New president chosen for CCF - Goddard's career comes full circle
| November 29, 2006 | |
| After a national and international search, Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) has named CARE’s Chief-of-Staff, Anne Lynam Goddard, to serve as its eighth president. Goddard brings more than 27 years of development experience to CCF, which is a leading international child development organization assisting more than 10.5 million children and family members in 33 countries. Goddard has worked in international development in five countries–Kenya, Egypt, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Somalia–during an 18-year period.
Goddard says her career has come full circle, now that she will be leading an organization that focuses on helping children in need. “I started my career in 1974 as a social worker, focusing on child neglect and abuse cases. So in a way, my career has come full circle because CCF focuses on what’s happening to children around the world,” noted Goddard. From being a social worker, Goddard next served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, working with the Rural Women’s Development Project in 1979. “I was living in a very simple village in a mud house…seeing what life was like for people in the developing world. It opened my eyes as to what we have in the US and to our responsibility to help those who are living in extreme poverty around the world. Being a Peace Corps volunteer really launched my career in international development and kept me committed over the years,” Goddard said. “I saw how difficult it is for people to do basic things…just for people to get water every day…especially for the women and children who usually are responsible for this task. I realized how much time it took and how precious every resource, even water, is.” Goddard will be leading CCF during an unprecedented period of growth. Founded in Richmond, Virginia in 1938, CCF now ranks 79th among the top 400 U.S. charitable organizations in terms of revenue and 18th of 52 organizations in the international category. In looking at the challenges facing CCF over the next decade, Goddard commented, “Three billion people live in poverty around the world. And half of them are children. Children are the most vulnerable, and so they are the barometer of how the world deals with this major issue. If you want to see what the world is really doing about global poverty, look at the children. And since children tell us the most about the future, that says a lot about the world’s future. That’s important to me and is one of the reasons I was attracted to CCF. One of our biggest challenges for the future is how we can effectively address the root causes of poverty.” Goddard is only the second woman to serve as president of CCF during its 68-year-history. “I went to Egypt in 1999 as the first female country director that CARE had in Egypt in its 50 years there. A woman leading an organization in the Middle East, many would consider a challenge. But I didn’t find it a challenge. Generally my style as a manager and leader is an open and inclusive approach to work, and people respond to that positively…particularly in an NGO (non governmental organization) setting where participation is key in decision-making. My style lends itself to that very well. And CCF’s focus on children is of interest to me as a mother and a woman.” Goddard is a graduate of Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts and holds a Masters of Public Health, Health Education/International Health degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Christian Children’s Fund (CCF) is a global force for children, helping the world’s poorest and most vulnerable survive and thrive in order to reach their full potential. One of the world’s oldest and most respected international child development organizations, CCF works in 33 countries and assists approximately 10.5 million children and family members worldwide, regardless of race, creed or origin. For further information, please contact Janice Periquet either by phone at 919-966-0218 or by email at janice_periquet@unc.edu. |
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