Emily Kanally- SVP of Programs and Nutrition Education
While growing up in Spokane, Emily Kanally was taught the importance of cooking and growing her own food by her parents. Kanally has always had a passion for food and feeding people, and her desire to turn that passion into a career began with attending the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy in Spokane. Her culinary career spanned 12 years, including her work in the kitchen of a five-star hotel in Seattle.
Kanally returned to Spokane, where her experience at Second Harvest began in 2012 while she was serving as a volunteer. She went on to join Second Harvest’s Volunteer Center team in 2013 and was promoted to manager two years later. In 2017, Kanally took over Second Harvest’s growing teaching kitchen and nutrition education program, using her culinary skills to show food insecure people that healthy eating is possible—even on a tight budget. In 2018, Kanally joined Second Harvest's leadership team when her role expanded to include the Mobile Market free food distribution program, and she added oversight of partner agency relations in 2020.
Carolyn Negley, RD - Nutrition Education Manager
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Carolyn joined Second Harvest in March 2022 as a Nutrition Education Manager. Her passion for cooking began at a young age helping her Nana in the kitchen. Her earliest and happiest memories revolve around messy kitchens and family dinners – both chocked full of love and laughter. Her mantra is “Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.”
Her passion for nutrition, however, began much later in life. When faced with debilitating disease, she discovered the profound impact that nutrition had on her symptoms, mood, and energy levels. When you make a discovery like that, you can’t help but want to tell the whole world!
She decided to go back to school to become a Registered Dietitian and help others learn about the power of eating for health. In The Kitchen, she hopes to a create a fun and safe community where everyone feels welcome and ready to learn something new. One of the best feelings in the world is sharing a healthy dish – like black bean brownies – that wows people! An even better feeling is helping people build confidence to try the recipe again with their families and friends. We are, each of us, stronger together than we are apart and only through community can we become our best selves. And, if her Nana taught her right, there’s no better way to build community than in The Kitchen.
When she isn’t behind a stove at work or at home, Carolyn is probably floating the Spokane River or playing Scrabble.
Carolyn holds a BA in English with Creative Writing emphasis from Presbyterian College, a BS in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Washington State University, and a MS in Coordinated Program of Dietetics, Nutrition, and Exercise Physiology from Washington State University. She is a Registered Dietitian and an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Exercise Physiologist.
Emily Menshew - Mobile Market Nutrition Educator, Washington Service Corps
Despite growing up in a household where Mom’s home-cooked meals were a daily highlight, cooking was something that Emily always found somewhat intimidating. She began to feel more confident in the kitchen at home through spending time in The Kitchen at Second Harvest, and she’s excited to continue sharing this new knowledge with others as a Washington Service Corps member.
Emily started as a programs and nutrition education intern with Second Harvest in June of 2022, and is very passionate about education and accessibility. Emily believes very strongly in the idea that knowledge is power, and the best way to empower one another to make informed decisions about our nutrition is through education and outreach. Emily also has a strong passion for teaching people how to reduce waste, and hopes to encourage folks to use as much food as they can, as well as provide education about proper recycling and composting strategies.
Emily holds a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Political Science from Gonzaga University (‘22).