Director of Programs 

Sam Duke serves as Director of Programs at Feeding San Diego, overseeing all hunger-relief programs, including the agency partner network, direct service distributions, emergency response efforts, and CalFresh outreach. He leads a team of 18 that supports the distribution of more than 43 million pounds of food annually through partnerships with hundreds of nonprofits, schools, libraries, and community organizations.

In his role, Sam drives strategic program development, uses data to inform operational improvements, and works with local and regional policymakers to advance hunger-relief initiatives. He has played a key role in expanding partner capacity, directing grant funding to community organizations, and launching innovative programs. In 2024, he established Feeding San Diego’s partnership with the USDA to distribute non-congregate summer meals through the Summer Food Service Program. He is also helping lead efforts to expand the organization’s school pantry network to 100 sites across San Diego County by 2030. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam launched and scaled large-scale drive-through food distributions that served tens of thousands of households.

Sam’s journey with Feeding San Diego began as a volunteer in 2013. After joining the staff in 2014, he advanced through leadership roles across volunteer engagement and programs before being named director of programs in 2023.

Prior to Feeding San Diego, Sam worked in school nutrition and food service, including managing an elementary school cafeteria that served more than 1,300 meals daily. He helped launch one of California’s first USDA-funded after-school supper meal programs.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix, a project management certificate from UC Berkeley, and is completing his MBA at the University of Phoenix in fall 2026.

In his downtime, Sam enjoys spending time with his two cats and completing quilting, cross-stitch , and crochet projects.