Our Team

Organization Staff 

Kaila Rome, Executive Director
Kaila joined the staff in 2016, and was eager to continue the work and success already set forth by the North Liberty Community Pantry. She has served in the community for the last 10 years, first at the Crisis Center of Johnson County, as a volunteer on the 24-Hour Crisis Line, then as staff as the Food Bank Coordinator and later Development Coordinator at the center. Kaila is an Illinois native who earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Health Promotion at the University of Iowa. During her undergraduate career, she took an interest in human services and the issues surrounding the community, as a volunteer and throughout her time as an AmeriCorps Member. In addition to her daily work to combat hunger issues, she works as a fitness trainer in her spare time.

Kaila is an active member of the NL Unity Coalition, is a graduate from the Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership Program, and the Executive Leadership Program. She is currently the Johnson County Emergency Food & Shelter Program Local Board Chair, is on the board of directors at the Iowa Hunger Coalition,  and is the agency representative on the board of directors at United Way of Johnson & Washington Counties. She can be reached via email at Kaila.rome@northlibertycommunitypantry.org

Leslie Alvarez, Community Resource Coordinator
Leslie grew up in Cedar Rapids and went to Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. She lives here in North Liberty with her husband, son, and dog. Leslie comes to us from the Credit Union industry where she was responsible for going out into communities across Iowa and teaching financial wellness. Her passions lie in people helping people. In her free time Leslie likes to be with her family and friends by being outdoors either camping, hiking or boating. She is looking forward to working with the team to continue to grow services offered by the Pantry to meet the needs of our community. Leslie can be reached via email at leslie.alvarez@northlibertycommunitypantry.org.

Laurel Hibbard, Marketing & Development Coordinator
Iowa girl born and raised, Laurel grew up in central Iowa and has been in the Iowa City and North Liberty area since college. Laurel graduated from Wartburg College with Communications majors in Journalism and Public Relations. She has a heart for helping others, which is reflected in her professional and personal life. Her career has been exclusively with development and marketing, having worked most recently as a development director at an area school. She also held various positions at the University of Iowa Foundation for many years, with the majority of her time spent on the fundraising team for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Laurel also serves as the Social Media and Web Manager for a local church and participates in fundraising events for multiple health organizations. Outside of work, Laurel enjoys spending time with her family, playing with her dogs, listening to live music, and enjoying the outdoors. Laurel appreciates the opportunity to connect with others and serve neighbors in her community through this position. Reach out to her at laurel.hibbard@northlibertycommunitypantry.org.

Grace Katzer, Delivery Program AmeriCorps

Grace is the newest member of the North Liberty Pantry and is very happy to be serving as an AmeriCorps member assisting with the delivery program at the pantry.

Grace is a student at the University of Iowa studying Journalism and Mass Communications and Ethics and Public Policy. She is also a news reporter at The Daily Iowan in Iowa City. She is originally from Northwest Iowa and recently moved to Johnson County. Grace is especially excited to connect with the North Liberty community through opportunities at the pantry and loves getting to know new people. In her free time, Grace can usually be found writing, watching movies, planning road trips, and baking cookies with friends and family.