Slippery Rock University alumna Clare Clark, ’19, is successfully applying the teachings and values from her time at SRU to her professional career in the Pittsburgh area. For her impactful work with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, Clark earned a coveted spot on The Pittsburgh Business Times 30 Under 30 list for 2026.
“My time at SRU was very special, and I think that it’s a big part of why I am where I am today,” said Clark, who earned a degree in environmental geoscience.
Leading up to her recognition, Clark worked as a community specialist for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, acting as a vital bridge between food access initiatives and the general public. For Clark, this role was incredibly fulfilling.
“The biggest joy in that position was getting to know the community members and have conversations about people’s lived experiences and then give them a platform to uplift themselves,” Clark said.
Clark’s role centered around managing coalitions, specifically in Butler County. Operating in the region naturally brought back fond memories of her college days.
“Having been at SRU, and then managing in Butler County, I felt a strong tie,” Clark said. “It felt a lot like home and meant even more to me.”
Her deep connection to the area, combined with her commitment to supporting local communities, highlights a defining facet of Clark’s identity: her willingness to truly listen and understand.
“The basis of that position was to meet community leaders and leverage their lived experience to help make decisions about where grant funding should be going and where projects should be going,” Clark said. “The truth is that community members, and those with lived experience, are the real experts. They are the ones who know the most about their communities and what their communities need.”
Now, as she transitions into a new chapter of her career as a coalition manager with the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, Clark is using that core philosophy to drive systemic change at a much larger scale.
“As a funder, and as someone trying to come in and uplift a community, the community always knows best,” Clark said. “I’m working with both Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, and hopefully soon in southwestern Pennsylvania as a whole, to increase food access and strengthen our food systems as a whole.”
The recent shift into a position with greater impact is not something Clark takes lightly. With a steady head and strong convictions, she remains optimistic about the work ahead.
“Moving into the policy space has meant a lot to me because I do think that policy is an incredibly effective way to implement systems-level change,” she said. “Change that is not just surface level. At the food bank, we always said, ‘Shorten the line and feed the line,’ and you want to have that charitable aspect, but you also need to eventually figure out what the root causes are, and what that looks like on a systems-level change.”
Clark’s dedication to making food and nutrition more accessible earned her well-deserved recognition from The Pittsburgh Business Times. She views the accolade as a collective achievement.
“I feel incredibly honored,” Clark said. “In the nonprofit space, and in work similar to this, people aren’t always recognized for it. It’s kind of like a silent community, but I also think that really speaks volumes about what the community members I work with have accomplished. I’m really proud to have those relationships, and I attribute this award to any mentor or community member that I’ve ever worked with. They are the heroes, the ones doing the work, and I’m simply just the backbone support. I’m happy to be that for them.”
When reflecting on the path that brought her to this milestone, Clark notes that SRU’s influence cannot be understated.
“I think that the biggest thing I got from the University were the mentors; I’ve had so many amazing, individualized mentors,” Clark said. “Many of them saw potential in me before I saw it in myself. Their encouragement gave me the confidence to pursue opportunities that I might have otherwise thought were out of reach. Having people who believed in me meant everything.”
Of her mentors, Clark mentioned Thaddeus Boron, Krishna Mukherjee, Julie Snow and many others. She also credits the SRU Honors College, led by the now retired George Brown, for opening many doors for her.
When asked to share a piece of advice for current and future SRU students, Clark emphasized the importance of community involvement, encouraging students to champion the causes closest to home.
“You can make amazing changes, no matter where you are, and especially if it is within your own community,” Clark said. “When it’s with the people that you know and care for in a community that you understand, it means the most.”
Clark was one of three SRU alumni to earn a spot on the Pittsburgh Business Times 30 Under 30, joining Tyler Anderson, ’23, arts education program coordinator for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and Carrington Williams, ’25, development associate at Auberle. Learn more about the 30 Under 30 on the PBT website.
