The Mississippi Food Network has named Karli Coughlin as its new chief executive officer.
MFN is a nonprofit food distribution organization that distributes more than 2.3 million pounds of food and feeds over 163,000 people every month. They send out food and goods across 430 member agencies in Mississippi.
Before joining MFN and becoming its CEO, Coughlin spent five years at Tyson Foods and is a graduate of Mississippi State University. The Mississippi native built and scaled a $1 billion Supplier Diversity Program at Tyson as the company’s manager of innovation.
“Karli brings the operational experience, relationship-building ability, and mission focus MFN needs for this next chapter,” said Caroline Wright, chairperson of the Mississippi Food Network Board of Directors. “The Board is confident in her ability to support staff, strengthen partnerships, and help MFN continue serving communities across Mississippi with care, discipline, and purpose.”
Earlier in her career, Coughlin held leadership roles at Stella-Jones and PepsiCo, where she managed multimillion-dollar product lines.
Coughlin is an active member of the community, serving as vice chair of the Food and Beverage Industry Group and contributing to organizations like the NW Arkansas Food Bank and Rotary International of Puyallup.
“This organization has spent years building the reach, the partnerships, and the trust it takes to serve Mississippi families well, and I’m honored to be part of what comes next,” Coughlin said. “I’m grateful to the staff, Board, partners, and supporters who’ve welcomed me into this role, and built that foundation, and I look forward to strengthening it in the years ahead.”
