Bread of the Mighty Food Bank announces new Executive Director

Press release from Feeding Northeast Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Bread of the Mighty, a regional food bank serving four counties throughout North Central Florida, today announced the appointment of Patrick Dodds as the organization’s new Executive Director. Bread of the Mighty recently merged with Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL), effective May 1, 2023, as part of a strategic county realignment project. The organization operates as a branch of FNEFL, leveraging the experience and resources of the Feeding America network while remaining an independent food bank that serves Alachua, Gilchrist, Levy, and Union County residents struggling with food insecurity.

Dodds joined the organization in June and brings more than 15 years of legal and nonprofit experience to the organization. He most recently served as the Director of the Homeless Continuum of Care (CoC) for the United Way of North Central Florida and the North Central Florida Alliance for the Homeless and Hungry. In his new role, Dodds oversees comprehensive operations of the food bank, establishes partnerships with community organizations and donors, develops and implements organizational policies and procedures, collaborates with the board of directors and stakeholders, manages the branch’s budget and financial resources, and represents the food bank in the Gainesville market and the other counties served by Bread of the Mighty.

“Our merger with Bread of the Mighty was part of a strategic realignment of food bank resources within our region, and we are proud to welcome Patrick to the organization,” said Susan King, President & CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida. “His abundance of experience in the nonprofit space, along with his commitment to serving his community, made him the perfect candidate to serve as the new executive director for our operations in Gainesville. We look forward to the Gainesville community getting to know our organization better, alongside a long-time resident rooted in the community, as we work together to fight hunger in Gainesville and the greater Northeast and North Central Florida regions.” 

Dodds is a graduate of the University of Florida and the University of Kansas School of Law. Following law school, Dodds worked for Three Rivers Legal Services, a local legal aid organization, before going into private practice covering the areas of real estate and property law, contract law, and nonprofit law. Additionally, Dodds served as Secretary for the North Central Florida Alliance for the Homeless and Hungry’s Board of Directors. He has resided in Gainesville since 2010 with his wife and three boys.