Living Hopefully.
Mark Hilling is Interim Chief Executive Officer for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. Mark retired from the Food Bank in 2019 as Chief Operating Officer following a two-year tenure during which he oversaw warehouse facilities, food distribution, agency relations and programs, and food sourcing. Mark also served as a Food Bank board member from 2004 to 2010. Mark has more than 30 years of food manufacturing and operations expertise. Prior to joining the Food Bank in 2017, he was Director of Manufacturing and Warehouse Operations for Ferrara Candy (formerly Farley’s and Sathers Candy Company and Brach’s Candy Company).
A 20-year resident of Chattanooga, Mr. Hilling earned both a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA with an emphasis in Operations from Vanderbilt
University.
Melanie Hammontree has 15 years of fundraising experience. Melanie originally joined the Food Bank in September 2017 as development officer for northwest Georgia during which time she held responsibility for the nine Georgia counties served by the Food Bank. She was promoted in May 2019 to oversee development efforts for the Food Bank’s entire service area. Prior experience includes the Dalton Arts Project and Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo).
Shelley Armstrong has three decades of fundraising, special events and volunteer management experience. As Director of Events and Major Gifts, she leads event planning, coordination and sponsorship of the Food Bank’s largest event, HullaBOWLoo; collaborates closely with community partners on the annual WRCB Channel 3’s Share Your Christmas; and oversees food drives and community fundraisers.
Prior to joining the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, Shelley was Senior Regional Director at the American Heart Association’s Southeast Affiliate where she most notably led the planning and coordination of the Heart Ball, Pulse Party and associated events. The American Heart Association recognized her with the Outstanding Fundraising Award in the Southeast Affiliate for seven consecutive years. She also coordinated CPR trainings, blood pressure screenings, and volunteer recruitment and training. This role was her second at the American Heart Association; after graduating from Mercer University, Shelley was director of income for the American Heart Association’s Southeast Affiliate during which she recruited and trained volunteers, and implemented many fundraising activities still in practice today.
Shelley was also previously Special Events and Volunteer Coordinator at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, for nearly 10 years. She is still an active member of the congregation and serves as lay eucharistic minister lead, lector and more.
Sophie Moore has 15 years of public relations and communications experience, primarily in healthcare settings. She is responsible for leading strategic
communications and creating new channels of food distribution to improve health in the Food Bank’s service region. Sophie has worked in diverse settings
for government, corporate, agency and nonprofit organizations. Most recently, she was Director of Communications and Public Relations for Community
Health Systems, a publicly traded hospital operator in Franklin, Tenn. Previously, she held roles in at the Nashville Health Care Council and State
of Tennessee including the Department of Health, Department of Revenue and the First Lady’s Office. She began her career at GolinHarris in Atlanta,
an international public relations firm, where she was responsible for clients in the healthcare sector.
Originally from North Georgia, Sophie graduated from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Human and Organizational Development. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Tennessee, Southeastern Chapter.
Chris Payne joined the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in August 2019, bringing three decades of experience working in manufacturing facilities. His materials and operational management expertise support the distribution of more than 15 million pounds of food annually across the Food Bank’s 20-county service area. Having previously worked in organizations with complex supply chain operations, Chris’ background offers best practices for even more quickly and efficiently connecting those facing hunger with the resources they need. Shortly after he began working at the Food Bank, he oversaw a USDA commodities food distribution that served more than 700 families. Of that experience, Chris said it was the most fun he had at work in nearly 30 years.
Before joining the Food Bank, Chris was plant manager for Hppelzer’s Athens, Tennessee plant. He previously served in several roles at Woodbridge Foam increasing in responsibility over 15 years, including plant manager. A Chattanooga native, Chris holds degrees from the University of Phoenix and Chattanooga State Community College in Business Management, and has completed BenchMark Leadership Training.
