Our Leadership Team
Meet Our Officers
Valerie Nicholson-Watson
Interim President and CEO
Valerie Nicholson-Watson is currently serving as interim President and CEO for Harvesters—The Community Food Network while a search is underway for the organization’s new leader. Valerie retired as President and CEO of the organization in 2022 after serving in this role for nine years. She previously worked as Harvesters’ director of community services, responsible for the food bank’s advocacy, agency network, communications, nutrition services and volunteer program from 1999-2004. Valerie served on the Harvesters board of directors from 2007 to 2013.
Prior to joining Harvesters, Valerie was a leader in the local nonprofit community as the president and chief executive officer of the Niles Home for Children. The Niles Home provides residential services for children ages 6-17, who have been traumatized by abuse, neglect or abandonment, and educational serves in a specialized environment. The agency in 2008 was one of two agencies nationwide awarded the “Innovative Practices” Award from the Council on Accreditation (COA) for its Hip Health initiative.
She also has held communications positions at Gateway, Inc., and the Kansas City, Mo., School District and worked as a journalist for The Kansas City Globe and The Kansas City Call.
Valerie is a former chair of the board for the Missouri Food Bank Association, dba Feeding Missouri and board chair of Nonprofit Connect. She also served as treasurer for the W.E.B DuBois Learning Center and was a member of the US Bank Advisory Board.
Valerie has a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA from Webster University. She lives in Lee’s Summit, Mo., with her husband, Mark Watson. They have two sons and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons.
Robin Potts
Chief Financial Officer
Robin Potts is a financial professional with more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and public accounting sectors. Currently, Robin serves as the Chief Financial Officer at Harvesters, where she oversees our organization’s finance and technology functions.
Robin holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, and she was licensed as a CPA in 2001. After college, she worked in the public accounting industry for CBIZ, a position that was foundational in her training and prepared her to move into the nonprofit sector.
In her present role in the food banking industry, Robin serves on the Feeding America National Financial Leaders Steering Committee, a committee that addresses financial matters impacting the nation’s food banks. She is a past chair of this committee. Robin is an alumna of the Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She has been honored by CBIZ in their Women Transforming Business awards, and she has been recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as a CFO of the Year.
Monic Houpe
Chief Operating Officer
Monic J. Houpe joined Harvesters in August 2021. She first served as Director of Agency Partnerships and Capacity and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer in 2022. Monic oversees the operational, partner agency, and programmatic activities of the organization including the areas of Community Impact (Partner Relations, Food Security Programs, and Government Programs), Operations, and Food Sourcing & Inventory. Previously, Monic advanced through roles of increasing responsibility in Product Development/Brand Management and Information Technology at Hallmark for more than 21 years. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Webster University.
Monic is a servant leader who has made significant contributions to the local community. Currently, she serves on the board of directors for Reconciliation Services and works on several teams for her local church. She also previously served on the board of High Aspirations, the American Jazz Museum, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City’s Emerging Leaders Council. She acted as the volunteer BackSnack program leader for a decade and a half at Hallmark. Throughout her career, she has been a strong advocate for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Serving on multiple diversity councils including Executive Sponsor of Harvesters Diversity Council, as member coordinator for Hallmark’s inaugural African American ERG, and as a recruiter for diverse talent, she has dedicated her life to invoking change for others.
Monic represents Harvesters on the Feeding America Mid-West Disaster Preparedness Cohort, Operations Technology Consortium (OTC), COO Round Table, Kansas City local VOAD, Kansas VOAD, and Blue Valley Industrial Association. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration majoring in management information systems from Iowa State University. She also earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in finance from the Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University.
Elizabeth Keever
Chief Resource Officer
Elizabeth has served as a member of the Lawrence Emergency Planning Committee, The Lawrence Community Shelter, Vice-President of the Douglas County Policy Council, Chair of LiveWell Lawrence/Douglas County, and Vice President of K-State Research and Extension.
Elizabeth Keever serves as Harvesters’ Chief Resource Officer, where she oversees fundraising, communications, volunteers, food drives and advocacy. Previously, Elizabeth was Chief Development Officer at Heartland Community Health Center in Lawrence, Kansas, from 2022 to August of 2024.
For nearly a decade, Elizabeth worked at Harvesters’ valued partner agency, Just Food, where she successfully orchestrated the launch of major fundraisers, notably the Kansas Food Truck Festival which drew a crowd of more than 5,000. Elizabeth’s drive to make a difference saw her expand the organization’s staffing, donations and capacity. As the Executive Director, she amplified Just Food’s outreach, initiating numerous essential programs and fostering key partnerships, including the collaboration with Heartland Community Health Center for the Care Cupboard project.
Elizabeth began her career as Finance Director for the Kansas Democratic Party, playing a pivotal part in the 2010 and 2012 election campaigns. She graduated from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Peace and Conflict Studies. In 2020, she received a Food Systems Leadership Certification from Iowa State University.
She is a graduate of the Leadership Lawrence and Leadership Kansas programs. In 2016, she was awarded the Don Volker Leadership Award from the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and in 2019 was included in the list of “Hawks to Watch” from the University of Kansas.
Angela Holcomb
Chief Human Resource Officer
Angela Holcomb is Chief Human Resource Officer at Harvesters where she plays a key role in shaping the organization’s people strategies. Prior to assuming the Officer position, Angela served as Director of Human Resources at Harvesters since 2016. Angela is also the former President of HR Forum, a leadership position that reflects her deep commitment to advancing the HR profession.
Angela studied psychology and public administration at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the Bloch School of Business, which laid the foundation for her career.
Between undergraduate and graduate school, she worked with adults with developmental disabilities at Community Living Opportunities (CLO). It was here that Angela discovered her passion for helping people while improving environments to give individuals the chance to find their best selves.
