Chief Executive Officer at World Food Prize Foundation

Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture, assumed the new role of Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation.

He became Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in 1987, serving until 1992 when he was elected to the Iowa Senate. In 1998, he was elected as the Governor of Iowa, serving two terms. He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025 respectively. Vilsack also served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors of the World Food Prize Foundation. In 1972, Vilsack earned a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. In 1975, he earned a law degree from Albany Law School.