Last updated on September 26th, 2018
Effective Oct. 1, 2018, Claire Babineaux-Fontenot will become Feeding America’s new CEO. Babineaux-Fontenot has held leadership positions at Walmart, Adams and Reese LLP, PwC (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers) and in government. She will be based in the hunger-relief organization’s Chicago office.
“We are pleased to welcome Claire as CEO. Feeding America fed 46 million people last year. While extremely vital, we need to do more,” said Keith D. Monda, executive chairman of Feeding America’s board of directors. “The organization needs a leader who believes that food insecurity in America is unacceptable and will devote her life to leading Feeding America’s charge to end hunger. I believe Claire is that individual.”
Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, Feeding America provides more than four billion meals to people facing hunger in the U.S. each year. Ranked as the third-largest charity by Forbes Magazine, Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people it serves.
“There will be much emphasis—and rightly so—on Claire’s business and leadership success, but I know Claire as the daughter of Warren and Mary Alice Babineaux, who fostered over 100 children in Louisiana’s foster care system,” said Chuck Johnson, president and CEO of the National Council For Adoption. “From the very beginning of her childhood, her parents taught her to care for people and to work to make a positive difference in the lives of others—a commitment she still lives out today. Even as a top executive at one of America’s largest corporations, Claire always found time to serve others and her community. Claire’s professional and philanthropic background has uniquely qualified her to lead Feeding America as its new CEO.”
“As one of the over one hundred children raised by my parents through biology, adoption and foster care, I saw the ravages of hunger firsthand, as many of my siblings entered our home with visible signs of malnutrition. I will harness my learnings from working in some incredibly successful organizations toward the passion of my life, the fight against hunger,” said Babineaux-Fontenot.
Babineaux-Fontenot held key leadership roles at Walmart throughout her nearly 13 years with the company, ascending to EVP of finance and treasurer. She built teams across multiple geographies, cultures and regulatory environments during her time there. She was routinely recognized for her work both inside and outside of the company, particularly for her advocacy and respect for people while achieving significant and measurable results, says Feeding America.
She has sat on the board of trustees for National Urban League and has served on the national board of directors for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and the board for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. She sat on the corporate advisory board for the Association of Latino Professionals for America and the board of directors for the National Association of Black Accountants. She also served on the executive committee of the global board of directors for the Walmart Foundation, as well as on the audit committee for Walmart Chile S.A. She held the post of chair of the board of directors for ATLAS Technical Consultants and audit committee member and chair of the nominating and governance committee at Charah Solutions.
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