Houston Food Bank Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors, New Executive Committee
HOUSTON …The Houston Food Bank is pleased to welcome the newest members of its Board of Directors.
Jim Chapman ~ Vice President, Treasurer and Investor Relations, Exxon Mobil Corporation
Jim Chapman joined Exxon Mobil Corporation as Vice President, Treasurer and Tax in late 2022, from Dominion Energy, Inc., where he was EVP and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Dominion Energy in 2013 he spent more than 20 years in investment banking and corporate finance, principally related to the utility and energy sectors. Among his roles, Chapman was Managing Director and Head of Asia Pacific Power & Utilities Investment Banking at Barclays pie, and held similar senior roles at Barclays and its predecessor firm, Lehman Brothers, in New York and Hong Kong. Earlier in his career he spent over five years working in financial advisory roles in Russia and in Kazakhstan. Chapman earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Auburn University and his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He and his wife Kiran have three children.
Michael DeLorenzo ~ Senior Market Executive, Managing Director Houston Market,
Merrill Lynch/Bank of America
Michael DeLorenzo currently leads the Houston Market for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he is responsible for overseeing a dynamic team of financial professionals committed to delivering client-centered advice and innovative wealth management strategies. With more than 30 years of experience in the wealth management industry, DeLorenzo brings a depth of expertise shaped by a diverse career spanning advisory and executive leadership roles. His journey began with eight successful years as a financial advisor and continued through senior leadership positions at Ameriprise Financial and Smith Barney/Morgan Stanley prior to joining Merrill Lynch. A passionate advocate for leadership development, DeLorenzo plays an integral role in shaping the future of leadership at Merrill and Bank of America. He is actively involved with the Merrill Market Executive Leadership Academy and the Market Executive Readiness Program, where he mentors emerging leaders, facilitates curriculum, and fosters a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.
DeLorenzo is also a strong proponent of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He serves as the Executive Sponsor for the Asian Leadership Network of Greater Houston and the Houston Women’s Exchange, working to inspire and develop people across the organization.
Committed to civic engagement, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Food Bank—the largest food bank in the United States—supporting its mission to provide food for better lives. Originally from St. Clair Shores, Michigan, DeLorenzo has also called Chicago and San Clemente, California home before settling in Houston. He is a proud alumnus of Western Michigan University. During his college years, he spent three summers working with the Southwestern Company in California, an experience that helped shape his entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic. DeLorenzo and wife Traci have been married 29 years and they have two children. DeLorenzo enjoys spending quality time with family, giving back to the community, mountain biking, early morning gym time, cooking, reading and playing golf.
Cathy Easter ~ President and CEO, Houston Methodist Global Health Care Services
Senior Vice President, Community Development
Cathy Easter is responsible for global operations, corporate strategy, business development and community engagement for Houston Methodist. Her key responsibilities include establishing short and long-term global strategies for Houston Methodist, as well as leading international consulting and management projects. Houston Methodist has one of the largest international patient programs in the United States where she provides executive oversight while leading global brand and business development as well as guiding the education and training programs for international learners. Easter has been instrumental in expanding Houston Methodist’s global footprint to include eleven offices throughout Latin America and the Middle East including branch offices in Dubai, UAE and Riyadh, KSA. In addition to her global responsibilities, Easter leads strategic initiatives related to market share growth within the United States through regional business development, strategic partnerships, and Employer Health Solutions which engages employers through direct to employer offerings. Her community engagement efforts have spanned over 30 years and include development of the Houston Methodist Community Benefits department and grantmaking program focused on partnerships with local Federally Qualified Health Centers, free clinics, specialty services and mental health providers to ensure access to care as well as addressing social determinants of health. She developed an employee volunteer program, I CARE in Action, which engages employees in volunteerism with greater Houston community agencies. In 2019, Easter was a co-chair for the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce annual conference and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2016, she was one of five global recipients awarded the Bilateral U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce Women in Executive Leadership Award for her contributions to local, regional and global economies. Easter currently serves on the boards of the US Arab Bilateral, Legacy Community Health Services, Justice Forward, CEOs Against Cancer and Houston Food Bank. She has previously served on Boards of the Harris County Healthcare Alliance (Board Chair), American Leadership Forum, and SEARCH. In 2004, Easter was named an “Up and Comer” by Modern Healthcare Magazine. She is a frequent speaker on global business and health care related topics.
Ruth Lopez Turley ~ Professor, Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University
Kinder Institute for Urban Research brings together data, research, engagement and action to improve lives. In 2011, Ruth Lopez Turley founded the Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC), a research-practice partnership between the Kinder Institute and 11 Houston area school districts, representing over 700,000 students. A program of the Kinder Institute, HERC works to improve educational equity by connecting research to policy and practice, working directly with district leaders. Lopez Turley directed HERC from 2011 to 2022, during which she raised over $30 million so that school districts would not have to pay for research. She also founded the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships, which connects and supports over 60 partnerships between research institutions and education agencies throughout the country. In 2022, President Joe Biden appointed Lopez Turley to the National Board for Education Sciences, which advises and approves priorities for the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education. Lopez Turley is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard and is originally from Laredo, Texas.
In addition, two board members have assumed roles on the executive committee:
Michael Harris ~ The Harris Law Firm, Board Chair
Lisa Helfman ~ H-E-B, Vice Chair
Other executive committee members are:
Jeff Dodson ~ KPMG, Chair Emeritus
Meredith J. Duncan ~ University of Houston Law Center, Secretary
Steve Retzloff ~ Stellar Bank, Treasurer
About Houston Food Bank
Serving Houston and southeast Texas since 1982, Houston Food Bank’s mission is to provide food for better lives. We provide access to 150 million nutritious meals in 18 counties through our 1,600 community partners of food pantries, soup kitchens, social service providers and schools. Filling gaps on plates, we have a strong focus on healthy foods and fresh produce. In collaboration with our community, we advocate for policy change and racial equity, and promote dialogue on ways to increase access to food and to improve the lives of those in our communities, including services and connections to programs that address the root causes of hunger and are aimed at helping families achieve long-term stability: nutrition education, job training, health management, and help with securing state-funded assistance. We are a resource for individuals and families in times of hardship. Houston Food Bank works alongside our partner food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston County, Brazos Valley, and Trinity River area. Houston Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the 12th consecutive year.
Website .houstonfoodbank.org/about-us/milestones/; Social media: @houstonfoodbank (Instagram and Twitter), @thehoustonfoodbank (Facebook)