Leadership

Second Helpings was started and is still operated by volunteers. Our organization is guided by a dedicated Board of Directors that oversees every aspect of our operation. They are members of our local community who care about their neighbors, particularly those who need our help.

Leadership Team

Marcus Tanner, Executive Director

Marcus Tanner joined Second Helpings in 2021, following his retirement from the United States Marine Corps. He implements the strategic direction of the organization, and leads our dedicated team of volunteers and employees to fulfill our mission to rescue food and eliminate food waste.

A native of northwest Tennessee, Tanner’s 27-year Marine Corps career roles included Mission Assurance Program Manager; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Officer; Company Commander; Special Projects/Program Director; Operations Officer/Chief; Public Affairs Chief; Marine Corps Recruiter; and Infantry Platoon Commander. He has been stationed throughout the U.S. and deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and various countries in Africa and the Mediterranean.
Marcus, his wife, Stephanie, and their two children live in Bluffton.

Angelica Marcinkoski, Operations Administrator

Angelica (Angel) Marcinkoski joined Second Helpings in April 2023. She has more than nine years of experience in program development, customer service, training, and grant-writing, most recently with Beaufort County Government. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Food Science and a Master of Public Health from Georgia Southern University and is completing her Master of Business Administration at Lander University.

Madeline Helser-Howard, North of the Broad Coordinator

Madeline Helser-Howard, a Beaufort resident, joined Second Helpings at the beginning of 2022. She is experienced with nonprofit organizations, including Friends of Hunting Island State Park, Beaufort County Library and, most recently, with Neighborhood Outreach Connection. She has a master’s of science in library and information science and was Librarian of the Year for Beaufort County in 2019. She is also an SC Master Naturalist.

Paula Fanelly, South of the Broad Coordinator

Paula Fanelly is an entrepreneur who founded and owned an alternative health care enterprise. She is a long-time volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, past president of Women in Networking, and a volunteer therapist with a women’s shelter. Fanelly has a bachelor degree in technical education, holds a clinical hypnotherapy certification, and is a certified nurse assistant.

Margie Tomczak, Volunteer FILL THE NEED Program Chairperson

Margie Tomczak established and has continued to lead our very successful FILL THE NEED program. Margie works with teams of volunteers every Thursday to feed buses of commuters who work on Hilton Head Island and in Bluffton.

After a career with Eastman Kodak, Xerox Corporation, and in management consulting, Margie moved to South Carolina in 1999 and has dedicated herself to serving the local needy. She has also been actively involved with the Catholic Diocese and Holy Family Church, and helped establish Mercy Ministries in Hardeeville. She was a finalist for the Woman of the Year Award in 2019, presented by Beaufort Memorial.

Board of Directors

Mary Ann Bell, President

Mary Ann Bell joined the Second Helpings board in 2020. Originally from Pittsburgh, Mary Ann retired in 2019 and relocated to Indigo Run with her husband, Stuart.

Mary Ann spent 30 years at the H. J. Heinz Company and WESCO International in various finance leadership roles, including investor relations and corporate communications. In 2016, she was honored by the Pennsylvania Diversity Council with a Most Powerful and Influential Women Award. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Duquesne University, an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh, and is a certified public accountant.

Frank Pici, Vice President

Frank Pici joined the Second Helpings board in 2021, having served on the Friday food rescue team for the past two years. He has over 35 years of experience as a CPA and financial manager, controller, and CFO within public and private energy industry companies.

From 2014 to 2018, Pici was executive-in-residence and adjunct faculty member at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. He has also has served as a board member/treasurer of the Clarion University Foundation and Chester Valley Golf Club.

Anthony (Tony) Berkant, Chief Financial Officer

Tony Berkant is a CPA with extensive experience in accounting. Tony retired from Progressive Technology Federal Systems in Bethesda, MD, where he was the Chief Financial Officer. He has also worked at Lincoln Group, Arthur Andersen, Wilson/Bennett Company, LLC and Accelera Corporation. Tony continues to consult for some of his past employers.

Ted Stevenson, Treasurer

Ted Stevenson has been the Treasurer of Second Helpings since 2015. He first joined Second Helpings in 2011 as a truck volunteer. Ted has made important contributions to the health and safety of our truck volunteers, implementing a process for timely fleet service and vehicle replacement, and creating a new insurance program. Prior to his involvement with Second Helpings, Ted volunteered with The Literacy Center, offering reading and math tutoring. He also participated in the United Way’s third grade reading program.

Charlie Russ, Secretary

Charlie Russ is a retired attorney who was general counsel and secretary of several large international companies, and in that capacity was responsible for their legal affairs and the provision of legal counsel to their Boards. After retirement, Charlie also served as a board member of the then third largest cable company in the United States.

During his working career and in retirement, he has served on a diverse number of nonprofit boards of directors, including those of the YMCA and a minority dance company. In addition to serving on the board of Second Helpings, he currently is a member of the boards of Bluffton Self Help, a distributor of food, clothing and financial aid to the needy, and Lean Ensemble, a nonprofit regional theater company. Charlie received his B.A. from Amherst College and his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. Charlie and his wife live in Bluffton.

Mike Chambers

Mike Chambers joined the board in 2020.  He has been a Second Helpings truck volunteer for seven years, rescuing and distributing food in the Beaufort area. He has also coordinated Dataw Island truck volunteers for four years.

Chambers, a resident of St. Helena Island, is a solar energy consultant and a special needs coach for tennis and pickleball. He is also the founder and president of the Beaufort Pickleball Club.

Andy Cook

Andy Cook re-joins the Second Helpings board after previously serving as a board member from 2014 until 2019, including service as vice president from 2017-2019. He chaired the 2017 Second Helpings’ Share the Bounty fundraiser. Cook’s grandmother-in-law was the first executive director of Second Helpings, so he has a long-time association with the organization.

Cook is a financial advisor/vice president at Morgan Stanley on Hilton Head. He is also involved with the Kiwanis Club of Hilton Head and The Deep Well Project.

Dave Eppinger

Dave Eppinger, a truck volunteer and day captain for the last five years, joined the board in 2022. He is a retired business executive with experience in the engineering and construction industries and transportation infrastructure. He retired in 2016 as Senior Vice President for Global Business Development and Strategy for Fluor Corporation.

Eppinger and his wife live in Sea Pines. In addition to volunteering with Second Helpings, Eppinger is coordinator for the Sea Pines Men’s Club Kayak Group, and volunteers with the Outside Foundation working with the Kids in Kayaks program. Earlier in 2022, Eppinger was awarded the honor of Hilton Head Volunteer of the Year, having been nominated by several of his fellow volunteers.

Michael Schwartzkopf

Michael Schwartzkopf was elected to the board in January 2023. He is a retired professor of music at Indiana University, where he chaired the Music Education Department and the Choral Conducting Department. For 17 years, he was the Choir Director for the First United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Indiana.

A resident of Bluffton, Schwartzkopf has been a Second Helpings volunteer since 2014. He drives a Second Helpings truck on alternate Wednesdays and also fills in as a substitute. He is also the part-time Chorus Master for the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra.

Robert L. (Bob) Taylor

Robert L. (Bob) Taylor became a director in 2022. He has extensive experience in business management, assessment, strategic planning, and business development in large and small companies. He is a University of Maryland Distinguished Engineering Alumnus. In retirement, Bob founded a consulting company which helped Texas municipal governments increase sales tax revenues through improved compliance.  He served as the President and CFO of the company, designed the technical software and business strategy, and led the growth of the company to multi-million-dollar revenues. In 2017, he sold the company and moved to Beaufort.

Bob has volunteered with Second Helpings since 2020, working with the Operations Committee to optimize food rescue information and reporting.  He is also a Beaufort truck volunteer.

Audrey Hopkins Williams

Audrey Hopkins Williams joined the board in 2021. She is a small business owner of an event planning company and a representative on the South Carolina Arts Commission. A resident of Estill in Hampton County, Audrey is a community advocate for the citizens of Hampton County, a long-term relief group that provides assistance to Estill tornado victims.