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The World Food Prize Foundation announced today the realignment of its youth education program leadership reflecting the growth and expansion of its innovative programs in global food security for students around the world.
Effective today, the current Director of Global Programs and Partnerships, Keegan Kautzky, has been named Senior Program Director of the World Food Prize Global Youth Programs and Partnerships.
"After 12 years of professional growth and development, and focused effort to build the World Food Prize Global Youth Programs to their current strength and dimension, I am pleased to announce Keegan's promotion to Senior Director,” said Barbara Stinson, President of the World Food Prize Foundation. “Keegan brings a wealth of experience and knowledge about agriculture and food security, the history of Norman Borlaug's legacy and the broader global policy and decision making arena. We are fortunate that he focuses this knowledge educating and mentoring the next generation of hunger fighters in the U.S. and around the world."
Keegan joined the Foundation as a George Washington Carver Intern in 2001 and returned as the Special Assistant to the President and Coordinator of the International Borlaug Dialogue in 2005. He rejoined the staff in 2008 as the Director of National Education Programs. The World Food Prize Foundation youth programs have grown significantly since their creation in 1994, now engaging over 10,000 high school students, teachers and experts to explore and solve hunger and food security issues each year.
“Inspiring and empowering the young leaders today who will tackle our world’s toughest challenges tomorrow - to ensure that we are able to sustainably and equitably nourish and provide a quality life for 10 billion people on our planet by the year 2050 - is the most amazing opportunity, privilege, and joy, said Kautzky. “I am confident that this next generation will be the ones who finally put an end to hunger and poverty because I see in them, everyday, an incredible social consciousness, connection, and commitment to stand up, speak out, and take action to solve these problems and improve the world - not just for themselves, but for everyone. Our future is in great hands!”
“Having this new senior staff position based in Washington, D.C. also has strategic value for the World Food Prize, allowing us to expand the Foundation’s presence, partnerships and capacity to collaborate with key government agencies, NGOs, private sector partners and the international community,” said Stinson.
Raised on a small diversified farm in Iowa, Keegan has worked in Malawi, India, South Africa, and Washington DC, advising and advancing the U.S. Department of State’s Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the World Agroforestry Centre, Refugees International, the National Council for Agricultural Education, and the Rural Public Health & Health Transitions Research Unit at the University of the Witwatersrand. His experience spans global education, positive youth development, program design and planning, organizational management, community outreach, public health and economic research, human rights monitoring, and refugee advocacy.
Keegan has a B.A. in Political Science from Iowa State University, as well as an M.A. in International Development Studies and a Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.