Marissa Parisi to step down from Hunger Free Vermont to lead RiseVT

Vermont Business Magazine Marissa Parisi is stepping down as executive director of Hunger Free Vermont after nearly nine years at the helm. Her last day will be December 15. Parisi will become the executive director of RiseVT, a joint initiative of Rise Vermont, LLC formed in 2017 andOneCare Vermont ACO, in January. Part of her mission will be to grow RiseVT – a project of Northwestern Medical Center and the Vermont Department of Health – into a statewide model.

During her tenure at Hunger Free Vermont, Parisi transformed the organization, including: rebranding and renaming the organization to better reflect the scope of anti-hunger work across the age spectrum; leading the staff and board through two strategic planning processes; growing the organization’s Hunger Council model to 10 councils covering every region of Vermont and the Upper Valley in New Hampshire; spearheading nationally celebrated policy changes that have significantly expanded access to meal programs for our most vulnerable Vermonters.

Most recently Parisi has worked with a network of New England anti-hunger leaders to establish the Hunger Free New England Compact to articulate a shared vision for what it will take to end hunger and malnutrition in the face of threats to the programs and policy that feed all of our people across the region.

“It has been an honor to work with the remarkable team of staff and board and our many, many partners and supporters across the state and nation to tackle the root causes of hunger and malnutrition in Vermont,” said Parisi. “While I will truly miss working every day with such a smart, talented, and incredibly capable staff at Hunger Free Vermont, I am fully confident that they will not skip a beat continuing their good work. I am very excited to bring my skills and experience to the next challenge of establishing RiseVT as a statewide resource to help Vermonters embrace healthier lifestyles while lowering healthcare costs.”

Hunger Free Vermont’s staff and board leadership teams have met and have a strong transition plan they will be finalizing and announcing in the media in the coming weeks.

“Marissa has been a powerful leader for Hunger Free Vermont,’’ said Amy Levine, the chair of Hunger Free Vermont’s board of directors. “While we are saddened to see Marissa move on, the hard work of Hunger Free Vermont in eradicating food insecurity will continue.

“Hunger Free’s staff is second-to-none, and we know their dedication and commitment to our mission are unwavering. We are proud of Marissa’s work and the board wishes her great success in her next chapter.”

OneCare Vermont, which comprises an extensive network of providers and communities implementing health care payment reform and breakthrough approaches on population health management, will be the hiring organization for RiseVT leadership.

OneCare CEO Todd Moore who also serves on the RiseVT, LLC Board of Managers, said: “We have seen the success of RiseVT in Northwestern Vermont and look forward to bringing the collaborative initiative to all communities in the state as part of our strong dedication to wellness and prevention as part of the ACO model.”

Jill Berry-Bowen, CEO of Northwestern Medical Center, serves as the Chair of the Board of Managers for RiseVT.

“We could not be more thrilled to gain Marissa Parisi’s leadership as the executive director for RiseVT,’’ Berry-Bowen said. “Her track record for scaling initiatives statewide and growing Hunger Free Vermont into such a strategic and impactful organization is the exact experience we need. The board of managers at RiseVT looks forward to working with Marissa and seeing her bring this groundbreaking program to Vermonters in every corner of our state.”

OneCare Vermont is a state-wide Accountable Care Organization (ACO) working with Medicare, Vermont Medicaid and the Commercial Exchange Shared Saving Programs. OneCare Vermont comprises an extensive network of providers, including several of Vermont's hospitals, 2 New Hampshire hospitals, hundreds of primary and specialty care physicians and Advance Practice Providers, federally qualified health centers, and several rural health clinics, to coordinate the health care of approximately 102,000 combined Medicare, Medicaid and Commercial Exchange Vermont beneficiaries. www.onecarevt.org

Hunger Free Vermont is a statewide nonprofit organization that works with state agencies and community groups to end the injustice of hunger and malnutrition for all Vermonters. Since 1993 Hunger Free Vermont’s outreach programs have substantially enhanced Vermont’s nutrition safety net and increased access to nutritious foods. www.hungerfreevt.org

Source: November 13, 2017 (Colchester, VT)—OneCare Vermont