Sally Petersen

Chief Financial Officer

Sally Petersen

Sally Petersen joined Second Harvest of Silicon Valley as chief financial officer in 2007 with over 20 years of accounting and finance experience in nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

As CFO of Second Harvest, Sally provides fiduciary oversight and active leadership in the ongoing strategic and tactical planning processes for the food bank. Under her leadership, Second Harvest has earned Charity Navigator’s four-star rating each year, exceeding industry standards.

While at Second Harvest, Sally has ensured financial sustainability during a period of considerable growth for the food bank. She has managed 9% average revenue growth per year despite that the number of people served per month has increased 60% during her tenure. Additionally, Sally has been responsible for the financial oversight of multiple capital campaigns and warehouse renovations to accommodate the increased demand for food assistance in the community.

Prior to joining Second Harvest, Sally served as chief financial officer for Catholic Charities of San Jose where she managed a 50% one-year growth for the agency. Additionally, Sally has worked with The Brenner Group, Layman & Petersen CPAs, Cummins Public Accountancy, and Martin, Stavolone & Arterburn in a variety of accountant-based capacities.

Sally graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and earned an MBA with an emphasis in accounting and finance from UC Berkeley.

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