Food Bank director resigns, to work for county judge

CONROE, Texas -- Doris M. Golemon resigned as executive director of the Montgomery County Food Bank and has been appointed the Chief of Staff for Montgomery County Judge Alan B. Sadler, effective Feb. 17, 2012, due to Ann Carr’s retirement.

The announcement came Monday, Jan. 23, 2012 in Commissioners Court.

Golemon, as the second Food Bank executive director began her career part-time March, 2003 at the original warehouse on South Frazier, which was just 3,500 square feet, had one small box truck and served 20 pantries. The Food Bank in 2003 distributed approximately 350,000 pounds of food into the County. By contrast, in 2011 the Food Bank distributed approximately 6 million pounds of food filling over 30,000 requests for food per month through 50 pantries that serves all of Montgomery County.

The Food Bank under Golemon’s leadership has grown to be the 11th largest Food Bank in Texas. Once again, the Food Bank has outgrown its current facility and it is in the process of purchasing and constructing a new warehouse.

In 2006, the Food Bank outgrew the original warehouse and moved to its present location which consists of 7,500 square feet of office/warehouse space and 66,000 cubic feet of cold and frozen storage space. The current facility was purchased through a Community Development Block Grant.

Working two half-days a week with the volunteers and one other part-time person in 2003, Golemon has lead the Food Bank to a five and half day a week operation with more than 15,000 volunteer hours annually, a list of over 11,000 donors, twenty-two full-time employees and two part-time employees. In addition, The Food Bank has played an integral part in disaster relief during hurricanes Rita and Ike and is a first responder during weather related disasters.

Initially, the only major fundraiser was the Midnight Bike Cruise which took place on a hot summer night in August for nine years in The Woodlands. Since then, the major fundraisers that Golemon has implemented are; “Feeding the Frontier”, which occurs in Montgomery during November; “Feasting On the Frontier Gala, Texas Style”, which will be March 3, 2012; “The Putting Out Hunger Golf Tournament” and “Shooting Out Hunger”.

Other major accomplishments for the Food Bank under Golemon’s tenure as MCFB Executive Director are: member of the Texas Food Bank Network; Partner Distribution Organization of Houston Food Bank; grants awarded for three new refrigerated trucks; the backpack program; mobile pantry program; food fairs; “CanStructure”; grants awarded for three elementary school pantries; and a community garden.

Golemon is a member of the Lake Conroe Chamber; the South Montgomery County Chamber; the East Montgomery County Chamber; the Magnolia Chamber; and the Hispanic Chamber. She is currently on the Board of Directors for the Texas Food Bank Network, the CISD Foundation and the Montgomery County Homeless Coalition. Golemon is a member of, Montgomery County United Way Healthy Living Task Force, the Conroe Rotary Club, and the North Shore Republican Women and she is a Life Member of the Montgomery County Fair Association. Golemon was also a member of Leadership East Montgomery County Class of 2011 that took on the project of the Splendora “Wild Kat Pantry”.

Betty Hardy, cofounder of the Montgomery County Food Bank cried upon hearing of Golemon’s resignation and said that “the Food Bank has grown astronomically under Doris’ direction and will be dearly missed. Her presence and influence made a difference to the hungry in Montgomery County. Montgomery County’s gain is the Food Bank’s loss.”

Golemon had the last word though.

“Being executive dDirector of the Montgomery County Food Bank was a very exciting and rewarding position not only for me but for my entire family," she said. "What began as a part time job became a love and passion to feed the hungry of Montgomery County. I look forward to my new position as I continue to serve the citizens of Montgomery County.”