feed the children leadership


executive leadership team

The executive leadership team is actively engaged in Feed the Children’s work to deepen our impact, leverage our partnerships, grow our voice, explore new ideas, and strengthen organizational capabilities.

Travis Arnold

Travis Arnold

President and Chief Executive Officer

Travis Arnold has been President and CEO of Feed the Children since 2017 after extensive service to the organization in multiple leadership roles. He first joined Feed the Children in 2001 and was Chief Operating Officer from 2006 to 2017, serving three separate terms as interim President and CEO through periods of change.

He led the development of a world-class inventory management system and implemented a new budgeting process as well as the organization’s first strategic plan. He also streamlined logistics through our network of U.S. distribution centers and international offices in Africa, Asia and Central America.

Travis is an Oklahoma native with three decades of broad experience in operations, transportation and executive leadership at companies with annual revenues and donations in excess of $1 billion. During his more than 20 years at UPS, he held numerous management positions in operations, training, health and safety, business development and human resources.

Travis Arnold

Bregeita Jefferson

President of FEED International

With her programmatic and organizational expertise, Bre Jefferson leads our international operations, implementing multifaceted projects in diverse cultures and contexts to improve food insecurity, health, education, and livelihoods in the communities we partner with across the globe. For more than 20 years, she has been dedicated to empowering communities and effecting positive changes. Bre’s experience combines programming, enterprise risk management and business development to devise cutting-edge strategies with a keen understanding of local dynamics, creating sustainable solutions that resonate at a global scale.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Bre remains committed to fostering the next generation of leaders in international development. Her mentorship and advocacy initiatives have equipped individuals with the skills, knowledge, and inspiration to effect change in their communities.

Mike Panas

Mike Panas

Chief Information Officer

Michael Panas has served as Chief Information Officer at Feed the Children since 2016. He provides leadership in managing information technology and developing robust and secure technology solutions for our U.S. and international operations. He has led efforts to implement Blackbaud CRM, Qlik Sense BI and Data Analytics, MS 365 E5, managed detection and response, migrations to Azure Cloud and a number of other SaaS solutions.

Under his tenure, the organization has also established in-house IT management capabilities for Information Security and Data Governance. Mike has chaired or maintained membership on the boards of several nonprofits that provide programming in the areas of financial counseling, autism support and community impact.

Colleen Ridenhour

Colleen Ridenhour

Chief Growth and Strategy Officer

Colleen Finn Ridenhour joined Feed the Children in 2022 as Chief Growth and Strategy Officer. Focused on the organization’s impact and strategic plan, she leads our long-term advancement and the development and implementation of U.S. programs and also oversees our marketing and communication teams. Previously, she served as Chief Development Officer at Habitat for Humanity International.

Colleen also held leadership positions at City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer and Research Center in Los Angeles and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Prior to her nonprofit career, Colleen managed corporate and philanthropic partnerships in the entertainment sector as an executive at E! Entertainment Television and the Style Network.

Gary Sloan

Gary Sloan

Chief U.S. Operations Officer

Gary Sloan currently serves as the Chief U.S. Operations Officer at Feed the Children, overseeing our operations in the U.S. For the past 15 years, he has provided executive leadership in the development of U.S. programs and operations, including managing our network of distribution centers. Gary has served on the boards of directors for several nonprofits that focus on helping children and families and has nearly 25 years of corporate leadership experience.

Debra Shoaf

Debra Shoaf, CPA

Chief Financial Officer

Debra Shoaf is Feed the Children’s Chief Financial Officer, providing a clear vision and strategic fiscal counsel to our global organization. She works to ensure professional and ethical integrity in upholding the expectations of regulatory agencies and donors. Debra is responsible for advising key stakeholders about important business decisions as we forecast and strategize for the future, while overseeing financial reporting, analysis, and management for the organization.

Prior to joining Feed the Children, Debra served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. While there, she served on the Feeding America Financial Leaders Steering Committee and was the Co-chair of the Recruiting subcommittee. She was selected as the Feeding America Senior Financial Leader of the Year in 2018 and to Forbes’ list of Best Non-Profit CFOs for 2020. She also serves on the Advisory Boards for Rural Development Partners and Accion Opportunity Fund.

Debra has also held senior Finance and Accounting positions at Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, Renfroe Enterprises and Ivan Allen Company. She holds a B.B.A in Accounting from Georgia State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Christy Tharp

Christy Tharp, CPA

Chief Special Project Officer

Christy Tharp is Feed the Children’s Chief Special Project Officer responsible for a new transformative strategic initiative that will be a foundational operational component of the Feed the Children five-year strategic plan.

Christy served as Chief Financial Officer at Feed the Children from 2001 to 2024, overseeing financial reporting and management for the organization.

Prior to Feed the Children, Christy served as an audit manager with the international accounting firm Deloitte & Touche and has served a large client base of nonprofit organizations. She also gained experience in the private sector as a Controller and Accounting Supervisor. Christy is a CPA and a member of the AICPA and OSCPA.

Bob Thomas

Bob Thomas

Chief Corporate Procurement & Business Continuity Officer

Bob Thomas is Feed the Children’s Chief Corporate Procurement and Business Continuity Officer. In addition to administering the organization’s development and implementation of a comprehensive business continuity plan, he oversees relationships with corporate donors that provide gift-in-kind products as well as the purchase and procurement of products that supplement our efforts in the U.S. and internationally.

Before Feed the Children, Bob served as Executive Director of The Xenia Institute for Social Justice, Executive Director of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and Senior Director of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, along with several other leadership positions. His service on boards currently includes, among others, his appointment to the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s Dispute Resolution Advisory Board.


Board of Directors

The board of directors is committed to the oversight of Feed the Children’s important work to create a world where no child goes to bed hungry. Each distinguished member of the voluntary board brings with them a unique set of experiences and expertise which are invaluable to the health and growth our organization.

Travis Arnold

Mike Hogan

Chairman

Hogan joined the board in 2013. Most recently, he served as president of Tax-Smart Innovation for Blucora. Previously, he served as the Executive VP of Strategy & Brand at GameStop, a principal with Strategic Frame-working Inc., the CMO at Dean Foods, as well as the VP of Marketing at Frito-Lay. In addition, he serves on the boards of Arcbest Corporation and Valyant AI.

Rhonda Hooper

Rhonda Hooper

Vice Chairman

On the board since 2019, Hooper is President/CEO of an Oklahoma City based marketing/communications company, Jordan Advertising. She is the past chair of the Greater OKC Chamber where she continues to serve on the executive committee for business and economic inclusion. She currently serves on the boards of the 10th District Federal Reserve– OKC branch; the OKC Economic Development Trust; the Alliance for Economic Development; the Human Rights Commission; and the OSU Foundation. Her previous leadership roles have been city, statewide and national in scope.

Rhonda Hooper

C.E. Crouse

Treasurer

A board member since 2017 and an audit committee member prior to that, Crouse retired after 40 years in the accounting profession. He was the co-founder of CapinCrouse LLP, a leading national accounting firm serving the not-for-profit community. In addition, he serves on the boards of TrueFace in Atlanta and Asbury University in Kentucky.

Terry Puchley

Terry Puchley

Director

Puchley is the founder and CEO of TRice Executive Coaching and has more than four decades of experience successfully leading, coaching and mentoring teams and professionals. Joining the board in 2023, she is a retired PwC partner, certified public accountant and serves as the Audit Committee Chair. As an industry leader, she helps professionals reach their full potential, generate new ideas and expand their thinking.

Roxanne Bernstein

Roxanne Bernstein

Director

Bernstein is the EVP and President, North America for ACCO Brands. She joined the board in mid-2019. Previously, she was the President at Crystal Farms Dairy Company, CMO of Post Consumer Brands, CMO at Heritage Home Group and Senior VP of Marketing for Cessna Aircraft Company. She also served in the military for five years as an officer in the United States Army.

Amanda Rodriguez

Amanda Rodriguez

Director

Joining the board in 2022, Rodriguez has extensive financial and strategy experience in the oil and gas industry and the government sector. Currently, she is the founder and co-CEO of LYT Consulting Group. She previously served as a Client Account Executive for the world’s largest consulting firm, Accenture. Amanda was also Oklahoma’s first Chief Financial Officer, overseeing a myriad of aspects of statewide finance and billions of dollars in funding, and in various leadership capacities at Chesapeake Energy for more than 13 years.

John Cardoza

John Cardoza

Director

After serving on the finance committee for five years, John Cardoza joined the board in late 2019. He is a SVP and Trust Investment Officer at BancFirst where he has spent most of his professional career. He previously worked as portfolio manager with Regions Investment Management in Tyler, Texas.

John Clendening

John Clendening

Director

John Clendening is the founding CEO of Earned Wealth and joined the FTC board in late 2020. Previously, he served as the President and CEO of Blucora, Inc. Prior to this, he worked at Charles Schwab Corporation as EVP, Co-Leader of its Retail Business Unit, EVP of Shared Strategic Services and CEO of Charles Schwab Bank. Additionally, he served on the board of Silicon Valley Financial Group.

Brent A. Hagenbuch

Brent A. Hagenbuch

Director

Joining the board in 2017, Hagenbuch is president and chief executive officer of Texas- based NEAT Transportation Group. Prior to founding NEAT Transportation Group, he served as president of Transport Industries.

Kathy Doyle Thomas

Kathy Doyle Thomas

Director

Thomas is president of Half Price Books, the nation’s largest family-owned bookstore chain with 125 stores in 19 states. She’s held various roles at the company during her 34-year tenure. Thomas rejoined the board in 2023, having previously served from 2013 to 2022. She previously served on numerous committees as well as Treasurer in 2016- 2017 and Secretary from 2017 to 2022. She’s also a board member for the Global Retail and Marketing Association and a founding member and board chair of Literacy U.S.A.

Blayne Arthur

Blayne Arthur

Director

Secretary Arthur is the state of Oklahoma’s Secretary of Agriculture, acting as Governor Kevin Stitt’s chief advisor on policy development and implementation related to agriculture, food and forestry. She currently serves as the President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, as well as the President of Food Export-Midwest. She previously served as executive director of the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation and is a former Deputy Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

Gregg Yeilding

Gregg Yeilding

Director

Recently retired after serving 45 years in facilities management and administrative services. Included among his previous career experience is his time as the Director of Administration for Continental Resources. Today, he provides accounting services to nonprofit organizations including churches and homeowner associations. Yeilding served previous terms on the board, and he has continued to serve on the Investment and Audit & Risk Committees.

Andy Williams

Andy Williams

Director

Andy is based in the United Kingdom and currently serves as an Interim Chief Technology Officer for Informa plc. A board member since 2024, Andy has led and developed international teams across different cultures, geographies and industries. He has extensive experience identifying cyber security threats and defining risk mitigation strategies. Andy has a deep understanding of complex global supply chains as well as leadership coaching, mentoring and governance experience.

Paul DeLuca

Paul DeLuca

Director

DeLuca, a board member since 2024, is currently the Chief Information Security Officer at Infinera Corporation. He has more than 25 years of cybersecurity and IT experience across multiple industries. Paul is an experienced security, technology, and business leader who drives innovation in alignment with business goals. He has built and mentored global teams to enhance cybersecurity engineering, operations, and response across the business. Paul has also volunteered as a mentor as part of a program to accelerate economic and social impact in communities through inclusive entrepreneurship.


Additional Committee Leadership

Bob Byers

Bob M. Byers

Finance Committee Member

Robert M. Byers has served in various leadership positions in medical service, finance and mortgage companies. Byers has extensive experience as a certified public accountant, serving in this role with the international firm of Ernst & Ernst. He is also a former Shiloh Summer camp board member and currently serves as the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Chairman of Business. Byers graduated from the University of Oklahoma.

Russ Harrison

Russ Harrison

Investment Committee Member

Russ Harrison is currently the Chairman of the Board and CEO of HGC Holdings, LLC, headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He is the former Chairman (July 2015-2016) and serves on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for Leadership Oklahoma. He also serves on the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Business Committee for Allied Arts. Harrison is the past President and current member of the Executive Committee VP of Development, Executive Board, and current Chair of the Capital Campaign for Boy Scouts of America’s Last Frontier Council. Harrison was raised in Lindsay, Oklahoma, and graduated from Oklahoma State University.

Tyson Avery

Tyson M. Avery

Audit and Risk Committee Member

Tyson M. Avery is currently the Associate General Counsel and Director, Ethics & Compliance of Lucid Motors.  Previously Tyson was the Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer of Starbucks.  Tyson also served as SVP, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer and Director of Internal Audit for CBRE, Inc. Tyson also held various leadership positions in ITT as legal counsel and within the areas of Ethics and Compliance, Industrial Security, Trade Compliance, and Environmental, Health, and Safety.  In addition to his corporate experience, he spent twenty-three years as an officer and judge advocate serving in the active and reserve components of the U.S. Marine Corps, and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.