Fay Cobb Payton, Deonte’ Thomas, and Matt Gregory know the importance of ending child hunger and how children can’t learn and succeed when they are hungry. They are the newest members of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s Board of Directors. Fay, Deonte’, and Matt all come from different backgrounds but each have a passion for helping others in our community to succeed. Their individual skillsets bring new perspectives into creating a hunger free community.
Fay Cobb Payton is from Georgia and is from a family that took it upon themselves to take care of those in the community who were in need of assistance. As a child, Fay helped her mother put together baskets of food for their neighbors that were having difficulty making ends meet, “giving people not a hand out, but a hand up.” Fay is a Professor Emeritus at North Carolina State University, having earned her PhD at Case Western Reserve University and spent a career working in information technology and analytics. Her deep engagement with Wake County Public Schools comes from her STEM background, and has provided her with an up-close look at how children cannot learn when they’re hungry. She states with quiet determination, “It’s hard to do math when you’re hungry.”
During COVID, Fay’s passion for helping others in need, especially the children who depended on schools for breakfast and lunch, led her to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. “I specifically decided to give to the Food Shuttle because it is more than a food bank. It engages community gardens for STEM education and sustainability and for community involvement and community ownership.” As a Board member, Fay wants to bring her skills in technology and analytics to help make Agriculture Technology a bigger presence in efforts to address food insecurity. Fay’s skills enable her to use data as a way of promoting the mission of the Food Shuttle. In line with the Food Shuttle’s Core Value of Health as the foundation of any community, Fay is a health enthusiast and values the importance of self-care, especially in our challenging world.
Deonte’ Thomas is from Southern Pines, North Carolina and is a graduate of from UNC Chapel Hill Law School. Having spent his entire career in defense work, Deonte’ is now the Chief Public Defender in the Wake County Public Defenders’ Office. He sees a direct connection between the work he is doing and how it ties into the work of the Food Shuttle. “You can’t fix the criminal justice system unless you can fix homelessness, and you can’t fix that unless you can fix food security—it just continues to go in that cycle.”
Deonte’ came to the Food Shuttle through Board member Will Cannon, who he met in law school, and he jumped at the opportunity when asked about joining the Board. During COVID, Deonte’ often took his son to Camden Street Learning Garden in downtown Raleigh, where he learned about the Food Shuttle and some of our programs to help our neighbors facing hunger. As a member of the Food Shuttle’s board Deonte’ wants to use his skills and knowledge to help fix disparities in the system that result in food insecurity. He and his wife Elizabeth have two young children. Deonte’ is a man of many hobbies that shift seasonally, but he is always passionate about helping others.
Matt Gregory, from Nashville, Tennessee, is senior vice president and chief customer officer of The Clorox Company, responsible for the global sales function. He assumed this role and joined the Clorox Executive Committee in October 2021. He was introduced to Inter-Faith Food Shuttle when he had just moved to Raleigh through a program that matches people and organizations based on need and interest. “No person should have to suffer from hunger, and the Food Shuttle’s innovative approach to food insecurity sets in motion solutions for generations to come,” says Matt about his commitment to the organization’s mission.
As a Board member, Matt sees his role as one of support, encouragement, and action wherever needed. “My role is to help the organization and the teammates of the Food Shuttle reach all of our goals.” A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Matt and his wife Sara moved to Raleigh from California in January 2020 “just days before COVID!” They have three children, Taylor, Kate, and Colin. Matt says his hobby right now is driving all three of his kids to soccer games on the weekend.