Foundation committed to finding permanent homes for the more than 140,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems
Columbus, Ohio — The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national non-profit public charity, today welcomed Kris Kaffenbarger as a member of its board of trustees, serving a three-year term. Kaffenbarger is Vice President, Global System Optimization, Franchise and Portfolio Management at The Wendy’s Company.
“The legacy of Mr. Thomas is still felt in everything that the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption does,” said Kaffenbarger. “To be a small part of carrying on his vision that every waiting child will have the family and home they deserve is an honor.”
Kaffenbarger joined Wendy’s® in 1997 as Director, Franchise Finance. He moved into the Vice President of Franchise Finance role and then into his current position. He has been with Wendy’s for 25 years.
“Kris’ expertise in business development and optimization will be instrumental as we continue expanding the reach of our national awareness campaigns and programs,” said Rita Soronen, President & CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. “Kris has a great passion for the work of the Foundation and his professional expertise will be invaluable in helping to move us forward.”
Through its signature program, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids®, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption provides funding to adoption agencies to support the hiring of recruiters who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model. A rigorous, five-year evaluation revealed that the model is up to three times more effective at serving children who have been in foster care the longest, including teenagers, children with special needs and siblings. To date, more than 500 Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters have found forever families for nearly 13,000 children in foster care across North America.
Kaffenbarger earned a bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University. He lives in Columbus, Ohio.
About the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national nonprofit public charity dedicated to finding permanent homes for the more than 140,000 children waiting in North America’s foster care systems. Created by Wendy’s® founder Dave Thomas who was adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs, foster care adoption awareness campaigns and innovative grantmaking. To learn more, visit davethomasfoundation.org.
