Three employees have new roles at Food Bank

Three employees at the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank -- Austin Harms, Travis Sorensen and Pedro Valle -- have new roles within the organization, according to an announcement by Mike Williams, director of development.

Harms will assume leadership of the Retail Store Donation program serving as the new Retail Store Donation Coordinator. In this role, he will take over where Sorensen left off and continue to grow this vital program, which is a critical source of food donations to the Food Bank, said Williams. Harms will report to him. “I love the aspect of what the Food Bank is doing,” said Harms. “It makes an impact in providing for the community.” He will be working with the food partners to increase the flow of food back into the community.

Harms is currently getting out and making contacts in the Northwest Arkansas area. Providing additional food is beneficial for the allied agencies, he added.

A graduate of John Brown University, Harms has a bachelor’s degree family and human services. A native of Texas, he moved to Northwest Arkansas for school and loved the area. He previously worked for the Child Advocacy Center in Benton County for three years before coming to the Food Bank in 2016. He and his wife, Courtney, who is a naturopathic doctor, reside in Bentonville but are planning to move to Bella Vista with their red heeler, Emma.

Sorensen, who was previously the Retail Store Donation Coordinator, will be stepping away from his old job to assume a newly created position of Development Coordinator. In this role, he will manage relationships with corporate and individual donors and will be reporting to Williams.

In making the shift, the Food Bank will be moving away from a task-focused approach in development to more of a relationship management approach, said Williams. The new focus will allow the organization to identify key relationships and be more proactive in how it engages those relationships in supporting the Food Bank’s mission.

“Our previous structure made this nearly impossible causing us to be more reactive to whomever reached out to us wanting to support,” said Williams. “We will still find ways to engage those who reach out to us, but will be much more strategic and assertive with key donor relationships.

Sorensen also will assume leadership of all of the Food Bank’s digital marketing, including website, email and social media channels.

While he is new to the world of fundraising, Sorensen is looking forward to the challenges of his new job. He is in the process of completing his fundraising training under Williams’ tutelage

“I’m excited for the new challenges,” he said. “It is a way to use my skill sets and continue the growth of the Food Bank.”

Sorensen, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith graduate, started working at the Food Bank in July 2015. A native of Fayetteville, Sorensen and his wife, Cambre, have been together 10 years and married for the past three years.

Valle will assume leadership of the Food Bank’s drivers serving as the new Lead Driver. In this role, he will take the responsibilities of managing the drivers, who are the face of the Food Bank every day in the retail stores.“We are excited to have Pedro step into this role,” said Williams said.

Valle, who has been with the Food Bank for nearly nine years, will supervise three other drivers as well as train them. He also will go out and pickup product on various routes. “I am doing a job that I enjoy,” he said.

He and his wife, Hilda, have two children, a 22-year-old daughter who attends Harding University in Searcy, and an 11-year-old daughter at home.