World Food Program USA Expands Board

Washington, D.C.— World Food Program USA (WFP USA) announced today a newly elected slate of officers and an expansion of its Board as it continues to grow capacity amid a dramatic, first-time-in-a-decade increase in chronic food insecurity.

In addition to electing a new slate of officers to its Board of Directors—Randy Russell as Board Chairman, Bonnie Raquet as Vice Chair, Larry Darrow as Board Secretary and Tony Fratto as Board Treasurer — the board expanded its numbers and reach.  Most recently former Senator Tom Daschle signed on joining long time member and former Senator Bob Dole further highlighting the bipartisan commitment of the U.S. government with the two longest serving Senate majority leaders – one from each party — working together to help eradicate global hunger.

“We know how to address chronic food insecurity.  The World Food Programme and its many humanitarian partners have people and capabilities in place all over the world,” said Rick Leach, President and CEO of World Food Program USA.  “This is a committed and active board that will help us execute our mission.”

• Newly elected Board Chairman Randy Russell is president of The Russell Group, an agricultural and food consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, he has served in a number of agricultural policy positions, including chief of staff for Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block, vice president for agriculture and trade policy at the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, director of government relations for The Pillsbury Company, and 1981 Farm Bill coordinator for the USDA.
• Board Vice Chair Bonnie Raquet served as Cargill’s Corporate Vice President of Corporate Affairs in Minneapolis from 2000 until her retirement in 2011, after 29 years of service. In that role, she led Cargill’s worldwide corporate affairs activities, including government relations, public relations, brand management, marketing services, government sales and corporate social responsibility, as well as representing Cargill’s global policy interests.
• Board Secretary Larry Darrow is president and group manager of Global Business Services at UPS in Atlanta. In this role, Darrow is responsible for managing processes related to customer experience, finance and accounting, information services, and human resources. In his 31-year career with UPS, he has held various global positions in operations, sales, training, strategy and customer service in the U.S. and Europe.
• Board Treasurer Tony Fratto is a founding partner at Hamilton Place Strategies in Washington, D.C., an analytical public affairs firm specializing in communications on high-profile economic and policy issues. He’s also an on-air contributor with the CNBC Business News Network. Previously, Fratto served as Deputy Assistant and Principal Deputy Press Secretary to President George W. Bush and Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Treasury Department.
• WFP USA also welcomed former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to the Board as its newest member. As one of the longest-serving Senate Democratic leaders in U.S. history — and one of only two Senators to serve twice as both majority and minority leader — Daschle boasts three decades of legislative experience in agriculture, foreign affairs and health policy. From 1983 to 2005, he represented the people of South Dakota in the U.S. Congress, first as a member of the House of Representatives and later as a U.S. Senator, participating in nearly every major public policy debate of the last three decades.

A complete list of board members can be found on our website or by clicking here.

About the World Food Programme (WFP)

As the leading humanitarian organization fighting global hunger, WFP reaches 80 million people in 80 countries with lifesaving food assistance. Ten out of WFP’s 13 largest emergency operations are being carried out in conflict zones. Despite ongoing violence, WFP and its humanitarian partners have helped push back famine in parts of South Sudan, and prevented looming famines in Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen. Funding shortfalls in recent months have forced WFP to cut rations in places like Kenya and Tanzania. The agency’s funding gap last year was larger than the organization’s entire appeal in 2012. The agency relies entirely on voluntary contributions to carry out its mission.

Since WFP’s founding in 1961, the U.S. has been its leading supporter, providing nearly one-third of the agency’s operating budget through contributions from the Administration, Congress, leading U.S. companies, foundations and individuals. Despite a record increase in U.S. contributions last year, global humanitarian needs continue to outpace resources.

About World Food Program USA

World Food Program USA proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme, the leading humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. By mobilizing individuals, lawmakers and businesses in the U.S. to advance the global movement to end hunger, we bolster an enduring American legacy of feeding families in need around the world.

# # #

For more information and to schedule interviews, contact:

M.J. Altman, MJAltman@WFPUSA.org
(202) 627-3932