North Valley Food Bank names new director

The North Valley Food Bank in Whitefish this week named Sophie Albert as its executive director. She replaces Jessy Lee, who relocated to Missoula after two years running the food bank to prepare for the birth of her first child.

Originally from Germany, Albert holds a master's degree in disaster management from the University of Copenhagen and has "extensive nonprofit experience managing education, social services and humanitarian programs in Indonesia, Egypt, Pakistan and the U.S.," according to an announcement from the food bank.

Most recently, Albert worked for The Alliance in Houston, coordinating the nonprofit's COVID-19 response for immigrant and refugee communities.

In a statement, Albert said she hopes to expand the food bank's operations and "not only provide emergency food assistance but also address the root causes of food insecurity."