After three decades at the helm of the Greater Boston Food Bank, Catherine D’Amato is stepping down from her role as president and CEO. Her tenure since 1995 has been defined by a staggering expansion in scale and scope, transforming an organization that once distributed roughly 7 million pounds of food annually into a powerhouse that now moves 110 million pounds. This growth was anchored by the opening of a major Boston facility in 2009, allowing the food bank to move beyond simple donations toward a strategic model of purchasing high-quality supplies.
For D’Amato, the mission was never just about calories but about dignity and wellness. Under her leadership, nearly 40 percent of all distributed food became fresh produce, reflecting a deep belief that nutrition is a cornerstone of public health. To solidify this approach, she brought on medical expertise in 2019 by hiring Dr. Lauren Fiechtner to study the direct link between food insecurity and chronic illness. This shift ensured that those relying on the food bank weren’t just fed, but were given the tools to improve their long-term health outcomes.
This lifelong dedication to feeding others was rooted in family traditions passed down from her Italian immigrant grandparents who farmed in Colorado and her parents who ran a restaurant in California. Recalling her father’s philosophy of welcoming anyone in need without question, D’Amato carried that spirit from founding the San Francisco Food Bank shortly after college to her influential years in Massachusetts. Even as she celebrates these milestones, she leaves with a cautionary note regarding financial stability, warning that many local families remain only one misfortune away from crisis.
As she enters retirement, D’Amato looks forward to returning to her passion for music, having already released an album and performed at Fenway Park. While transitioning away from the daily operations of the food bank, she expressed profound gratitude toward the donors whose support enabled such massive growth over thirty-one years. She believes fundamentally that access changes lives, leaving behind an organization far larger and more nutritionally focused than the one she first led nearly thirty years ago.
