About Michael McKee

Michael McKee brings 30 years of experience to his role as CEO of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. He joined the organization in 2009 to lead development and planning, and was named CEO in 2013.

The Food Bank has grown tremendously under his leadership, something acknowledged by the network: Michael is the 2024 recipient of Feeding America’s John van Hengel Fellowship Award, considered the highest honor in food banking. The award honors the ideals of the late John van Hengel, who developed the concept of food banking in the 1960s. It recognizes an executive of a partner food bank for excellence in leadership, local impact and national influence, and entrepreneurial spirit in the area of hunger relief.

Prior to joining the Food Bank, he served as executive director for the Virginia Institute of Autism, a private special education day school in Charlottesville, Va., for five years. Prior to that, he was the senior director of development for the University of Virginia Health System, where he most recently shared responsibility for planning the Health System’s $500 million capital campaign as well as major gift fundraising for the cardiovascular enterprise.

Michael began working in the not-for-profit sector in 1986 when he joined Russ Reid Company (now, TrueSense), the world’s largest company specializing in nonprofit communications. During his nine-year tenure at the company, Michael led development and public relations teams, serving a variety of faith-based human service and education organizations.

Michael serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks and previously served on the Board of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence in Charlottesville.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California, and resides with his wife in Charlottesville, Virginia.