KENTWOOD — Feeding America West Michigan celebrates the recognition of Chief Operating Officer Zach Saucier as a Crain’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2026.
Crain’s Grand Rapids 40 Under 40 honors the exceptional achievements of young professionals across diverse industries and showcases dynamic leaders shaping their communities. The list has highlighted CEOs, founders, innovators and community champions for more than three decades.
Honorees were nominated by their peers, colleagues, friends and family and selected by a team of Crain’s Detroit Business and Crain’s Grand Rapids Business editors.
“Few people embody the mission of Feeding America West Michigan as fully as Zach Saucier,” said Pattijean McCahill, Feeding America West Michigan President and CEO. “Throughout his career, he has grown from a frontline warehouse team member to Chief Operating Officer, bringing a unique perspective, relentless work ethic, and deep respect for every role in our organization. While his operational expertise is extraordinary, his commitment to people sets him apart. He is a trusted mentor, an exceptional leader, and someone who consistently puts mission ahead of personal recognition.”
For the past 18 years, Saucier has progressed from operational roles into executive leadership. As the food bank’s Chief Operating Officer, his leadership was central to one of the largest physical and operational transformations in the organization’s history. He helped lead the acquisition, design, renovation and transition to Feeding America West Michigan’s new 120,600-square-foot headquarters. He restructured the Operations Department to create clearer ownership and accountability, developed and promoted internal leaders, and served as executive sponsor for the food bank’s first self-operated, client-facing pantry, Second Harvest Pantry.
Behind his career is a personal motivation rooted in growing up in a large family that always worked hard. Zach was raised with a clear expectation to look out for others.
“I grew up in a pretty big family, and we didn’t have a lot,” he said. “But I was raised with this mentality that you take care of your people. You share what you have, you help out, and you show up for each other, especially when things aren’t easy. I saw that most in my mom. She had a way of making sure the people around her were taken care of, no matter what was going on. I probably didn’t appreciate it at the time, but now, as a father and a leader, I see those same values showing up in how I try to live my own life and how I hope I’m raising my kids.”
Zach’s story was featured in a recent issue of Crain’s Grand Rapids Business.
As a member of the national Feeding America food bank network, Feeding America West Michigan supports hunger-relief efforts in 40 counties in West Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. In 2025, the food bank partnered with more than 800 community organizations to distribute 28.7 million meals worth of food to more than one million households through fixed-site pantries, mobile food pantries, summer meal programs, and more.
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Media Contact: Anne Hamming,
Marketing & Communications Manager
AnneH@FeedWM.org / 616.498.1936