About ME

It’s hard enough to fill the warehouse at a food bank. Emptying one, truckload by truckload? That’s a special skill.

A nationally recognized expert in operations, John Dziurgot has been a senior executive in non-profits, residential loan officer, adjunct college professor, and a food industry specialist. Now he’s blending his experiences, observations, and knowledge to help food banks across the nation better serve their communities.

It’s not about telling people what to do, he says. It’s about helping them achieve what they want to do.

Dziurgot – it’s pronounced Jer-got – launched his

 career in food banking in Michigan when a mortgage client lured him away to become operations director at the Food Bank of Oakland County. A few years later, he helped implement a merger with Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan.

Across 12+ years, most of it as vice-president of operations, he helped one of the region’s most highly rated nonprofits double its annual assistance to hungry neighbors.

Along the way, he earned a bachelor’s degree and an MBA, taught business management as an adjunct professor at Baker College, and served on multiple nonprofit boards. Elected president of Michigan Volunteers Organized and Active in Disaster, he helped the area’s disaster relief organizations unify and coordinate their programs, melding their best to prepare for the worst.

A consultant to food banks and farms in 2013-2014, he returned to full-time food banking in 2015 as chief operations officer at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans & Acadiana.

His five years there brought new racking systems to improve efficiency, a barcoding system to provide better inventory management, and a successful integration of volunteers into every aspect of operations. The bottom line was a doubling of capacity for the organization.

Leading and learning at every step, Dziurgot has consulted with farms, food banks and other businesses. He holds an Advanced Executive Coaching Certification through the College of Executive Coaching and additional certifications as a food safety manager, forklift trainer, and hazard analyst.

In short, he’s qualified to advise or even step in at almost any level, helping organizations refine and achieve their goals.

Dziurgot is a proud father of three successful children with achievements in computer gaming animation, nursing and the U.S. Marine Corps. He attributes much of his success to his 23-year commitment to martial arts, with its focus on discipline, character and patience. He also enjoys playing cribbage and Go, gardening, and international traveling with his wife, Angela.