Who We Are
FEED is a volunteer-run organization. Each board member contributes to fundraising, operations, volunteer management, compliance, and client relations. Our goal is to ensure low overhead so that the majority of every donation goes directly to purchasing food for kids.
Board of Directors
Shannon Smith, President
Shannon is the Kentucky State Director of Government Relations for the American Heart Association (AHA) and is skilled in navigating the legislative process at the federal, state, and local levels. Shannon is responsible for promoting the legislative agenda, working on local policy priorities in communities across Kentucky, and coordinating with AHA volunteers.
Shannon also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Beaumont YMCA, as a member of the Central KY YMCA Board, a member of the Garden Springs Elementary Advisory Council and PTA, and as a volunteer coach.
Mandy Otis, Vice President
Mandy has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Georgetown College and a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from The Patterson School at the University of Kentucky.
Mandy has a varied career in both the public and private sectors, including non-profit work, Congressional office staff, state government employment, freelance writing, and grant research and writing for various organizations.
Sylvia Lovely, Secretary
Sylvia served as CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities for 25 years. She is the author of three books as well as opinion pieces for newspapers across the world. She appeared regularly on WUKY radio with her observations on life and wisdom in Kentucky’s cities.
Upon retirement from KLC in 2009, Sylvia founded Sylvia Lovely & Associates to pursue her various interests further. The Azur Food Group comprises Azur Restaurant and Patio, Lexington Diner, and Mane on Main Catering and Events. Along with Chef Jeremy Ashby, her business partner, she co-hosts Food News and Chews Radio on WVLK 590 AM and appears every Friday morning on the popular Jack Pattie Show, talking up food on everything from recipes to wellness!
Sharon Bird, Treasurer
Sharon Bird has spent 25 years in advocacy, fundraising, and economic development, working with elected officials from the local courthouse to the White House in Washington D.C.
Sharon provides professional, creative and ethical guidance for businesses and non-profits struggling to have their voices heard, their concerns recognized, and their suggested solutions given serious consideration by those in power - be it at the local, state or federal level.
Sharon earned her degree in Fine Arts from the University of Kentucky in 1986 and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from Indiana University in 1999.
Prior to co-founding Bird Consulting Group with Shannon Smith, Sharon was a stockbroker at Hilliard Lyons and Lexington Investment Company with a thirteen-year career in money management.
Emelie Agosto, Board Member
Emmy grew up in Barbourville, KY, where her family has lived for generations. She attended St. Camillus Academy in Corbin and went on to graduate from the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
Emmy worked for many years as a paralegal at law firms in Connecticut and South Carolina. She now resides in Lexington with her husband and two boys and enjoys working with and supporting local charities.
She is currently the Co-Director of Philanthropy for the MAP Automotive Group, a member of the Circle of Blue, which supports the Kentucky Children’s Hospital and serves on the board of the Mt. Laurel Festival in Pineville, KY.