Shepherd’s Table has announced that Executive Director Manny Hidalgo is leaving the downtown Silver Spring-based nonprofit at the end of July.
Hidalgo, a 25-year-plus resident of the Silver Spring area, was appointed in 2019 and took over for Jacki Coyle, who retired after leading the organization for fifteen years.
During his six-year tenure, Hidalgo doubled the budget and staff and navigated Shepherd’s Table through the COVID-19 pandemic, oversaw its response to a 30 percent increase in demand for meals from 2019 to 2025, and launched four innovative programs: a Culinary Skills Training Program, an Advocacy Program, an Urban Farm Program, and the Beyond the Table Mobile Meals Program which, in three years, has earned more than $300,000 in unrestricted program-related income.
Shepherd’s Table served its two millionth meal in 2021 and now serves an average of 422 meals daily, up from 372 last year and reflecting a 28 percent increase in homelessness in Montgomery County from 2023 to 2024.
“Working with the staff of Shepherd’s Table has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life,” Hidalgo said in a press release. “Their dedication to the mission of Shepherd’s Table is exemplary, and I will miss working in the trenches with them immensely.”
The Shepherd’s Table board of directors, which can appoint an interim director if needed, has formed a search committee and hired LeaderFit, a national executive search firm with regional ties, to identify a successor.
“We are grateful for Manny’s leadership, dedication, and commitment to the Shepherd’s Table community over the past six years,” said Board Chair Sonya Snedecor.
More information on the LeaderFit executive director search can be found at leaderfit.org.