Paco Vélez

PRESIDENT & CEO, FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA, PEMBROKE PARK

Feeding South Florida serves Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties by distributing nutritious food and providing education, workforce development and economic stability programs. “By connecting people to job opportunities, financial literacy resources and career development, I’ve seen firsthand how these initiatives uplift entire households and strengthen our community,” he says.

EDUCATION: Baylor University (BS)

FIRST JOB: My first job was in customer service at Walmart, which taught me empathy, patience and the importance of treating everyone with dignity.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I’d be a dog trainer.

INDUSTRY TREND: The shift toward addressing food insecurity through holistic, wraparound approaches. It’s no longer just about providing food, it’s about tackling the root causes of hunger through integrated services like workforce development, financial literacy, healthcare access and housing support.