Steve Linkhart is CEO of CalFoods Logistics, which California's Department of Social Services selected as the intermediary for The Emergency Food Assistance Program starting in January 2021. Under his leadership, the organization distributes USDA food commodities to 48 food banks across 58 counties, reaching roughly 1.7 million people every month, including rural and tribal communities that are often harder to serve.
In an 18-month stretch, CalFoods Logistics shipped more than 4 million emergency food boxes, work supported by two facilities, a corporate office in Pleasant Hill and a warehouse in Woodland, and by a recently implemented cloud-based inventory system with barcode tracking. Linkhart has also helped food banks in the network procure essential infrastructure such as refrigeration equipment and delivery vehicles.
Linkhart's leadership style, shaped in part by mentorship from his father-in-law, emphasizes being available to his team, showing appreciation, and solving problems collaboratively. He has prioritized paying living wages and offering strong benefits and work-life balance, an approach that helped CalFoods Logistics earn certification as a Great Place to Work.
