LEADERSHIP

Libby Stephens
Chief Executive Officer

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Libby Stephens
CEO

Libby Stephens has served as Chief Executive Officer of the West Texas Food Bank since 2012, transforming the organization into a nationally recognized model of innovation, growth, and impact.

One of her earliest accomplishments was leading a $13.3 million capital campaign that she completed in just 13 months, energizing the community and securing support from foundations, corporations, and individuals. That effort resulted in the opening of a 61,000-square-foot headquarters and distribution center in Odessa in January 2016, followed by a 20,000-square-foot Volunteer and Education Center in Midland in January 2017. Building on that success, she later directed another $12.5 million campaign to expand the Odessa campus, adding a second Volunteer Center and an innovative garden that furthered the Food Bank’s mission of engaging the community and fighting hunger at its root causes.

Today, under Libby’s leadership, the West Texas Food Bank distributes more than 13 million pounds of food annually, including 3.3 million pounds of fresh produce, through a network of more than 90 partner agencies. She has also coordinated large-scale disaster relief efforts across the country, ensuring that food and resources reach communities in need during times of crisis.

On the state and national stage, Libby has become a respected advocate for hunger relief. She has been a consistent voice for the Farm Bill, raising awareness of the challenges food banks face and building strong relationships with policymakers. She also served as Chair of the Trade Mitigation Task Force for Feeding America under President Trump’s first administration, further shaping national food policy during a critical time.

Libby’s leadership extends beyond the Food Bank. She serves on the Executive Board of Feeding Texas, the board of Children at Risk of Texas, the King Foundation Board, the Board of the Education Foundation, Marfa Public Radio Board, and chairs the COAD Board for Midland. She is also a founding member of the Laura W. Bush Institute Community Advisory Board for the Permian Basin.

Her work has earned her widespread recognition. She received the Beacon Award for Excellence in Organizational Leadership (2014), the Heritage Foundation Award for Humanities, and the Salvation Army Unsung Hero Award (2016). In 2017, she was honored as one of Odessa’s “Under 40” by the Young Professionals of Odessa and named a finalist for the Glenn Shepard Excellence in Leadership Award. In 2019, she received the Dick Goebel Public Service Award for her Farm Bill advocacy, and in 2021, she was honored with the Women of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of the Southwest.

Joseph (Joey) E. Ruiz Jr.
Chief Financial Officer

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Joseph (Joey) E. Ruiz Jr.
Chief Financial Officer

Joseph “Joey” Ruiz joined the West Texas Food Bank in 2011, and currently serves as CFO. He is responsible for overall leadership, coordination, and management of Food Bank operations, and oversees the development and implementation of financial management strategies across the organization. He also supervises IT network structure, management, security and maintenance. An Odessa native, Joey graduated from Permian High School. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Before joining the West Texas Food Bank, Joey served as senior accountant for Commercial State Bank in Midland, TX. He has also worked as branch manager at Security State Bank and Western National Bank.

Kelly Boydstun
Director of Impact and Strategy

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Kelly Boydstun
Director of Impact and Strategy

Kelly has been with the Food Bank since 2016. She was promoted to Director of Impact and Strategy in 2021. Prior to becoming Director of Impact and Strategy, Kelly was the Director of Programs and supervised 7 Food Bank programs. Kelly is now responsible for writing grants and assist the development team with fundraising events and special projects. Kelly’s background includes working with individuals with disabilities and women and children social services. Kelly is from Odessa and earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Professional and Social Service from the University of Hawaii and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Brent Oden
Director of Programs and Advocacy

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Brent Oden
Director of Programs and Advocacy

Brent joined the West Texas Food Bank in 2018 to assist with Governmental Affairs and Advocacy. Brent was promoted to Director of Programs and Advocacy in 2021. He is responsible for managing and implementing all governmental and non-governmental programs at the Food Bank. These programs include Kids Café, SNAP outreach and assistance, SNAP-Education, Food 2 Kids, School Pantries, Internal Pantries, Mobile Outreaches, CSFP, and social services to name a few. In addition, Brent oversees our partnership with the Permian Basin Master Gardeners and he supervises the Innovative Garden Project. In addition, he oversees two Kids Farmers Markets and an Earth Day event every year. Before joining the West Texas Food Bank, Brent served for 13 years as the West Texas Regional Director for U.S Senator John Cornyn and 11 years as the Area Director for U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry. Brent holds a Bachelor’s Degree from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

Mark Matthews
Director of Operations

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Mark Matthews
Director of Operations

Mark is the Director of Operations for the West Texas Food Bank. He is responsible for leading business operations, logistics, quality, and community impact. He is a proven leader in the world of operations and logistics, having experience in managing operations across multiple sites, facilities management, and warehousing.

Prior to joining the West Texas Food Bank in 2019, Mark worked for Glazers as their Warehouse Operations Manager. During his time at Glazers, Mark served the West Texas and Trans-Pecos areas while gaining valuable experience in team building, change management, customer/vendor relationships, multi-facility management, and budgetary/financial planning.

Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in Ranch Business Management from Texas Christian University.

Nancy Salcido
Director of Human Resources

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Nancy Salcido
Director of Human Resources

Nancy Salcido joined the West Texas Food Bank in 2012. Nancy became the Director of Human Resources in 2020. She is an Odessa native and Odessa High School graduate. Her background includes working over 10 years for the State of Texas, HHSC and Child Support Division. Nancy completed HR Certificate Courses at Odessa College in 2020. She is responsible for the development and implementation of the Human Resource Department. She is a member of Church of the Way and loves spending time with family and working on home projects. She believes in the Food Bank mission and loves Texas.

Autumn Simpson
Director of External Affairs

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Autumn Simpson
Director of External Affairs

Autumn Simpson is the Director of External Affairs for the West Texas Food Bank, where she oversees all media relations, strategic communications, volunteer engagement, agency relations, and public outreach for the region’s largest hunger-relief organization. Autumn manages press inquiries, developing key messaging, crafting crisis communications, and leading the organization’s storytelling efforts across traditional and digital platforms.

In addition to leading communications, Autumn also supervises the Food Bank’s Volunteer Coordinator and Agency Coordinator, ensuring strong relationships with partner agencies and a seamless, welcoming volunteer experience for thousands of community members each year.

Autumn joined the West Texas Food Bank in 2018. Before stepping into her current role, she led a team of four in overseeing major hunger-relief initiatives, including the Food2Kids Program, School Pantries, Internal Pantries, Senior Box Program, and community outreach operations. Her program experience gives her a unique lens for translating frontline needs into compelling, community-centered communication strategies.

She graduated from Odessa College in 2021 and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Texas Permian Basin. Autumn also earned her Nonprofit Executive Leadership Certification from the Nonprofit Management Center of the Permian Basin.

Deeply involved in her community, Autumn serves on the Board & Leadership Team for The Junior League of Odessa, the Board of Girl Scouts of the Southwest, and the Crystal Ball Foundation Board. She was honored with the Junior League of Odessa’s prestigious Janet Lawrence Award in 2022 and recognized as a 2023 Odessa Under 40 Honoree.

Martha Carrasco
Director of Community Involvement and Events

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Martha Carrasco

Director of Community Involvement and Events

Martha Carrasco joined the West Texas Food Bank in 2019. She started out working with our Kid’s Café program and delivering meals to our sites. Martha is our Director of Community Involvement and Events where she works closely with the development department. Martha has worked closely with volunteers, events, and donors which has helped give her full circle knowledge of what the West Texas Food Bank does for the community.

Martha resides in Midland, Tx with her husband and 2 daughters. Martha went to Lee High School where she was top of her class. She is continuing her education at Midland College. She is an active volunteer in her daughter’s school activities.

Kayla Castleberry, MPH, RD, LD
External Programs Manager

Kayla joined the West Texas Food Bank in 2022 as the External Programs Manager. She is a registered dietitian who previously worked in outpatient pediatrics for a hospital. Kayla has always had a heart for Food Banks. She has worked in researching ways to improve the nutritional quality of Food Banks and Food Pantries across the US. Kayla obtained her undergraduate and master’s degrees from Oklahoma State University and she did her dietetic internship through Texas Tech University.

Kayla has made huge strides in making new partnerships for SNAP-ed nutrition classes and working with the Kids Café to expand the number of students we are reaching with hot meals every day. She loves working the Kid’s Farmer’s Markets and getting to help children try new fruits and vegetables!