Joan Benefiel is the manager of the Hunger Program. She was born and raised in Kansas and attended University of Kansas in Lawrence, and the MFA program for figurative sculpture at the New York Academy of Art.

Joan has spent many years in a variety of management positions in a wide range of environments from an investment banks to a sculpture foundry and a non-profit student housing cooperative. Growing up, Joan’s formative experience included volunteering alongside her parents at the local soup kitchens and homeless shelters. In her new role as Manager of the Hunger Program, she is thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to combine creativity and her managerial experience to help people in need.