HUDSON – The St. Croix Valley Food Bank (SCVFB) announced April 9 that Brandi Poellinger has been hired as the organization’s development director.

In her new role, Poellinger will lead SCVFB’s development efforts, strengthen donor and community relationships, and support the organization’s mission to provide equitable access to food in the organization’s service area in Pierce, St. Croix, Polk and Burnett counties.

A long-time regional community engagement leader, Poellinger comes to St. Croix Valley Food Bank following her time as senior leader with Allina Health, where her work focused on advancing health-related initiatives through philanthropy and community engagement.

“Brandi is recognized for her ability to build meaningful relationships, guide strategic initiatives and champion programs that address community needs,” stated Lee Kroll, executive director, St. Croix Valley Food Bank. “She is well-suited to create awareness of the need for hunger relief and connect donors in meaningful ways to the St. Croix Valley Food Bank’s ability to address food scarcity in substantive ways.”

Established in 2021, the St. Croix Valley Food Bank has grown to serve more than 55 hunger relief partners in Burnett, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties. In 2025, 3.8 million pounds of food came through SCVFB to partner programs, providing 80% of the food distributed

to those in need in the four counties.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve this critical mission in a part of Wisconsin that I know so well,” said Poellinger. “This works speaks to my heart and my passion, and I’m excited to leverage my skills and experience to get more food onto more tables in our region.”

“Brandi is joining us at just the right time as we are investing in constructing the first permanent food bank building in this region to address food scarcity,” stated Brian Elwood, SCVFB Board President. “We have been given the opportunity to fundamentally increase the levels of food distribution in our region and Brandi brings the passion and talent to share this story.”

Poellinger resides in River Falls with her husband and their daughter, who plays hockey and softball. As a family, they enjoy attending sporting events and traveling. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Mary’s University.

Submitted by St. Croix Valley Food Bank