Former Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice is the new CEO of Manna Food Center, succeeding Jackie DeCarlo, who retired at the end of 2024.
Rice started on February 3 at the White Oak-based nonprofit, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year.
Previously, Rice was Vice President of Community Engagement at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington and served as a Montgomery County Councilmember for District 2, where he was the Council President, chaired the Education and Culture Committee and served on the Health and Human Services Committee.
In addition to his deep connections in Montgomery County, Craig spent four years as a State Delegate in the Maryland General Assembly and over a decade working for Fortune 500 companies, receiving numerous awards including the 2022 Maryland Association of Counties Marilyn Praisner Public Service Award, the 2021 Living Legends Award for Service to Humanity, and the 2019 Montgomery County Board of Education Award for Distinguished Service.
Craig attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Maryland. He lives in Darnestown with his wife, Tia, and their three children: Alex, Anaiya, and Caelyn.
“I have always sought the opportunity to be a catalyst for change in my community, especially with the understanding that food represents much more than just a healthy meal or calories on a plate,” Rice said. “Food embodies love, comfort, and hope; it is deeply intertwined with our mental, physical, and emotional well-being. I want to express my gratitude to my predecessor, Jackie DeCarlo, for her dedicated service to the organization and the community, and I aim to build upon her remarkable work with the amazing Manna team. Achieving the goal of eliminating hunger is within reach with the right support from government, corporations, and the greater community. During my tenure, I aspire to help guide us toward that objective.”
“We are thrilled that Craig is joining Manna Food Center, and that he will build upon this legacy and help grow Manna towards the future,” said Jason Mills, Chair of the Manna Food Center Board of Directors. “As a former elected official, nonprofit executive and community advocate, he has the vision, leadership skills, networks of partners and passion to help Manna eliminate hunger in Montgomery County.”
More information on Manna Food Center and its services is available online at mannafood.org.