JACKSON, Miss. – August 4, 2026 – Mississippi Food Network (MFN) has named
Karli Coughlin as its next Chief Executive Officer. Coughlin joined MFN in June,
following a national search led by the MFN Board of Directors.
Coughlin brings more than two decades of experience in food systems, supply chain
management, and community engagement. She most recently served as Manager of
Innovation at Tyson Foods and previously helped build and scale a supplier diversity
program representing more than $1 billion in diverse spend.

As CEO, Coughlin will lead MFN’s work to fight hunger across its 56-county service
area. MFN works through a network of more than 430 partner agencies, including
pantries, shelters, churches, and community organizations, to distribute food and
resources to Mississippi families, children, seniors, and neighbors facing food insecurity,
reaching more than 163,000 Mississippians each month.

“Karli brings the operational experience, relationship-building ability, and mission focus
MFN needs for this next chapter,” said Caroline Wright, Chairperson of the
Mississippi Food Network Board of Directors. “The Board is confident in her ability
to support staff, strengthen partnerships, and help MFN continue serving communities
across Mississippi with care, discipline, and purpose.”

Coughlin believes any plan for MFN’s future must start with the people living food
insecurity, not just those working to solve it. Her first months are focused on listening
and learning from Mississippians facing food insecurity, alongside MFN staff, partner
agencies, donors, volunteers, public officials, Feeding America colleagues, and
community leaders across the state. Her early priorities include understanding MFN’s
operations and partner network, supporting the staff who carry out the mission every
day, and strengthening the partnerships and resources needed to meet growing need.

“This organization has spent years building the reach, the partnerships, and the trust it
takes to serve Mississippi families well, and I’m honored to be part of what comes next,”
said Karli Coughlin, Chief Executive Officer of Mississippi Food Network. “I’m
grateful to the staff, Board, partners, and supporters who’ve welcomed me into this role,
and built that foundation, and I look forward to strengthening it in the years ahead.”

Mississippi ranks among the nation’s most food-insecure states, with 1 in 4 children
facing hunger, and pantry visits across MFN’s network up 36% year-over-year as rising
costs at the grocery store and gas pump squeeze family budgets across the state.
Coughlin believes this gap is not inevitable — that Mississippi has the strength and
resilience to make sure every family who calls it home can stay, thrive, and build their
future here, and that food access is the gateway to that broader stability.

“This mission matters deeply to me,” Coughlin said. “Hunger relief is about more than
food. It is about helping families find their footing, helping children learn, helping seniors
stay healthy, and helping communities grow stronger — because Mississippi’s greatest
resource has always been its people, and every one of them deserves the chance to
succeed.”

Coughlin holds a Master of Agribusiness Management from Mississippi State University,
where her graduate program included a food pantry internship with MFN through the
AIM for CHangE program. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Business
Technology from Montana State University–Northern.

About Mississippi Food Network
Mississippi Food Network changes lives by fighting hunger today and feeding hope for a
healthier tomorrow. As part of the Feeding America network, MFN partners with more
than 430 agencies across 56 counties to distribute food and resources to Mississippians
facing food insecurity. Learn more at www.msfoodnet.org and follow MFN on Facebook,
Instagram, and LinkedIn