The Good Shepherd Food Bank has named Kristen Miale of Kennebunk as the new president of the organization.

Good Shepherd Food Bank, headquartered in Auburn, distributes food to more than 600 agencies across the state.

Miale is the founder of Cooking Matters for Maine, a chapter of the national Share Our Strengths cooking and nutrition education program for low-income families. She launched the program in 2010 and brought it to Good Shepherd Food Bank to reach more families.

“Kristen is the dynamic leader we have been looking for,” David Pierson, chairman of the food bank’s board of directors, said in a prepared statement. “She is passionate about ending hunger in Maine, has a strong business background, and has earned the respect and confidence of the our board, employees and partners during her association with our organization over the past two years.”

Prior to her work with Cooking Matters, Miale worked for over a decade in private equity and business consulting. After volunteering for hunger relief organizations, she decided to make her passion for ending hunger her occupation.