OneGenAway Strengthens Leadership Team Amid Rapid Growth in Hunger Relief Efforts
Veteran Nonprofit Leader Cynthia Stielow Named Chief Advancement Officer & Marketing Officer
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (July 21, 2025) – One Generation Away (OneGenAway) is welcoming veteran nonprofit leader Cynthia Stielow as its new Chief Advancement Officer and Marketing Officer, a strategic move to strengthen the organization’s growing impact on food insecurity across the Southeast and beyond.
Stielow brings three decades of experience during a season of unprecedented momentum for the Franklin-based nonprofit, which provided a record 8.7 million meals to families in need in 2024.
“I’m thrilled to join the OneGenAway team and be a part of delivering meaningful, hands-on support to families in need,” said Stielow. “This opportunity truly fuels my passion and allows me to return to the kind of work that first inspired my career in the nonprofit sector.”
Steilow most recently served as Chief Advancement Officer at the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, where she oversaw fundraising for a $7 million operating budget and a $45 million capital campaign, driving philanthropic support across five key divisions, including the historic Franklin Theatre, Moore-Morris History & Culture Center, Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens and the Downtown Franklin Association.
Previously, Cynthia spent a decade in Houston, Texas, at Kids’ Meals, Inc., where she helped grow the organization’s budget by 258%, providing 16 million meals to hungry children. There, she led a $35 million capital campaign. Her innovative leadership in development, branding, donor engagement and strategic communications has resulted in more than $31 million raised in operating funds and consistent year-over-year revenue growth.
“Cynthia brings not only expertise, but also heart,” said Chris Whitney, founder and CEO of OneGenAway. “Her understanding of nonprofit leadership and fundraising is matched by a genuine passion for serving others.”
Known for her creative approach, Stielow has built high-performing teams and shaped strong organizational cultures, earning honors such as “Best Place to Work in Houston.”
She holds a B.S. in Professional Writing with an emphasis in Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma. A sought-after consultant, speaker and board member, Stielow has also served in fundraising and communications roles with Camp Blessing TX, First Presbyterian Church Houston and Child Advocates, Inc., the largest CASA program in the country.
To learn more about OneGenAway and its upcoming Mobile Pantry events, visit onegenaway.com. To make a tax-deductible donation to OneGenAway, visit onegenaway.com/donate. Every dollar donated to OneGenAway translates to five meals.
ABOUT ONEGENAWAY: One Generation Away is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has pursued its vision of wiping hunger off the face of America, growing its service capacity from 150,700 meals shared in its first full year, 2014, to just over 8.7 million meals in 2024. Founded by Chris and Elaine Whitney, OneGenAway rescues high-quality, surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, farms, and caterers and redistributes that food to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.
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