Good Cheer names Greenbank resident Jonathan Kline as executive director

Jonathan Kline has taken the helm at Good Cheer, the South Whidbey food bank and community services organization, bringing nonprofit leadership and an agricultural background to a pantry facing rising demand. Kline started serving as Good Cheer’s executive director just last month, and he succeeds two co-executive directors whose roles will shift to preserve continuity: Karen Korbelik will serve as operations manager and Cindy Boone will serve as treasurer on the board of directors.

Kline’s immediate priorities center on food security for Island County residents. He said he is “really looking forward to continuing to make sure we’re feeding our neighbors.” He also warned that “We do see an increased need for access to food on Whidbey.” Those comments come as a practical reminder of local demand: when the pantry opened one Monday morning recently, 20 people were waiting to come inside.

Jonathan Kline arrives with a record of nonprofit work that spans domestic and overseas programs. Skagit Friendship House, where Kline most recently served as executive director, described his work as “with a focus on poverty alleviation for over a decade both domestically and overseas.” Good Cheer’s social media framed his experience differently, saying Kline “has nearly two decades” in the sector, and local coverage added that he “has a long history in the nonprofit sector, mainly focused on food security and nutrition, both domestically and internationally,” and that he “has spent at least half his life living overseas in other countries doing nonprofit work.” Those characterizations differ numerically; they signal breadth of international experience but underscore the need for a precise professional timeline for budgeting and program planning.

The operational implications for Island County are concrete. Good Cheer runs a vegetable garden that supplies produce to the pantry, and Kline’s agriculture background makes local procurement a priority. Kline said he is eager to continue networking with Whidbey farmers about purchasing their produce. Expanding purchases from local farms could raise demand for seasonal produce, provide steadier revenue streams for small growers on Whidbey Island, and shorten supply chains for the pantry. That approach also carries fiscal questions: how will Good Cheer budget for increased farm purchases, and what grant or public funding would support those steps?

For residents, the leadership change promises continuity alongside a push to deepen local food supply links. With Korbelik and Boone remaining in key roles, Good Cheer maintains institutional memory while testing new supply strategies under Kline’s direction. The coming months should reveal whether Good Cheer can translate farmer partnerships and garden yields into measurable increases in fresh food available to clients and whether local funders or county programs step in to underwrite expanded procurement.

Island County residents reliant on pantry services should watch for announcements from Good Cheer about any changes to hours, client intake, or fresh-produce availability. For farmers and local food advocates, Kline’s emphasis on farm partnerships may open new market channels for Whidbey-grown produce.