Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank Selects Stephanie Norton-Bredl as Executive Director

In March Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank chose Stephanie Norton-Bredl as their new Executive Director after an extensive search, during which they utilized an interim Executive Director to bridge the gap in leadership. In speaking of her time in the role thus far, Stephanie noted,

Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank staff at an event.

I feel extremely lucky to have the opportunity to serve alongside such an amazing team of staff, volunteers, and supporters. My first two weeks were spent immersed in programming, working side by side with our staff and volunteers. … I’ve met many clients, both here at the food bank and at community events, who have expressed how much our services have meant to their families. ...I’d like to express my gratitude for the warm welcome that I’ve received from our staff, our volunteers, our partners, and supporters. I’m excited about what we will accomplish together in the coming months!

Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank staffs a community market, prepares and delivers groceries to residents, provides food to schoolkids, and runs local food drives in an effort to eliminate food insecurity across Issaquah, Washington.

​About Norton-Bredl

Stephanie Norton-Bredl has worked in the nonprofit space for 19 years, serving most recently as the Executive Director of the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA.

She got her start at the Highline YMCA before moving on to the Auburn Valley YMCA, and later the YMCA of Northern Utah and Sammamish Community YMCA before finally joining the team at the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA. In her five years there, Stephanie served for three years as their Executive Director. In that role she developed new initiatives and improved upon existing programming in conjunction with other local organizations, businesses, and government agencies.

A colleague of hers describes her in this way, “Stephanie has educated and motivated our employees to develop healthy lifestyle choices. She is credible, engages the audience, and delivers a crisp and clear message. Stephanie has been a valued business partner.”
Stephanie is a goal-oriented leader and a strong collaborator with a history of affecting change in her community. Her areas of expertise include process improvement, community organizing, budget management, and fundraising. Stephanie also has significant experience in grant writing, management, and reporting. She is passionate about helping people and communities prosper through healthy living and education.

She holds a BA in Education from Washington State University.
Connect with Stephanie >

About Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank

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Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank provides food, clothing, hygiene items, and other basic necessities to hundreds of families each week. Their emphasis is on fresh, local produce but they also provide things like household items, diapers, toiletries, and case management resources for the people who need them most. In fact, 60% of the people they serve are children and seniors. For this reason, they have specialty programs aimed at their largest demographics, such as “Groceries to Go (G2G),” “Tools 4 School,” “Summer Lunch,” and “Lunch for the Break.” Summer Lunch and Lunch for the Break are two of their most widely publicized programs. During school breaks, Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank provides lunches to children who are not at school to receive free meals to lessen the burden on the families that support them. And their efforts have not gone unnoticed! In 2021 they won the Best of Issaquah award for their hard work!

About Valtas
Valtas Group works as Interim Executive Directors, supporting organizations in times of transition and helps organizations navigate uncertainty during leadership change. We lead the search process in partnership with the board and staff leadership, as consultants for recruiting and search to support organizations identify the ideal Executive Director or leader.
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Furthermore, Valtas Group partners with board members and senior nonprofit leaders on a variety of strategic consulting assignments. We offer comprehensive resources to guide your transition needs. Contact us to learn about our executive interim and placement services.

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