Jeff Chrisfield, Chief Financial Officer, joined the Capital Area Food Bank in June 2025, and directs the financial, information technology, compliance and analytics functions at CAFB.

Jeff began his career as an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers but quickly pivoted to mission-oriented work in the nonprofit sector, where he has accumulated more than two decades of senior leadership experience.

Prior to joining CAFB, Jeff served for seven years as CFO at TechnoServe, an international development organization with over 2,000 employees and operations in 30 countries. His achievements included a comprehensive financial operations turnaround and the modernization of their data infrastructure. In addition to his financial role, Jeff led the organization’s technology programs, which leveraged AI in financial operations and applied machine learning and geospatial technology to programmatic work.

Jeff also spent 17 years at the African Wildlife Foundation, where his role evolved from CFO to COO. His responsibilities spanned finance, operations, strategy, and fundraising. His work at AWF included launching innovative business models, such as establishing a for-profit impact investing subsidiary and pioneering a public-private partnership that built primary schools in exchange for community conservation covenants.

Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from American University, is a CPA (inactive), and has completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Abby Paige Fenton, Chief Advancement Officer, joined the Capital Area Food Bank in November of 2024 and leads the external affairs portfolio of the organization including fundraising, communications and marketing and community relations.

Prior to joining the CAFB, Abby served as Executive Director of the Whitman-Walker Foundation and Chief External Affairs Officer for Whitman-Walker for nine years. Additionally, during her 24 years in the DMV, she has served as the Director of Communications for ABC7/WJLA-TV and NewsChannel 8 and has also been on staff at the DC Chamber of Commerce and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

Abby has been featured in the Washington Business Journal’s Executive Profile; named one of the YWCA of the National Capital Region’s Women of Achievement; and was included in Washington Life Magazine’s list of the most influential people in Washington for four years in a row. She also worked as the Executive Producer for the award-winning feature film Cruzando.

Abby is a graduate of the class of 2012 from Leadership Greater Washington. She serves on the board of the Anacostia Business Improvement District and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and is Board Chair for Leashes of Valor – an organization that trains rescue dogs to be service dogs for Veterans living with PTSDand TBI. Abby is a graduate of Kenyon College.

Lauren Fitzgerald, Chief Human Resources Officer, joined CAFB in September 2025.  She leads the Human Resources function overseeing workforce planning, talent management, compensation and benefits, employee productivity and employee relations that foster CAFB’s mission and goals.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Commerce, with a major in Human Resources, and a Master of Business Administration from DePaul University.  With more than 35 years of experience in human resources leadership, Lauren has supported organizational and operational excellence across diverse industries, including hospitality, consumer packaged goods, real estate, and financial services. Her past roles include leadership positions at Bozzuto & Associates, Strategic Investment Group, American Capital, CoStar Group, and Pepsi.

Lauren is a Senior Certified HR Professional (SHRM-SCP) and an active member of the HR community.  She serves on the Advisory Council for DePaul University’s Master of Science in Human Resources program and is a member of Chief, a network for senior executive women. In 2021, she was honored as a Partner in Diversity by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.  She was also a contributing author of Inside the Minds – Leveraging HR Metrics: Leading HR Executives on Adding Value, Evaluating Productivity, and Demonstrating Tangible Results.

Krista Scalise, Chief Operating Officer, joined the Capital Area Food Bank in January 2022, and is responsible for operationalizing the food bank’s strategic objectives and advancing the fulfillment of its mission.

Prior to joining CAFB, Krista has enjoyed an accomplished career that has seen her lead organizations in both the private and public sectors. She had spent the prior 10 years becoming a trusted advisor to leaders at the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS). It was at DYRS that Krista’s ability to build relationships, develop process and lead teams allowed her to rapidly climb the ladder. In her most recent position, she served as COO of the DC DYRS where she directed business operations and strategic planning for 13 divisions. In addition to her success at DYRS, Krista has built, sustained, and sold multiple successful businesses.

Krista’s ability to quickly understand a business’s operations, coupled with her technical acumen and ability to make data driven decisions adds tremendous value to the team.

Krista holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Post University and a Master of Business Administration from Sacred Heart University. In addition, she is PMP trained, is a Six Sigma Greenbelt and has attained Executive Leadership Certifications from esteemed universities that include Harvard and The Wharton School of Business.

Austin Hicks Chikwendu, Deputy Chief of Regional Partnerships, joined CAFB in 2019. Austin is responsible for identifying and building strategic partnerships with traditional food actors and nontraditional partners providing need-based services centered around root-causes, coalitions, and governmental agencies to further CAFB’s impact. She engages with County and Ward leaders and agency heads to educate the community on hunger issues. Austin provides oversight for the government nutrition programs operating across the CAFB service area, and oversees teams that manage relationships with over 400 DMV non-profit organizations.  

Austin has resided and worked in the District of Columbia for over 13 years.  She has an undergraduate degree from The University of Memphis and completed graduate work at Marymount University.  She spent 10 years with a national behavioral health organization where she progressed through the ranks, and has a track record for developing and executing nonprofit programs centered on creating opportunities for communities that may lack access to critical needs such as mental health, education, and food. 

Molly McGlinchy, Deputy Chief of Programs and Innovation, joined CAFB in 2008. Molly leads the strategy development and execution of CAFB’s holistic supply chain, direct distribution programs, senior hunger strategies and market-based initiatives with an emphasis on impact and sustainability.   

Because of her commitment to increasing food access while reducing food waste, Molly is continuously looking across the food supply chain for ways to work more efficiently, innovatively, and collaboratively with key partners in our community.  She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from James Madison University.  

Melanie Minzes, Deputy Chief Development Officer, joined CAFB in 2020. Melanie leads CAFB’s engagement with supporters from the private sector, individuals, foundations, and various government jurisdictions in Greater Washington. With her team, Melanie drives the revenue strategy that ensures CAFB is distributing nutritious food today and enabling brighter futures for the neighbors we serve.  

Previously, Melanie was with CARE, the global humanitarian organization, where she led CARE’s corporate partnerships team and managed multi-year, multifaceted partnerships with Fortune 100 companies. She is a cum laude graduate of Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, GA, and has called Washington, DC home for 25 years. 

Karl Spanbauer, Controller, joined CAFB in 2022. Karl directs the accounting, audit, and grant administration functions at CAFB.  He also oversees the robotic process automation (RPA) and AI automation solutions utilized by CAFB’s finance department. Since joining the food bank, he and his team have led the implementation of six key financial systems, revamped utilization of CAFB’s ERP system (NetSuite), and automated hundreds of manual processes.   

Karl graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in accountancy. He started his career as an auditor in public accounting where he served solely not-for-profit clients in the Washington, D.C. metro area.  Karl is a licensed CPA in Maryland and Virginia. He is published in the Journal of Accountancy and has presented at numerous industry conferences on his automation work at CAFB.  

To amplify the voices of those it serves, the Capital Area Food Bank convenes a Client Leadership Council (CLC). The CLC brings together people with an array of perspectives and experiences from across the region, and seeks to empower members through a ten-month advocacy training program. Each year up to 24 individuals who live in the food bank’s service area will receive professional training through the CLC, enabling them to advocate on behalf of themselves and their communities, and serve as effective agents of change.

2025 Client Leadership Council

Tiffany Hart
Ieisha Stevens
Michael Wilkerson
Tomashia Cornitcher
Beatrice Evans
Terrice Tanner
Sandra Fajemisin
Angela Taylor
Titilayo Samuel
Cheryl Brunson
Barbara Twyman
William Davis
Daishiah Holmes
Sharice Hendrickson-Poore
Monique Saint Martin
Dominique Howell
Deidre Turkvan
Iveth Perez
Carlos Sanchez
Marilu Santos Fuentes
Marta Santos Fuentes