About Us
Marian F. Guinn, CEO
Marian Fish Guinn is the chief executive officer of God’s Pantry Food Bank, a member of Feeding America. She is responsible for overall administration, financial management, personnel, program development, public relations, government relations, community relations and board development for the Lexington-based operation which serves 50 counties in central and eastern Kentucky.
Before coming to God’s Pantry Food Bank in 1997, Guinn was the director of fund development for the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington. There, she planned, developed and executed fund raising efforts for the UK Children’s Hospital, raising $4.2 million over 10 years.
A native of Louisville, Guinn holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing as well as an MBA from the University of Kentucky. She is active in the food banking industry as well as her local community. She recently completed a five-year term on the National Council for Feeding America, which initiates, studies and develops recommendations on issues and policies affecting the food bank network. Guinn served as chair of the council and on the Feeding America Board of Directors in 2009. Guinn is a former officer of the Central Region and participant and leader of numerous work groups and task forces. She served on the affiliate advisory committee for the Hunger in America 2005 study and chaired the Member Advisory Committee for the Hunger in America 2010 study. Guinn is the chair of the Kentucky Association of Food Banks and a graduate of the 2006 Leadership Kentucky class.
Guinn is a former member of the National Commodity Supplemental Food Program Association’s Board of Directors, an organization whose mission is to provide leadership in program advocacy, accountability, delivery of healthy foods and nutrition education.
In April 2008, Guinn was named Executive Director of the Year by Feeding America and she was inducted into the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business Hall of Fame in 2007. In October 2008, she was named the first-ever recipient of the University of Kentucky Nonprofit Leadership Initiative’s Distinguished Nonprofit Leadership Award.
Guinn is a member and past president of the Junior League of Lexington, past president of the Lexington chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and a graduate of Leadership Lexington. She currently sits on the advisory board of Central Bank in Lexington. She regularly volunteers at the Broadway Christian Church pantry with her husband.
Guinn and her husband Gene reside in Lexington with their daughter Sarah. She enjoys travel, entertaining, reading and weekends on Lake Cumberland.