David Beasley is a distinguished leader, humanitarian, and former Governor of South Carolina (1995–1999). He most recently served as the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) from 2017 to April 2023, having been nominated by two U.S. presidential administrations from different parties and appointed by the UN Secretary-General. Under Beasley’s leadership, WFP became the largest humanitarian organization in the world, assisting over 160 million people in 2022 alone and raising over $55 billion to combat global hunger. In 2020, he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of WFP for its efforts to provide food assistance in conflict areas and prevent food from being used as a weapon of war. In his Oslo acceptance speech on December 10, 2021, he remarked: "We have learned that there is great richness in those who are seen, in the eyes of the world, as 'the poor.' And many of us who are considered 'rich' are actually poor in the things that matter most." Beasley has also been recognized for his courageous leadership beyond humanitarian work, receiving the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award for taking a stand on the Confederate Flag issue in South Carolina. He majored in Microbiology at Clemson University and received a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of South Carolina. Beasley was also a Fellow and lecturer at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and is now a professor at the University of South Carolina Law School. He is married to Mary Wood Payne, and they have four children and four grandchildren. Today, Beasley remains an influential advocate for global food security, humanitarian action, and international cooperation.
