Ozarks Food Harvest President and CEO Bart Brown announces retirement

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, October 14, 2026

After nearly three decades at The Food Bank, Brown will retire in March 2027

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.— Ozarks Food Harvest President and CEO Bart Brown will retire in March 2027 after 25 years leading the organization.

During Brown’s tenure, Ozarks Food Harvest more than quintupled its annual food distribution and increased its budget for hunger-relief programming. This allowed for the development of new community food programs like the Weekend Backpack Program, Mobile Food Pantry, a “Shoppers Choice” market approach to food pantries and the Full Circle Gardens program. When Brown became president and CEO in 2002, The Food Bank provided 4 million meals annually. Today, it provides over 23 million meals each year.

“It’s been a privilege to serve Ozarks Food Harvest and work alongside a dedicated board of directors, staff and the community of supporters to help Transform Hunger into Hope across southwest Missouri,” said Bart Brown, Ozarks Food Harvest’s president and CEO. “I’m so grateful for everything we’ve accomplished and excited to see what the next chapter holds for The Food Bank.”

Brown joined Ozarks Food Harvest in 1999 as development director and was named president and CEO in 2002. Brown was named to the first class of the Springfield Business Journal’s Men of the Year honorees and is former president of Feeding Missouri, past president of the Rotary Club of Springfield-North and served as chair of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit Roundtable and on Feeding America’s National Hunger Task Force. Brown is also a graduate of Leadership Springfield and a recipient of the Outstanding Fundraising Executive of the Year award presented by the Ozarks AFP Chapter.

“The board has been honored to benefit from Bart’s leadership during his 25 years at Ozarks Food Harvest,” said Dr. Meera Scarrow, OB/GYN and Ozarks Food Harvest’s board president. “We’ve been proud to see him lead the organization through expansions, economic downturns and a pandemic. His vision and dedication have helped shape The Food Bank into the successful organization it is today. His leadership has also positioned Ozarks Food Harvest’s staff and its next leader for continued success.”

Brown will continue serving as president and CEO through March 2027 while Ozarks Food Harvest’s board of directors conducts a national search for his successor.