Meals on Wheels Yolo County has named Liane Moody as its next executive director, as the nonprofit transitions leadership while managing rising demand and a shifting funding model.

Moody will replace Joy Cohan, who is retiring April 3 after more than four years leading the Woodland-based nonprofit. During that period, the organization expanded its service footprint and operational capacity, including the development of a 5,300-square-foot meal production facility and the introduction of an earned-revenue model, in which the nonprofit produces meals for partner organizations and receives reimbursement for those services, according to Cohan.

Cohan said the organization’s growth required a shift in how leadership and the board approached its mission and funding strategy.

“The single biggest challenge was the organization really embracing the potential to make more of a difference in relation to senior food security in Yolo County,” Cohan said.

Meals on Wheels Yolo County operates with about 25 staff members and delivers meals through nearly 60 routes across the county, driven by hundreds of volunteers.

The organization reported $3.93 million in total revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, the year of its most recent annual financial report. Meals on Wheels Yolo County had $4.09 million in expenses, resulting in a $169,116 decrease in net assets. Spending included $2.37 million for home-delivered meals.

Cohan said federal funding remains a limited portion of the organization’s revenue mix.

“Only 15% of our current annual $3.6 million budget is federal dollars,” she said. “The rest, we’re on our own.”

That funding structure helped drive the organization’s adoption of a "social enterprise" model, in which it uses its kitchen and production capacity to generate additional revenue.

Moody, who has led the Davis-based Short Term Emergency Aid Committee for nearly eight years, said she plans to build on that approach.

“Earned revenue is going to be an important part of how we create a sustainable system,” Moody said. “We need something that we can count on if we are going to continue to meet these rising needs.”

At STEAC, Moody doubled the organization’s budget through fundraising tied to program expansion, according to the Meals on Wheels Yolo County announcement.

Before joining STEAC, Moody served as an instructor in the Department of Leadership in Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston and worked as a technology project coordinator for The Boston Plan for Excellence in Public Schools Foundation, according to her LinkedIn page.

She holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Princeton University and a Master of Education in Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Moody's appointment comes as the nonprofit’s strategic plan outlines continued expansion in both service and funding. The organization aims to increase total funding from about $3.6 million this year to $4.8 million by 2028, while growing the number of seniors served from 1,000 to as many as 1,800.

Moody said demand is expected to continue rising, driven by demographic trends and pressure on public assistance programs.

“We’re definitely seeing a lack of governmental grant funding and the pullback on things such as SNAP benefits, that are increasing food insecurity,” she said.

In her first year, Moody said she plans to focus on stakeholder engagement, operational efficiency and expanding volunteer capacity, which supports meal delivery across the county.

“I’m someone who loves thinking about operations and how people work together and how we can make that more efficient and effective,” said Moody, who will start in her new role April 13.

As she steps away from the role, Cohan said she plans to remain active in addressing food insecurity in the region.

"In addition to travel and more time with family, I intend to remain involved with the Yolo Food Security Coalition as a community member," she said. "My commitment to food security in Yolo County isn't waning."

Cohan also said she intends to focus on strengthening the coalition's role in coordinating local efforts.

"I plan to devote more time to advancing the YFSC, to assist with ensuring its stability and impactful leadership," she said, adding that the need is growing as "nearly 30,000 Yolo County residents rely" on food assistance programs facing funding pressures.