Food Bank hires new executive director

Published 8:30 am Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Sequim Food Bank’s board of directors has announced Jen Colmore as the facility’s new executive director to succeed outgoing director Andra Smith.

Colmore, currently the food bank’s community engagement coordinator, will start in the new role as Smith transitions to her new role on Feb. 24 as executive director of the Washington Food Coalition to advocate statewide for Washington’s hunger-relief network.

Smith announced her plans in December to take the new position. She has served as Sequim Food Bank’s executive director since January 2016.

Board members said via a Jan. 30 press release that they performed a comprehensive and competitive search before choosing Colmore.

“I am honored and grateful for the trust the board has placed in me,” Colmore stated in the press release. “The Sequim Food Bank is a remarkable organization rooted in dignity, relationships, and community care. I look forward to building on that foundation alongside our staff, volunteers, partners, and neighbors.”

Board President Deon Kapetan said that while working as community engagement coordinator, Colmore played a key role in strengthening donor relationships, expanding community partnerships, supporting volunteers and visitors, and contributing to organizational strategy.

“(Colmore) brings a rare combination of vision, compassion, and practical leadership,” Kapetan said. “She understands this organization from the inside out and has demonstrated the ability to lead through growth, complexity, and change while staying grounded in our mission and values.”

Colmore started at the food bank as a volunteer before joining the staff and leading efforts, such as Everyone at the Table, the food bank’s first annual community fundraiser, which exceeded its inaugural goal by raising more than $70,000.

Colmore brings decades of executive nonprofit experience.

Since 2005, she has served as executive director of Living Compassion, a long-term nutrition, education, and economic development initiative in Zambia supporting more than 1,000 children and families with her work encompassing fundraising, strategic planning, and cross-cultural organizational leadership in complex environments.

“Jen leads with clarity, steadiness, and deep respect for people,” Smith said. “Having seen herstep into this work early on and grow into a trusted leader, I am incredibly confident in her ability to guide the Sequim Food Bank forward. This organization is in excellent hands.”

Board members wrote that all current programs and partnerships will continue without interruption.

Sequim Food Bank holds its distribution days from 1-4 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m.-noon Fridays and Saturdays. There is also a new Mobile Food Pantry that travels to set locations across the Sequim area Tuesdays-Fridays.

For more information about the Sequim Food Bank, 144 W. Alder St., and its various programs, visit sequimfoodbank.org.