Name Samuel Worthington | ||
Samuel A. Worthington has served as the CEO of InterAction since October 10, 2006. InterAction is a Washington, D.C.-based coalition of over 180 non-governmental organizations that work overseas on issues including but not limited to aid effectiveness, agriculture and food security, best practices, environment and climate, gender equality, and global health. InterAction operates on an annual budget of approximately $13 billion.
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Early life
After receiving a Bachelor’s degree from University of Vermont, Samuel Worthington received his Masters degree with distinction from the Monterey Institute for International Affairs. From there, he was awarded the prestigious honor of becoming a Fulbright Scholar and completed his post-graduate research at Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.
Family
Samuel Worthington is married to Renee Worthington. They live with their three children, Rachel, Jamie, and Lindsay, in Bethesda, Maryland.
Career
In 1994, Worthington joined Plan USA, a global child-focused development NGO. At Plan USA, Worthington assumed the roles of CEO, board member of the global executive management team, and chair of the national CEO team for until his departure from the organization in 2006. In addition to his work with Plan USA, Worthington is a founding member of the Hope for African Children Initiative (HACI), a partnership of leading NGOs working to address the impact of AIDS on children.
Worthington has served on the White House Task Force on Global Development and Poverty, he was a founding board member of the ONE Campaign, and chaired the global NGO Impact Initiative on behalf of the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery under President Bill Clinton.
Prior to serving as InterAction’s CEO, Worthington served as the Vice Chair of Interaction’s Board of Directors, chair of the PVO Standards and Membership committee, and co-chair of the Commission on the Advancement of Women.
He serves as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in addition to numerous other advisory positions such as Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) at the United Nations, Advisory Council for Voluntary Foreign Assistance at USAID, Board of the Alliance to End Hunger and is an International Trustee of Religions for Peace.
Worthington serves as a spokesperson for InterAction other U.S. NGOs and their programs as an expert and advocate for international development. He has contributed to media sources including the Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, NPR, PBS, CNN, AP, Reuters, and AFP. Worthington has testified before the United States Congress, presidential administrations, and additional international governmental organizations.
Awards and Distinctions
Worthington has received numerous awards for his service and expertise regarding international development and both governmental and non-governmental work. He engaged in a program titled the NGO Leadership Forum at Harvard University, teaching a seminar called “Greater Influence, Growing Threats: The Shifting Landscape for NGOs.”
In 2012, he was honored as one of the “Power and Influence Top 50 2012” by The NonProfit Times. The award is given to individuals in the non-profit sector who have been influential in policy and advocacy. He was specifically honored for his work regarding the evolution of international development stakeholders.