BARRON SEGAR ’84
Photos courtesy of Barron Segar and World Food Program USA.
A VICTOR OF CIRCUMSTANCE
BY ALEXANDRA EVANS
“Always be near the CEO.” Words of wisdom from his grandfather that Barron Segar ’84 took with him as he climbed the corporate ladder from his first job in banking to his time as chief development officer and executive vice president of UNICEF USA. These days, it’s easier than ever for Segar to put this dictum into practice because he is himself the CEO. In January of 2020, Segar stepped into his dream job as president and chief executive officer of World Food Program USA. Based in Washington, D.C., World Food Program USA mobilizes American policymakers, businesses, and individuals to support the United Nations World Food Programme’s mission to end global hunger by 2030. In his first 18 months at the helm, Segar ushered in a period of unprecedented organizational and charitable growth. Upon its fiscal year-end on September 30, 2021, World Food Program USA had brought in $60.4 million in revenue with 74,000 constituents giving and approximately 250 of those constituents being
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considered major donors—or donors who give at or above the $10,000 level—as compared to $29.8 million in revenue at the end of fiscal year 2020 with 64,000 constituents donating including 115 major donors. With success like that, it would be hard for Segar to go unnoticed. On August 2, 2021, The NonProfit Times named him to its 2021 Power and Influence Top 50 list out of a field of 300 top executives. The announcement notes that this year’s honorees “have distinguished themselves as initiators, innovators and leaders.” “I’m incredibly honored to be recognized among such a distinguished group of nonprofit leaders. But for me, what matters most is not the accolades but the impact we’re making and the lives that we are changing and saving,” Segar says. “In the end, the ultimate gratification for any nonprofit leader is the knowledge that your work helped make life a little better for someone else. This is more than a career; it’s a calling, and there’s no other work I’d rather be doing.” Segar’s technical proficiency in fundraising and
THE RECORD of HAMPDEN-SYDNEY COLLEGE SPRING 2022
