Fair Food Network Names Holly Parker CEO as Kate Krauss Steps Down After a Decade of Leadership
Leadership transition signals next chapter for national nonprofit working to strengthen local food economies.
Detroit, MI — March 18, 2026 — Fair Food Network today announced that CEO Kate Krauss will step down after ten years of leadership. The organization’s Board of Directors has named Holly Parker as the next CEO, effective May 1. Krauss will become President Emeritus following her final day as CEO on April 30.
Founded in 2009, Fair Food Network is a nonprofit and investor that grows community health, wealth, and resilience through food. Through its programs and policy work, Fair Food Network demonstrates what’s possible when food is grown, sold, and eaten locally: families gain access to healthy food, farmers and food businesses thrive, and communities become stronger.
During Krauss’s decade of leadership, the organization grew in both scale and depth, becoming more rooted in community, more centered on equity, and more intentional about shifting resources toward people and places historically left out of economic opportunity.
Krauss also guided the organization through an internal evolution toward shared leadership and a unified strategy focused on strengthening local food economies.
“I’m incredibly proud of what our team has built alongside our amazing partners,” said Krauss. “Fair Food Network has always believed that food can be a starting point for solutions that strengthen communities. Holly has helped shape our strategy for years and is consummately prepared to lead the organization forward.”
As incoming CEO Parker brings more than 25 years working with communities facing systemic barriers, from adults with disabilities to youth in underserved neighborhoods. Her mission-driven path began in Flint, Michigan, where she grew up witness to the cascading effects of economic instability on families and communities. Parker’s social impact career kicked off with a stint in the Peace Corps, and she later earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan. For the past nine years, most recently as Chief Program & Strategy Officer, she has led Fair Food Network’s programs and strategic direction.
As CEO, Parker plans to build on that momentum with an ambitious vision.
Looking ahead, Parker is focused on how a larger share of Michigan’s food economy could be rooted closer to home. “At Fair Food Network, we are asking: What if families can afford to fill their tables with food grown nearby? What if small and mid-sized farmers can sell their products at a fair price? And what if local supply chains are strong enough to carry us through the next disruption, and the one after that?”
For Parker, the path forward is clear. Growing the local food economy means investing in building blocks that connect farms to families, from production and processing to distribution and market access. Piece by piece, those investments create a food economy—and a state—that is healthier, stronger, and more resilient.
Parker also believes this approach could serve as a model for communities across the country. She adds, “I’m honored to lead a team that sees what’s possible when food is a force for good. At Fair Food Network, we know that keeping local food dollars in local communities has an outsized impact on families, farmers, and economies.”
Board Chair W. DeWayne Wells said the transition positions the organization for continued growth.
“Kate led with clarity and purpose, leaving Fair Food Network in a position of strength,” commented Wells. “Holly brings the vision, experience, and relationships needed to guide the organization’s next chapter.”
###
Media Contact: Andi Nank, anank@fairfoodnetwork.org, 734. 213.3999 x221
About Fair Food Network
Fair Food Network grows community health, wealth, and resilience through food—starting in Michigan and seeding change nationwide. As a nonprofit and investor, we make sure that communities can grow, sell, and buy more local food. When that happens, we know what comes next: families can eat well, farms and food businesses thrive, and people can keep their food dollars in their own neighborhoods. Through on-the-ground programs, strategic investments, and policy change, we work with partners to strengthen local food economies and expand access to affordable, healthy food across the country. Together, we’re proving that when we start with food, anything is possible. Learn more at FairFoodNetwork.org.