant on a variety of issues,” according to the news release issued Monday.
Webb has represented Ward 3 on the Little Rock Board of Directors since 2015. Currently, she is serving a two-year term as vice mayor.
In January 2023, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. created a new city task force on food deserts and tapped Webb to serve as its chair.
Webb told city board members of the task force’s findings and recommendations, including the deployment of a mobile grocery store, during a meeting last month.