World Food Program USA Honored With Gold and Silver Stevie® Awards For Management and Marketing Excellence

Published April 27, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 27, 2023) – World Food Program USA has been honored with two Stevie awards in the 21st Annual American Business Awards®, which were announced today. World Food Program USA president and CEO Barron Segar earned a Gold Stevie for Achievement in Non-Profit Management and Chief Marketing Officer Jessamyn Sarmiento earned a Silver Stevie for Marketing Executive of the Year. World Food Program USA was recognized among a distinguished pool of more than 3,700 applications across industries.   

“I’m honored and humbled by the recognition and am thankful to have such a high-performing team behind me,” said Barron Segar, President and CEO of World Food Program USA. “In a time of unprecedented need, I’m constantly reminded of our organizational vision, a world without hunger. This award brings greater visibility to our work at a critical moment.” 

Segar has more than 20 years of experience growing philanthropic and cause marketing platforms for organizations spanning global humanitarian aid, public broadcasting and finance. Under his leadership, World Food Program USA quadrupled its revenue in less than three years and earned an “Exceptional” four-star rating from Charity Navigator for its financial health, accountability and transparency. In 2021 and 2022, The NonProfit Times recognized Barron on its Power & Influence Top 50 list for leadership centered on innovation, broad sector influence and developing replicable organizational models. Prior to World Food Program USA, Barron served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer at UNICEF USA, with organization-wide responsibility for strategy, budget, and critical operational priorities. He led the strategic direction of the Development Division, raising $500 million in annual revenue. Previously, Barron served as the Director of Development for Georgia Public Broadcasting, where he and his team were nationally recognized for record breaking fundraising performance. Segar also serves as a founding and current Board Member of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.  

“I thank the ABA for this incredible recognition, it’s truly an honor. Throughout my career, it’s been a passion and priority to leverage the power of marketing and communications to elevate and drive impact of mission-driven brands,” said Sarmiento. “Building a world without hunger is a mission I’m fortunate to work on each day and I deeply value the responsibility we have to make life better for food insecure communities around the world.”  

From working for two U.S. presidents to providing strategic consulting to corporate and nonprofit CEOs to launching a successful start-up company, Sarmiento brings significant global marketing and communications expertise and a passion for “saving and changing lives” to her role leading World Food Program USA’s high-impact, multi-channel marketing, communications and small donor strategy. Prior to this role, Sarmiento was appointed by President Barack Obama to lead communications and public affairs for the National Endowment for the Arts, where she led a strategic brand refresh, helped the agency navigate reputational issues and produced the twice Emmy-nominated video series, the United States of Arts. As a senior vice president and partner at global communications firm Fleishman-Hillard, Sarmiento developed and managed a highly successful consumer marketing practice representing government, non-profit and international organizations. Her earlier roles include leading communications at National Public Radio (NPR), The White House under President Bill Clinton and at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  

More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners. 

“It is very gratifying for us to be able to recognize the achievements of such a wide variety of organizations, teams, and individuals in the 21st ABAs, and we look forward to bringing them together in New York on June 13 to celebrate with them,” said Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards. 

For more information on the 2023 Stevie honorees, visit www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About the World Food Program USA  
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. To learn more about World Food Program USA’s mission, please visit wfpusa.org/mission-history.   

About the Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevie’s recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. 

 

Media Contact:  
Abigail Seiler 
Senior Manager, Public Relations
World Food Program USA 
aseiler@wfpusa.org