New Leadership Serves Up Change

After a national search, we are very pleased to announce that on July 29th, region native Ryan Elinkowski assumed the position of Chief Executive Officer of Meals on Wheels of Northwest Indiana.? Ryan has spent the last 14 years serving adults, children, and families through his work at St. Jude House Domestic Violence Shelter and Prevention Center, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana.?

As an experienced leader in the social service field, Ryan excels in the areas of operations management, programming, and strategic planning, yet his most admirable leadership traits are those of compassion and genuine relationship building. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree In Human Development and Family Studies from Purdue University with a specialization in Child and Family Services.

In the first three weeks of his new role, Ryan hit the ground running attending the Meals on Wheels America Conference in Baltimore with members of his new management team while connecting with national leaders and gathering best practice strategies to help prepare himself to take our organization to new heights.

He also made it a priority to experience delivering meals to our neighbors, scheduling time to shadow both our volunteer and staff drivers. ?With only a few months under his belt, Ryan already can express his calling to our work, “Serving this mission alongside an incredible team of dedicated staff and volunteers is a privilege I am very grateful for.? Seeing the joy in our neighbors’ faces as they greet us quickly reminds me it is much more than a meal-it’s connection, hope, and community in action. I am truly excited for the journey ahead and I cannot wait to see what we will all accomplish together.”

Ryan demonstrates a great commitment to community building and believes strongly in investing in for-purpose organizations.? He is an active Trustee for the Crown Point Library, serves on the Geminus Board of Directors, and a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles 2529 and the St. Jude House Survivor Council.

He lives happily and humbly, in Northwest Indiana, with his wife Tara of 13 years, two daughters Lily (11) and Lila (7) and their fur babies, Lucy and Rico.