Ann Veneman

Ann M. Veneman is a public servant with a career spanning law, agriculture policy, and international humanitarian leadership. Veneman earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Davis; a master's degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley; and a juris doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of Law. She began her legal career as a staff attorney with the General Counsel's Office of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District in Oakland, California, before returning to Modesto, where she served as a deputy public defender and later joined a local law firm as an associate and partner.

Veneman's work in agriculture policy began when she joined the federal government, serving in various positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including deputy secretary, deputy undersecretary for international affairs, and associate administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service. She later served as secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, managing agricultural programs and services for the nation's largest agricultural producing state. Veneman was the first woman appointed to this position. She continued her federal service as secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also as the first woman to hold this post. In this role, Veneman directed a federal agency with a budget of $113 billion and 110,000 employees, overseeing American agriculture policy, farm income, agricultural exports, and pest and disease protection systems.

Veneman became executive director of UNICEF, appointed by the United Nations Secretary General. In this role, she led the United Nations children's agency, overseeing annual program resources of approximately $4 billion. Veneman traveled to more than 70 countries to review the conditions facing children and to advance programs focused on child welfare, disaster response, disease prevention, and exploitation. She advocated for children's rights and worked with government leaders, international agencies, and strategic partners at conferences such as the World Economic Forum and Clinton Global Initiative. Veneman also co-chaired Mothers Day Every Day, a campaign launched by CARE and the White Ribbon Alliance supporting access to basic health care and maternal services for women globally.

Veneman has been recognized nationally and internationally, including being named to the Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women list. She has received awards such as the Women Making History Award from the National Women's History Museum and several honorary doctorate degrees from institutions including California Polytechnic State University, Lincoln University of Missouri, Delaware State University, and Middlebury College. Veneman has served on the boards of organizations such as the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Washington Institute for Business, Government and Society. She is a member of the Hilton Humanitarian Prize Jury and the Council on Foreign Relations. Veneman is a frequent speaker on topics including poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, food security, nutrition, and global health.