Our team
42 staff + 4,200 volunteers + 17 board
42-person paid staff at our Davis Street headquarters. 4,200 volunteers per year. 17-person board of directors. Combined: the people who make Riverbend Food Bank work. Most-tenured leadership team in Portland nonprofit sector.
42
Paid staff
4,200
Volunteers per year
17
Board of directors members
12 yr
Average leadership tenure
Our story
36 years of Riverbend
1989 — Founded by 7 Portland churches
Riverbend Food Bank founded by 7 Portland-area churches as response to growing food insecurity. Initial budget $50k. Operated from St. Mark’s Episcopal basement first 2 years. ~10 partner organizations + 200 volunteers in first year.
1992-1998 — Early growth + first paid staff
First Executive Director hired 1992 (Eleanor Patel, founder, 25-year tenure). Davis Street warehouse acquired 1995. Expanded to 80 partner organizations by 1998. Earliest Charity Navigator rating earned (3 stars).
1999-2008 — Expansion + Feeding America membership
Grew to 200 partners. Joined Feeding America Network 2002. Expanded service area to all 3 counties (Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas). Added school + summer programs. Charity Navigator 4 stars first time (2008).
2009-2018 — Recession era + scaling
Great Recession (2008-2010) drove recipient growth from 35k → 60k unduplicated individuals. Specific scaling required. Eleanor Patel retired 2014; Maria Chen-Anderson became Executive Director. Continued steady growth + 4-star Charity Navigator.
2019-2022 — COVID + adaptation
COVID-era recipient growth (~50% spike during 2020). Specific adaptations: drive-through distributions, mobile pantries, increased food rescue. Federal stimulus support helped + then waned. Many lessons learned.
2023-present — 36 years + steady growth
Current: 18.4M meals, 85k recipients, 850 partners. 36 years strong. Maria Chen-Anderson continues as Executive Director (10 years). Strong leadership + governance + culture continuity.
Senior leadership
The executive team
Maria Chen-Anderson — Executive Director
10 years as ED. Joined Riverbend 2014. Previously Portland State University Public Health. 25 years nonprofit + community development experience. Native Portland. PhD Public Health (PSU). Salary disclosed in 990: $185k.
David Chen — Chief Operating Officer
Joined 2008 as Operations Manager. Promoted to COO 2018. Oversees warehouse + fleet + partner relationships. Previously Costco Portland-area logistics. Salary $135k.
Janelle Park-Williams — VP of Development
Joined 2016. Oversees fundraising + donor relations + corporate partnerships. Previously OHSU Foundation. Master’s in Nonprofit Administration. Salary $125k.
Carlos Ramirez — VP of Programs
Joined 2012 as program coordinator. Promoted to VP 2020. Oversees school + senior + refugee + workforce + medical programs. Started as Riverbend volunteer in college. Salary $115k.
Aisha Patel-Ferrari — VP of Communications
Joined 2019. Communications, press, marketing, donor communication. Previously Oregon Public Broadcasting. Master’s in Communications. Salary $105k.
Robert Kim-Park — VP of Finance + HR
Joined 2010 as Finance Manager. Promoted to VP 2017. CPA. Oversees finance, HR, IT. Previously Moss Adams CPA. Salary $115k.
Governance + Board
Board of directors
Lin Park (Chair)
Vice President, Portland Community College. 8 years on board, 3rd year as Chair. Background in education + community development.
James Walter (Vice Chair)
Partner, Stoel Rives law firm (Portland). 6 years on board, 1st year as VC. Background in legal + corporate philanthropy.
Sarah Thompson (Treasurer)
CFO, Northwest Health Foundation. 5 years on board, 2nd year as Treasurer. CPA + healthcare finance background.
Marcus Williams (Secretary)
Pastor, St. Stephen Baptist Church. 9 years on board, 3rd year as Secretary. Long-running partner relationship; faith community representation.
11 additional board members
Diverse representation: business (Nike, Intel, Multnomah County), education (PCC, OHSU, Reed College), faith communities (multiple), recipient/community advocates, healthcare, legal, technology, finance. Most board members 5+ years tenure.
Governance structure
Annual board elections (3-year staggered terms). Audit Committee (independent of management). Compensation Committee. Conflict of Interest policy. Whistleblower protection. Quarterly meetings + annual retreat.
Career opportunities
Current job openings
Director of Major Gifts (open)
Lead major donor cultivation + stewardship. 5+ years major gifts experience. Maria Chen-Anderson reports. Salary $115-$140k + bonus. NYC-based with travel.
Program Manager — School + Summer (open)
Manage school + summer feeding programs. 4+ years program management. Carlos Ramirez reports. Salary $75-$95k. Davis Street-based with school district travel.
Volunteer Coordinator (open)
Coordinate 4,200 volunteers. 3+ years volunteer management. Reports to VP Communications. Salary $58-$72k. Davis Street-based.
Database + IT Specialist (open)
Manage donor database + program tracking + IT systems. 3+ years nonprofit data + IT. Salary $65-$85k. Hybrid (some remote).
Warehouse Operations Specialist (open)
Lead warehouse team. Forklift cert required. 5+ years warehouse experience. Salary $48-$58k. Davis Street-based.
Driver / Food Rescue Lead (open)
Lead food rescue routes + driver coordination. CDL preferred. 3+ years route management. Salary $52-$62k. Davis Street-based.
What we offer
Benefits + culture
Mission-driven work
Direct community impact. Working with people facing food insecurity + the volunteers + partners helping them. Tangible outcomes: meals served, families fed, communities supported. Mission visibility + meaning.
Competitive compensation
60th percentile of comparable Portland-area nonprofits. Annual review + adjustment. Bonus structure for development team. Salary transparency in job postings.
Comprehensive health benefits
Medical + dental + vision + mental health. Available at all levels. Spouse + family coverage. Nonprofit standard benefits package.
Retirement (403(b))
403(b) with 5% match. Vesting after 1 year. Standard for nonprofit sector.
Generous time off
4 weeks PTO. 12 paid holidays. Sabbatical eligibility after 7 years (4-12 weeks). Family leave (parental + medical). Mental health days as needed.
Professional development
$2k-$4k/year per employee. Conference + training + certification. Internal promotion path strong (12-year average leadership tenure).
Why people stay
The 12-year leadership tenure
Mission resonance
People who work here are aligned with the mission. Internal alignment + community impact + tangible outcomes = high satisfaction. Mission-driven nonprofits attract + retain mission-driven people.
Family-business culture
Riverbend has family-business culture despite being a nonprofit. Leadership knows everyone’s name. Hiring philosophy: long-tenure-aligned. Conflicts addressed quickly + with care. Culture you don’t want to leave.
Growth from within
Many leaders started in entry-level + grew. Carlos Ramirez (VP Programs) started as Riverbend volunteer in college, then program coordinator, now VP. Maria (ED) started 10 years ago as Director of Programs. Internal mobility is real.
Investment in development
$2-4k/year professional development budget per employee. Conference + training. Tuition reimbursement for nonprofit-relevant degrees. Specific career path planning.
Healthy work-life balance
We don’t glorify overwork. 40-hour standard work week + flexibility for life events. Remote + hybrid options for many roles. Healthy boundaries respected.
Real impact + meaning
Daily work = tangible community impact. Meals served, families fed, partners supported. The opposite of abstract corporate work. Many employees describe Riverbend as the most meaningful work they’ve done.
Team questions
What people ask
- /our-team#openings has current openings. Apply via email to careers@riverbendfoodbank.org with role specified, resume, cover letter. Talent team responds within 5 business days. Senior + management roles: more detailed process.