Community Service Award
Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services
Hanson McClain Advisors
Hanson McClain Securities
Patrick McClain, chief executive of Hanson McClain Advisors in Sacramento, Calif., has been volunteering for Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services for more than half his life.
His relationship the organization began when he was a college student in 1985. Mr. McClain continued on to serve as a board member for 15 years, including as board chairman for the past five years.
As chairman, he has overseen successes such as a multimillion-dollar fundraising campaign, the construction of a 22,500 square foot Education and Technology Center, which contains a computer lab and demonstration garden for clients, and an innovative program that eliminates a centralized distribution center and brings fresh food “closer to the customer” in 12 locations across the region. Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services is able to feed, clothe, and educate over 40,000 Sacramento-area residents each month.
He has used his deep organizational knowledge and management experience to transform the board, instituting term limits and accountability.
“I fought with the old-timers — it took about a year. But your job on a board is to provide leadership insight and help build a team to accomplish it,” said Mr. McClain, who is a chartered financial analyst.
“The first thing I did was ask ‘What are the areas we need specialists in?’ I divided up the board like a [regular] business board, recruiting expertise in facilities, logistic, finances, HR, and education,” Mr. McClain said.
“You set up a road map, and then just get out of the way and let them work.”