Second Harvest Heartland CEO stepping down in June

Second Harvest Heartland CEO Allison O'Toole announced she is stepping down in June after six years with the nonprofit.  (Supplied)

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The CEO of Second Harvest Heartland, Allison O'Toole, announced she will leave the company in June after serving as CEO for the past six years. 

Second Harvest Heartland getting new leader

What they're saying:

CEO Allison O'Toole shared the following written statement in late March:

"It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead Second Harvest Heartland and work alongside such an incredible team and community. Through innovation and partnership, we have redefined what it means to be a food bank and shown what can be done when we come together. I am confident that Second Harvest Heartland is well-positioned to continue serving our fellow Minnesotans who are experiencing food insecurity across the state."

Chair of Second Harvest Heartland's Board of Directors Jill Bollettieri said, "We are confident in the strong foundation she has helped build for continued success and can’t wait to see what Allison does next."

READ MORE: New study: 20% of MN households are food insecure

The nonprofit also shared the following accomplishments made under O'Toole's leadership, which reportedly includes the following:

• Increased food distribution by 30% to 167 million pounds a year
• Increased organizational revenue by nearly 50% to $316 million in 2024
• Launched "Make Hunger History", a campaign aimed at cutting hunger in half for all Minnesotans by 2030
• Led a national movement to measure and address hunger in partnership with communities

Lawmakers question Second Harvest Heartland staff salaries

Dig deeper:

During a House Ways and Means Committee meeting on March 17, GOP lawmakers questioned O'Toole's salary, pointing out that she made about $721,000, according to a 990 tax form that showed records through September 2023.

Minnesota Rep. Marion Rarick (R-Maple Lake) also made the point that 10 employees at the nonprofit are paid over $150,000, which is more than Minnesota's governor's salary. 

"That's well over $2.6 million," Rep. Rarick said. "So, I think, you know, a little cut here, a little cut there […] I think they can handle it. They also have quite a bit in lobbying and quite a bit in fundraising expenses as well."

Second Harvest Heartland responded to the questioning by saying, in part, "We are proud to offer competitive wages across all of Second Harvest Heartland's team that allow us to recruit and retain the type of forward-thinking talent best suited to help solve Minnesota's growing hunger crisis."

The statement added that the salary for the next CEO will be decided by the nonprofit's board of directors.  

What they're saying:

Here's Second Harvest Heartland's full statement to FOX 9:

The nonprofit also shared stats from the 2025 fiscal year, which can be viewed below:

Food banks during the pandemic 

The backstory:

During the lockdowns and stay-at-home orders of the coronavirus pandemic, many families relied on food banks during the economic disruption. 

READ MORE: Minnesota food shelf demand still soaring, 2024 to set record

Minnesota’s food shelf needs dipped slightly in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic-era programs, but has since continued to rise.

In 2023, the state set a record of 7.5 million food shelf visits in a state of 5 million people.

Food shelf visits surpassed 9 million people in 2024.