Cat (Catherine) Battista of St. Charles has been selected to be the new executive director of Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry (AAIFP), Aurora.
An attorney by training, Battista has served the residents of Kane County in both a professional and volunteer capacity for more than a decade.
Prior to joining Aurora Food Pantry, she served in a leadership position at CASA Kane County, as an advocate for the rights of abused and neglected children where she worked closely with Aurora area social service agencies. Additionally, Battista worked as a litigator, in defense of the rights of the elderly against abusive and neglectful nursing homes and volunteered at Aurora area legal clinics as a pro-bono attorney.
She served on the Kane County Board as a commission member and helped to advise and lead the County to the implementation of a paperless case management system for the 16th Judicial Circuit.
Battista and her husband, Jeff, reside in St. Charles with their three children. Her husband owns and operates an Aurora-based electrical company.
Aurora Food Pantry Board president Lynn Flores discussed the reasons Battista was chosen to lead the organization. “We are confident that Cat’s experience, passion, and commitment to our mission will help our organization continue to thrive and grow as it meets the ongoing needs of the community,” she said.
Cat succeeds Marilyn Weisner who has served as AAIFP executive director for 10 years and who will remain until the end of February to ensure a smooth transition.
Founded in 1981, Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry operates one of the largest food pantries in northern Illinois and distributes 3.6 Million pounds of food to more than 19,000 individuals annually.
For more information, please visit www.aurorafoodpantry.org.
—Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry