Harvest Hope Food Bank Welcomes New CEO

Columbia, S.C. – After a nationwide search, the Harvest Hope Food Bank Board of Directors has named Erinn Rowe Chief Executive Officer of the organization effective immediately. Rowe, a Midlands banker and former Harvest Hope Board Chair, joins with an immediate understanding of the organization and its three locations in the Midlands, Pee Dee and Upstate area. Rowe succeeds former CEO Wendy Broderick who passed away in January.

“We are fortunate to have found someone who already possesses such a deep knowledge of Harvest Hope be able to step in to lead our organization during this difficult time,” says John Welsh, Harvest Hope Board Chair. “Erinn helped Wendy begin her career with Harvest Hope, and while it ended too soon for all of us, we are grateful she is willing to join Harvest Hope full-time to carry out our mission of serving people in need.”

Rowe had served on the Harvest Hope Board since 2015. From 2019 through the end of 2020, she led the board as its chair, and was instrumental in helping to hire Broderick and maintaining business operations at Harvest Hope during the leadership transition.

Rowe joins the team after nearly 10 years with Bank of America, a leading corporate supporter of Harvest Hope. Most recently, Rowe was the Senior Treasury Sales Analyst for Commercial Banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. In this role, Rowe and her team worked with companies that had revenue ranging from $5 million to $2 billion annually, proactively providing relevant insights and integrated financial solutions to help those companies succeed.

During her tenure with the bank, Rowe honed her leadership skills in revenue growth, process improvement, and team building - all skill sets that she will bring to Harvest Hope. Before banking, Rowe owned and operated a franchise of Young Chef’s Academy, a children’s cooking school which promoted healthy eating and skill-based learning for kids and adults of all ages. Rowe has long valued nutrition and how food can affect a person’s overall health.

“Serving others has always been important to me,” says Rowe. “During my volunteer time on the Harvest Hope board, it was incredible to watch the team serve their fellow citizens with such dignity and compassion. From the 1000-year flood to the recent pandemic, they continue to show up during the times our neighbors need help the most. I am honored to join them in building a hunger-free tomorrow as CEO.”

In addition to volunteering with Harvest Hope, Rowe has served on the board and finance committee of Senior Resources and as chair of the Bank of America Community Volunteers group. She has been an active member of the Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Development group within Bank of America, which focuses on the promotion and advocacy of women. Rowe received her undergraduate degree in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Administration from the University of South Carolina, and her Master of Business Administration through the Darla Moore School of Business. She is Six Sigma Green Belt Certified. Rowe and her family reside in the Midlands.