Feed Fannin elected a new chair at its Annual Meeting in February after Ron Ciochon needed to step down to care for his wife, Mary Kay Britzius, during a health crisis. Britzius, who has been a valuable member of the organization’s Board of Directors for years, is already missed and her healing is on everyone’s minds. Ron will remain a member of the board, attending meetings as often as possible. He was lauded for his six years leading the organization.
Members elected Andy Livingston to take Ron’s place. Andy has volunteered at the Fannin County Family Connection Food Pantry, along with his wife, Peggy Caldwell, for three years, and has been an active Feed Fannin board member for the past year and a half. They also volunteer at Freedom for Fido.
“Helping others in need is a passion for me,” he said in submitting his name as candidate for the position of chair. “I pride myself as a relationship builder, a skill I developed during a 30-year career as a safety professional and a project manager. I will give 100% to promote the Feed Fannin mission.”
Also during the Annual Meeting, three Feed Fannin volunteers were elected to the Board of Directors: Curt Hinnant, who has serviced small garden machinery and worked on special projects as a garden volunteer and also helps transport all the food collected during the Holiday Meals Campaign from place to place; Jim Monahan, who has volunteered with Feed Fannin for years in a number of capacities, including farm maintenance and helping with events such as the annual Soap Box Derby. He also works at the food pantry two days a week; and Diane Tortis, a loyal garden volunteer who also packs boxes for Feed Fannin’s contribution to the Meals on Wheels program and helps represent Feed Fannin at events such as the annual field day for elementary school students at 6 Ponds Farm and Arts in the Park.