Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

MANAGEMENT

CEO/Executive Director

CEO Claudia Keller

CEO/Executive Director Experience

An established nonprofit executive in Southern California with over two decades of experience in a senior leadership capacity, Claudia Bonilla Keller joined Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County as chief mission officer in February 2020 and was named CEO as of January 1, 2022. As CEO, Keller leads outreach to donors, community partners, volunteers and the public to educate, inform and inspire action on Second Harvest’s focus of ensuring that all Orange County residents in need are well fed. A combined public health and economic crisis has dictated ever-shifting needs for the organization since Keller’s arrival. After just a few short months, COVID-19 closures and shutdowns prompted drastic operational changes at Second Harvest. Keller quickly took on the tasks of chief development officer, with fundraising taking center stage and in support of Second Harvest’s marketing and communications efforts. As CEO, Keller intends to use her passion for advocacy to further the mission of Second Harvest and looks forward to working more closely with volunteers. Prior to Second Harvest, Keller served as chief program officer for the LA Promise Fund, leading programs and services in its network of schools and public schools across Los Angeles County. Prior to that role, she led LA Promise Fund’s communications and fundraising initiatives as chief development officer. She also served as the organization’s health director, managing all school health and wellness projects and programs. Before joining LA Promise Fund, Keller served as senior vice president and executive director of the American Heart Association in Los Angeles and, in 2007, was named Executive Director of the Year. Under Keller’s guidance, the Los Angeles office thrived in the Association’s hallmark Childhood Obesity platform, Teaching Gardens, by implementing more school gardens and related school programs than anywhere else in the country. Keller also spent over 18 years in the fashion industry in advertising, public relations and marketing, as well as shaping corporate social responsibility, cause and philanthropic initiatives for iconic Orange County brands such as St. John Knits and Vans. St. John Knits was the first brand to sign on and host a fashion show for Harvesters, a dedicated group of women committed to raising funds and awareness for Second Harvest. Since transitioning to the nonprofit sector in 2005, Keller has focused her work and volunteer activities on fundamental social issues such as health, poverty and education. Keller holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UC Irvine and a master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in urban management from Cal State Fullerton. She serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Placentia, where she resides, and is also a regional board member of Common Threads, a national nonprofit providing cooking and nutrition education to children and families. She also serves on the Dean’s Leadership Society at UC Irvine and the Public Administration Advisory Board at Cal State Fullerton. She earned her Master Gardener certification from UC Cooperative Extension in 2019. Keller was also recognized by the UC Irvine Alumni Association and its board of directors as a 2020 Lauds & Laurels Award recipient for her service to the community and her profession. As the bilingual daughter of immigrants from Colombia and El Salvador, Keller grew up in Torrance, CA, before moving to Orange County in 1983 to attend UC Irvine. Jackson, Keller’s son, teaches middle school in Placentia. Keller’s personal interests include gardening, travel, playing soccer and languages.

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