Feeding the Valley.  Merrimack Valley Food Bank’s Role & Impact in Food and Nutrition Security
Nov 04, 2022
Amy Pessia
Feeding the Valley. Merrimack Valley Food Bank’s Role & Impact in Food and Nutrition Security

Amy’s personal commitment to fighting hunger began in 1997 when she joined the board of directors and volunteered at MVFB.  Amy served as recording secretary on the MVFB board until 2002, when she joined the staff as Assistant Director.  Amy served as Executive Director from 2005 – 2022, and took on the newly created positon, Director of Growth, in May 2022.  Amy received her associates degree in Communications from Endicott College and her bachelors in General Studies from Salem State College.  Her responsibilities at the Food Bank include raising awareness of the issues of hunger and health in the community, outreach to all constituencies, organizing and conducting fundraisers, volunteer recruitment, acting as liaison between the community and the organization, and providing supplemental support for all departments and programs at the food bank. 

Amy has served as vice-chair and chair of the Lowell Hunger Homeless Commission, and on the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, Lowell Pop Warner Cheerleading and Football and Lowell Council on Aging Boards of Directors.  Amy represents the Food Bank on the Greater Lowell Health Alliance’s Steering Committee and Healthy Eating and Living Task Force; the Non Profit Alliance of Greater Lowell, on the Essex County/Merrimack Valley Food Resiliency Partnership and Food Bank Coalition of Massachusetts, and was recently named a board member of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network.  Ms. Pessia is a proud Rotarian, having served as President of the Rotary Club of Lowell in 2018-19.  Amy has received the Salute to Women in the Region Award from the Lowell Sun, and the Municipal Award from Lowell Telemedia Corporation, but her favorite accomplishment is raising her daughter, Sophia, aged 19, a second year college student.