Dennis Bagneris is our new CEO
New Orleans, La. (May 25, 2018) – Liberty’s Kitchen is
pleased to announce that Dennis Bagneris, its longest-serving employee and Chief Program Officer, is appointed CEO and succeeds David M. Emond effective May 25th, 2018. Bagneris has served Liberty’s Kitchen since 2011.
Prior to joining the organization, Bagneris worked in the non-profit and corporate sectors in youth education and workforce training. A New Orleans native, Dennis brings more than a decade of
experience in mentoring and supporting underserved youth, both through Liberty’s Kitchen and through other like-minded organizations and initiatives in the city. His past roles at Liberty’s Kitchen have included cafe manager, youth development Program Director, and, most recently, Chief Program Officer.
Bagneris shared: “As CEO, I look forward to continuing to invest in the city’s youth through expanding our food access work and supporting our young adults to further develop their leadership and entrepreneurial opportunities.” Matt Schwartz, Board Chair at Liberty’s Kitchen, said, “Dennis has played an integral role in the growth and success of Liberty’s Kitchen. Dennis’s deep commitment to our community and its youth has served to guide our programs over the past eight years. Under [his] leadership, Liberty’s Kitchen will remain focused on positively impacting our community by creating opportunity for our young people.”
Of his successor, David Emond said, “I’m proud of our board for living our values of youth-centeredness, excellence, interdependence, and racial equity with this choice, and I’m honored to be handing Dennis the reins of leadership. As far as we’ve come, I know that Dennis will help Liberty’s Kitchen continue to grow in its capacity to support our youth and serve our community.”
Liberty’s Kitchen alumna and Youth Leadership Council member Gioia Barconey shared: “Mr. D is a great person, and a very good mentor. He has been a father figure to me. I always appreciated that—I never had my father in my life. He was always stern, strict, but caring. I wish him all the best of luck in his new role and look forward to continuing to work together.”
For more information about Liberty’s Kitchen and its many programs to help New Orleans’ young people create and achieve their vision of success, visit: www.libertyskitchen.org.
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Liberty’s Kitchen creates pathways for New Orleans youth to create and achieve their vision of success through workforce training, leadership development, and support of healthy lifestyles. Founded in 2009 by Janet Davas, Liberty’s Kitchen has served over 750 young adults since the inception of its Youth Development Program. In its nearly ten years of existence, Liberty’s Kitchen has deepened its impact to include leadership development for alumni, work with employers to sustain long-term career pathways, and a number of food access social ventures that make fresh, healthy food more accessible for communities across New Orleans.
