Leadership change underway at Community Action Services and Food Bank
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- Community Action Services and Food Bank’s Provo warehouse is pictured Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
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- Tom Hogan is the new CEO of Community Action Services and Food Bank.
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- From left, Provo Mayor Michelle Kaufusi, former Gov. Gary Herbert, Karen McCandless, Kathryn Davidson and Curtis Blair pose together Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. McCandless was recognized with the Chamber Champion award from the Utah Valley Chamber of Commerce.
A change in command is underway at Community Action Services and Food Bank as longtime Chief Executive Officer Karen McCandless has stepped down to focus on her campaign for the mayoral race in Orem.
Stepping in to fill her shoes is Tom Hogan, who had been serving as the organization’s chief operating officer.
Hogan brings 30 years of experience in human services to the role, including the past five years he’s spent at CASFB.
During his tenure, Hogan has played a vital role in the growth, direction, and day-to-day impact of CASFB, the organization said in a press release.
Hogan was instrumental in expanding several programs like the Circles Youth initiative, the Diaper Demonstration Distribution project and expanding pantry operations at Community Action Services’ Springville and Oakley locations.
With his transition into the role as CEO, Hogan said he remains committed to the vision of serving people and families experiencing food and housing insecurity across Utah County.
“I step into this new role with not only the knowledge base of how the programs run and how they help reduce poverty, but the new piece of making sure that we do it from (a) business-focused perspective as well,” he told the Daily Herald in a phone call Tuesday afternoon.
In May, Community Action Services and Food Bank celebrated 58 years of providing a helping hand to people battling poverty.
Hogan and the staff at CASFB look to keep the organization viable in the community for many more decades to come.
But Hogan said it’s not lost on him that more people are seeking out their services, as food insecurity remains a hot-button topic in Utah County and across the state.
In 2023, CASFB reported a 155% increase in usage across each of its food pantries in Utah, Wasatch and Summit counties.
That, coupled with the risk of losing federal funding for many of their programs, has created a climate in which CASFB is exploring different sources of funding and looks to maintain a steady flow of donations, all while continuing to meet an increasing demand.
“It might look different over the next couple of years as we navigate these different times,” Hogan said. “But we’re committed to making sure that Utah, Summit and Wasatch County have, to the best of our ability, access to programs to support low income families and families in need.”
As CASFB begins its new chapter, Hogan expressed gratitude to McCandless for her years of service and leadership.
He commended her efforts to maintain services to the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the things I took from Karen was her determination to find a way to be of service,” Hogan said. “Even though a pandemic was raging through and we had all sorts of health (obstacles), we weren’t going to not serve the community.”
Her passion to provide needed resources has fueled his desire to continue to shape the organization and the community for years to come, Hogan added.
McCandless had been at the helm of Community Action Services and Food Bank since 2017; prior to that, she spent more than a decade as an Orem City Council member.
In May, McCandless formally announced that she will challenge the incumbent David Young for Orem’s mayoral seat in November.
In a statement sent to the Daily Herald on Tuesday evening, McCandless reflected on her time leading CASFB.
“Serving as CEO of Community Action has been deeply meaningful. I’m grateful to have worked alongside dedicated partners and resilient families, and I’ll miss it dearly,” she said. “I leave confident in Tom Hogan’s leadership and the agency’s foundation. My time there, combined with nonprofit leadership, city planning, and Orem City Council service, has prepared me for this next step as I run for Orem City Mayor–guided by what matters most: listening, caring, and putting community first.”
Jessica Miller, CASFB’s chief impact officer, said even though McCandless has moved on in pursuit of Orem city leadership, her impact on the organization is everlasting.
“Her legacy will be felt for years to come in our community,” Miller told the Daily Herald in a statement.
