At Feeding Tampa Bay, Kelley Sims leads philanthropy, donor and volunteer relations and brand strategy for the organization, which serves more than 1 million people and provides 95 million meals a year.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL MOMENT?
When Thomas Mantz approached me, five years ago, to join the team at Feeding Tampa Bay, it was the transformational expansion of the organization’s work, and the funding needed to make that happen, that most intrigued me. Knowing I would lead a $50 million dollar capital campaign while maintaining an ever-growing annual operating budget—and at the core of that was the knowledge that hunger was growing in our 10-county region—was a challenge I wanted to take on.
What we didn’t know, of course, was that a pandemic would come along and massively escalate the need for food. Last year we distributed 95 million meals to our hungry neighbors. Now, fast forward nearly five years, we’ve overcome those hurdles along the way and are nearing the end of the capital campaign.
WHAT DOES WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT MEAN TO YOU?
The support and guidance of other women have played a major role in my personal and professional growth every step of the way. I would say this has been the guiding thread throughout my life.
Even as a young girl, I was surrounded by strong women who challenged themselves, and others, to bring real change at home and at work. Upon moving to Tampa, right after getting married, I was ‘adopted’ by a female ministry leader who incorporated me into her leadership group and mentored me—and still does, to this day, 39 years later. And, as I’ve grown in professional skills and positions of leadership, alongside me have been women who challenged me to learn more, take risks and to step out. Recognizing that, I was determined, early on, to also play that part for young women coming behind me.
