World Food Program USA Appoints Katharine Emerson as Chief of Staff

WASHINGTON, DC (September, 7 2021) – World Food Program USA (WFP USA), the U.S. affiliate of the United Nations World Food Programme, has appointed Katharine Emerson as its new Chief of Staff.

“I am thrilled that Katharine will be joining our senior management team,” said Barron Segar, World Food Program USA President and CEO. “She is a proven leader and a highly strategic executive with an established track record of success in Washington, and I know her expertise on our issues will help propel the goals and long-term strategy of World Food Program USA.”

Food and agricultural policy have shaped Ms. Emerson’s impressive career. She joins the organization from Bayer, a German multinational life sciences company, where she served as a director on their political affairs team. In that capacity, Ms. Emerson directed the company’s U.S. political engagement strategy and managed the organization’s political PAC.

Previously, Ms. Emerson served as the Director of Public Policy and Political Strategy at the National Corn Growers Association. She also makes her return to World Food Program USA, having formerly served as the director of strategic partnerships.

“I am thrilled to return to World Food Program USA in this new capacity. Our organization’s mission has always been near to my heart and is more critical now than ever, and I’m excited to hit the ground running.”

Ms. Emerson is a graduate of Washington & Lee University where she studied politics. She is a board member for the Congressional Hunger Center as well as the National Environmental Education Foundation.

###

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

World Food Program USA, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Washington, DC, proudly supports the mission of the United Nations World Food Programme by mobilizing American policymakers, businesses and individuals to advance the global movement to end hunger. Our leadership and support help to bolster an enduring American legacy of feeding families in need around the world. To learn more about World Food Program USA’s mission, please visit wfpusa.org/mission-history.

Media Contact: 
Bo Bartley
Senior Manager, Public Relations
World Food Program USA
bbartley@wfpusa.org
202.627.3946