Nestlé exec appointed to Samaritan board

Virginia (Ginger) Brooks of Rogers has been named a director to the Samaritan Community Center and will assume the role in July.

"We are so blessed and thankful to have Ginger join our board. Her strategic thinking, sensitive heart and able hands are exactly what we need as Samaritan Community Center continues to strategically impact the hurting and hungry of Northwest Arkansas, said Dave Godwin, board chairman.

Brooks is the director of strategic marketing initiatives for the Nestlé Wal-Mart team. Prior to joining Nestlé Brooks served in a variety of sales, category management and marketing roles during her 26-year career in the consumer products industry.

She has been active in the Northwest Arkansas nonprofit community since moving to the area 11 years ago, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Rogers Humane Society, Reading is Fundamental and the Samaritan Community Center.  In addition, she has served on boards for Unity Church (Norwalk, Conn.), Benton County Habitat for Humanity, Rogers Paws for a Good Cause and Border Collie Rescue of the Ozarks.

Brooks said she became familiar with the Samaritan Community Center when her church was recruiting drivers for the organization’s “SnackPack for Kids” program. 

“My husband became a driver and every week he would come home with amazing stories about these young children. I started investigating what needs the community had in Benton County and sat down with the Samaritan Community Center,” Brooks said.

“I was amazed to find how many hungry children there are in our area. It’s so unsettling, how in this affluent area, we have one in three kids going to bed hungry. The center has so many amazing programs to help the community, and  I knew I had to do something to help and to be more involved.”

Brooks, through efforts at Nestlé, started packing snack packs, serving holiday meals, doing food drives, and also coordinated a tennis tournament to spread the word and raise awareness of the hunger issues. 

She said the cause has become her passion.

“We are thrilled to have Ginger Brooks joining our board,” said Debbie Rambo, executive director for the center. “In addition to her business experience, she has a heart for our organization and our mission.”