FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MEDIA CONTACT:

Erin Engelke, APR Vice President, Communications & Public Relations Office: 405.949.5152 / Cell: 405.863.8616 Erin.Engelke@feedthechildren.org

FEED THE CHILDREN EXPANDS BOARD OF DIRECTORS TWO NEW MEMBERS ADDED
OKLAHOMA CITY (April 18, 2013) Feed The Children has named Kathy Doyle Thomas of Dallas, TX, and Michelle Mesen of Washington, DC, to the board of directors, expanding the board to seven members. Kathy Doyle Thomas is Executive Vice President, Marketing/Development, for Half Price Books, where she has spent the last twenty-four years developing national marketing efforts for the wholesale and retail divisions of the company, managing store expansion criteria and site selection, and leading the companys three website divisions. She is also a member of the corporate advisory board of Literacy USA and serves as the Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Texas Christian University and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the University of North Texas. She is married and the mother of three. I have seen Feed The Childrens work in action and how quickly they react to people in need, said Thomas. I am continually impressed with their commitment to alleviating poverty domestically and internationally and look forward to providing my expertise as the organization grows and explores new programs and initiatives. Michelle Mesen is the governance officer for the Global Partnership for Education Secretariat. The Global Partnership for Education works to transform international cooperation in education to achieve the common goal of getting all children into school for a quality education. Michelle serves as governance advisor to the Chair of the Global Partnerships Board of Directors, facilitating the work and interaction of the Board, its members, and the Secretariat. She also spent several years working for various Human Development groups in the World Bank, facilitating and coordinating effective communications among leadership, key partners, and representatives from developing countries. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and French from Southwestern University and a Master of Arts in International Communication from American University. She also earned a Masters of Science in Pastoral Counseling and is currently a doctoral candidate in Pastoral Counseling at Loyola University. Having worked for an organization whose broad mission is to reduce poverty, joining the board of Feed The Children was a perfect fit for me, both personally and professionally, said Mesen. I share the same values as Feed The Children and recognize that for a child to grow into their full potential, they need access to lifes most basic essentials and sincerely look forward to supporting that continued mission.

It's truly exciting for us to welcome Ms. Thomas and Ms. Mesen to the Feed The Children Family today. Ms. Thomas has been a passionate advocate for Feed The Children for a decade and brings an incredible array of corporate marketing and operations expertise to our Board, said Kevin Hagan, president and CEO. Ms. Mesen has a deep passion for our work with children around the world. Her background in international affairs, global education, and global governance will be a tremendous asset to Feed The Children. The addition of these two candidates to our Board helps us further demonstrate that it's a new day at Feed The Children. Rick England, Chairman of the Board, agreed. We are honored to have these two fine candidates join us on the Board here at Feed The Children. Ms. Thomas and Ms. Mesen bring a great combination of business and international experience to our Board as well as tremendous energy and passion for our mission.
About Feed The Children Founded in 1979, Feed The Childrens mission is to provide hope and resources for those without lifes essentials. A BBB Wise Giving Alliance accredited charity, Feed The Children is one of the largest charities based in the U.S., providing more than 350,000 children around the world with a hot, nourishing meal every day. Here in the U.S., nearly 10 million people receive assistance each year from food and supplies distributed through over 1,200 local partner agencies. For more information, visit www.feedthechildren.org ###