A New Face at the Food Bank

Tom Murdock, new Orcas Island Food Bank President

 — by Madie Murray —

In a unanimous vote by the Orcas Island Food Bank Board, Tom Murdock was selected as the new President of the Orcas Island Food Bank and Chairman of the Board. 

Asked when he could start, he said “How about tomorrow?”  He has already talked with many of the people involved in the organization and execution of the Food Bank responsibilities and has physically spent hours in the Food Bank building learning the ropes.

This enthusiasm is typical of Murdock who worked closely with the past president, Larry Shaw, to raise the community funding needed to acquire the new Food Bank facilities.  He is also the founder and organizer of the Dinner Kitchen held in the Emmanuel Episcopal Parish on Orcas that provides monthly hot dinners to the community and hot lunches to Food Bank clients.  “We serve approximately 2,400 meals annually,” says Murdock, and he intends to continue his involvement with the Dinner Kitchen during his tenure on the Food Bank Board.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, he and his wife, Leslie, have owned property on Orcas Island since the 80’s.  After Tom’s retirement as an executive in the computer industry, they built and moved into their home here twelve years ago.  They have three adult children and one granddaughter.

While full time on Orcas, he has devoted most of his time to being involved in service to his church, community non-profit organizations like the Food Bank and Orcas Center (most recently as its President.)  “I believe that serving the community and especially supporting those in need are the most important activities one can do,” he says.

The Food Bank Board and its team of volunteers welcome Tom Murdock to the Food Bank family, and look forward to working closely with him to continue to fulfill the mission of the Orcas Island Food Bank.