Today, we are sharing important news about a leadership transition at The Ottawa Food Bank.
Rachael Wilson will be moving on from her role as the Ottawa Food Bank’s CEO. She has taken a new role as CEO of the United Way of Eastern Ontario which will begin in January 2026.
We will miss her deeply, but we are profoundly grateful for the vision, dedication, and transformative impact she has brought to Ottawa Food Bank and the food security sector in Ottawa.
Rachael has been an exceptional leader, and she has transformed the Ottawa Food Bank’s work and strengthened our role in the community during her nine years with the organization. Under her leadership, the Ottawa Food Bank brand and the issue of food insecurity have become more visible, better understood, and more widely supported.
Serving as Director of Communications and Development from 2016 to 2021, Rachael provided extraordinary guidance and support, including an unprecedented $19.6 million raised in 2020, as our community faced the devastating health and economic impacts of COVID-19.
She introduced powerful new communication pieces such as the Ottawa’s Food Bank’s annual Ottawa Hunger Report bringing together data, client demographics, and lived experience to illustrate the difficult choices faced by neighbours.
Rachael’s commitment to understanding and addressing the needs of people accessing food programs only deepened when she became Ottawa Food Bank CEO in 2021. She is the first and only woman to lead the organization in its 41-year history.
Her tenure as CEO was marked by collaboration with more than 100 member agencies and by bold, necessary actions to address rising community need and network sustainability. In 2023, she guided the Ottawa Food Bank’s move into a new, larger facility, expanding the organization’s capacity to purchase more food and accept increased donations—an essential step as more than 588,000 visits are made now to the Ottawa Food Bank network, a 101% increase compared to 2019.
One of Rachael’s most significant contributions to the food security sector was her leadership in successfully advocating for Ottawa City Council’s approval of the 2024 Poverty Reduction Strategy. Through this strategy, the city committed to working with community partners to urge provincial and federal governments to strengthen income supports, invest in affordable housing, and increased health supports for the community.
Rachael’s legacy is reflected not only in what the Ottawa Food Bank has achieved, but in the strength and dedication of the team she leaves behind.
To ensure a smooth transition, the Board of Directors has appointed Natalie Spooner, currently Director of Programs and Planning, as Interim CEO while it conducts a formal search for the Ottawa Food Bank’s next leader. With 14 years at the Ottawa Food Bank, Natalie, brings established relationships with agency partners and a clear understanding of the network’s priorities. Her leadership will provide stability and continuity throughout the transition.
Rachael has been an extraordinary leader whose passion and vision have touched every part of the organization. Her guidance has strengthened our team, amplified our mission, and elevated the fight against food insecurity across the city. While we will miss her leadership, we are confident that the team she leaves behind will carry forward the important work and continue to make a profound impact in our community.
We are deeply grateful to Rachael for her leadership and for the tremendous contributions she has made to the Ottawa Food Bank and to the broader fight against food insecurity. We wish her every success in the next chapter of her career.
Sincerely,
Trevor Whike
Board Chair, Ottawa Food Bank
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