Fundraising and marketing firm RKD Group has hired Dr. Dawn Opel as Food Banks Vertical Lead, tapping a nationally recognized nonprofit executive to sharpen the firm's strategy for an industry segment under mounting pressure. The appointment signals a deeper institutional bet on hunger relief as a specialized practice area requiring dedicated sector expertise, not just generalist fundraising support.
Opel's Background
Dr. Opel joins from the Food Bank Council of Michigan, where she served as President and Chief Innovation Officer. A lawyer, researcher, and nonprofit leader, she built her career around strategic partnerships, food-as-medicine program expansion, and statewide collaboration across hunger relief, healthcare, and public policy — a cross-sector profile that aligns with how many food banks are redefining their community roles. Her legal and research background also positions her to navigate the policy and funding environments that increasingly shape food bank operations.
Why the Sector Needs It
Food banks are contending with a convergence of challenges: rising demand for services, shifting donor expectations, funding volatility, workforce pressures, and accelerating interest in artificial intelligence and data-driven operations. These forces are reshaping how hunger-relief organizations must operate — and, by extension, how partners like RKD must serve them. Kevin Jones, CEO of RKD Group, put it directly: "Demand continues to rise while expectations from donors, partners, and communities continue to evolve. Dawn brings an extraordinary combination of executive leadership, innovation, and deep sector relationships."
Operator Implications
For food bank executives and the foodservice supply chain that supports them — including food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers involved in food donation and hunger-relief programming — the RKD hire reflects a broader maturation of the sector's professional infrastructure. As food banks deepen ties with healthcare systems through food-as-medicine initiatives and expand digital donor engagement, they increasingly require partners fluent in data intelligence, brand strategy, and omnichannel fundraising. In her new role, Dr. Opel will guide innovation initiatives, strengthen relationships across the Feeding America network, and integrate RKD's full capabilities — including AI and digital experience tools — into food bank client work nationwide. That scope mirrors the operational complexity now facing food bank leadership, a dynamic well-documented in hospitality and foodservice nonprofit coverage. RKD Group, founded in 1970, counts Food Bank for New York City among its existing clients alongside organizations such as The Salvation Army, Feed the Children, and Susan G. Komen.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
