Mid-Ohio Food Collective President and CEO Matt Habash said Thursday he is retiring at the end of the year after 42 years with the agency.
Habash, who turns 70 in September, said in a recorded statement on YouTube that he was grateful for his time there.
"We've weathered some of the toughest moments in our region's history," Habash said. "From the Great Recession to a global pandemic, to the longest federal government shutdown. And every single time this community chose compassion over fear. We took care of each other when it mattered most."
Habash also said he was grateful for the families the organization serves.
"They have taught me more about resilience, courage and hope than I could ever put into words," Habash said. "They remind us of a simple truth. No one should ever go hungry in a community as strong as ours."
In 1984, Habash became executive director of what was then the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
That year, the foodbank distributed three million pounds of groceries. In 2025, the food collective distributed more than 73 million pounds of food over the 20 counties it serves in central and eastern Ohio.
The food collective's board of trustees has brought on a national firm, Kittleman & Associates, to lead the search for Habash's replacement.
Habash served on Columbus City Council from 1993 to January 2007, and was council president from 1999 through 2006.
