Everyone knows about the great work of Jenny and Andy Czerkas in building The River Food Pantry. This Northside institution has been achieving the goal of “bringing a message of mercy and hope to those in need by providing nutritional basics and encouragement” for a dozen years. As The River has transitioned to new leadership, after the Czerkas’ retirement, hard work has been done to keep both the day-to-day operations as well as long-term vision appropriate and responsive to the needs of the community.

Jennifer Zisser is a giant in that behind-the-scenes work. Serving as board chair, Jennifer has facilitated a year-long process of updating The River’s strategic planning. She worked with the board, staff and all stakeholders to revitalize the mission, vision, values and guiding principles of The River. Using her skills and insight to lead the board through this process, Jennifer is achieving her mission of giving back to the community.