There have been a few folks wondering how North Texas Food Bank CEO/President Jan Pruitt was doing. She was MIA at the Crystal Charity Ball check presentation in April, where NTFB Board Chair Tom Black received a check of $750,000. And then there was the Can Do! Luncheon in May when NTFB Board Member Katherine Perot Reeves accepted the Can Do! Award for NTFB.
Jan Pruitt (File photo)
It’s been curious because Jan is one of the most public figures in the North Texas nonprofit sector and hasn’t been seen since last September when she underwent cancer treatments at MD Anderson.
Word just arrived that the doctors have ordered her to stop multi-tasking. So instead of juggling the needs of the community along with her recovery, she’s taking “a temporary leave of absence to focus fully on her health.”
NTFB’s board of directors have announced that NTFB COO Simon Powell will serve as Interim President and CEO.
According to Jan, “I have full confidence that Simon will lead the North Texas Food Bank very capably until I am able to return. Simon is backed by the best executive team and Board of Directors in my tenure with the Food Bank. Until I return, the operation is business as usual, with a focus on closing the hunger gap in North Texas and achieving our goal of providing 92 million nutritious meals a year by 2025.”
Adding to Jan’s opinion is Tom Black, who said, “The Board of Directors fully supports Jan’s decision, and we wish her well in her complete recovery. We have full confidence in Simon’s ability to lead the Food Bank. He’s backed by a superb executive team, who’ll ensure the mission to feed our hungry neighbors moves forward in the interim.”
In the meantime, it certainly doesn’t mean that Jan won’t be able to read get well notes. Suggestion: Drop her a line by sending it to Jan Pruitt, c/o North Texas Food Bank, 4500 S. Cockrell Hill Rd., Dallas 75236-2028. And, if you really want to score brownie points, make a donation in Jan’s name to you-know-what.