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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Nicole Barreca, Director of Communications and Events
515-245-3735 or by email at nbarreca@worldfoodprize.org
The World Food Prize Hires New Program Manager
Des Moines, Iowa (July 27, 2016) – The World Food Prize Foundation announced today that Madeline Goebel has joined its staff as a Program Manager.
“As the World Food Prize celebrates its 30th anniversary as well as the 10th anniversary of the Iowa Hunger Summit, we feel very fortunate to have Madeline join our team,” said Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation. “Her previous international experience as well as her dedication and commitment will help ensure she is an effective representation of the Foundation that Dr. Norman E. Borlaug created to confront hunger around the world.”
As Program Manager at the World Food Prize Foundation, Ms. Goebel will be responsible for coordinating the Iowa Hunger Directory, supporting the annual Iowa Hunger Summit and Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium and assisting with social media communications.
Ms. Goebel has been actively involved in many endeavors at the World Food Prize Foundation since 2015. As a former George Washington Carver Intern at the Foundation, she worked closely with the Directors of Planning and Iowa Education Programs in coordinating and facilitating the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium and World Food Prize Iowa Youth Institute. After the conclusion of her internship, Ms. Goebel returned to the Foundation for various involvements, continually expanding her understanding of the organization.
“Working with the World Food Prize Foundation has allowed me to follow my passions for economic empowerment through the channels of hunger alleviation, both in Iowa and throughout the world,” Goebel said. “I am greatly looking forward to working closely with Iowans who are on the front lines in the struggle to alleviate hunger both at home and abroad.”
Ms. Goebel briefly lived in Grenoble, France, where she attended the Université Stendhal, studying language and multiculturalism. Additionally, in Grenoble, she volunteered at Maison de l’International, working to strengthen French understanding of the United States. Following her studies in France, Ms. Goebel spent nearly four months living throughout the country of Cameroon where her studies concentrated on the themes of social pluralism and development. While in Cameroon, Ms. Goebel conducted independent research on family farming in a rural setting. This hands-on experience sparked her interest in food security and agriculture. Upon her return to the U.S., Ms. Goebel wanted to continue her involvements in food security and found the World Food Prize to be a platform for her interests.
Ms. Goebel additionally has proficiencies in the fields of public relations and public affairs, as she interned locally with LS2group, a Des Moines communications firm. Ms. Goebel holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in Economics and a certificate in French from Drake University.
Ms. Goebel takes over for Mr. Stephen Lauer, who left the organization on July 22, 2016 to pursue a PhD in Sociology at Kansas State University.
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ABOUT THE WORLD FOOD PRIZE
The World Food Prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Norman Borlaug. It is the foremost international award recognizing individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by increasing the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The prize was endowed by the Ruan family of Des Moines, Iowa. Businessman John Ruan III now serves as chairman of the Foundation and Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia is the president of the organization. A Selection Committee of experts from around the world oversees the nomination and selection process, and is chaired by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan of India, who was also honored as the first World Food Prize Laureate. Other past Prize winners include former President of Ghana, John Kufour; U.S. Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus; Professor Yuan Longping of China and former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme Catherine Bertini.