A Fond Farewell for Jo Luck

By Brooke Edwards

October 3, 2019

Last Updated: July 19, 2011

This afternoon Heifer staff joined together to celebrate former Heifer President and CEO Jo Luck's leadership and legacy.

Jo Luck started at Heifer in 1989 and became president and CEO in 1992 and was recently the co-recipient of the World Food Prize. Under her leadership:

Heifer began publishing World Ark
Heifer started our Central and Eastern Europe program
President George H.W. Bush gives Heifer the Presidential End Hunger Award
Heifer is named as one of the "Seven Ways to Change the World" by the National Peace Corps Association
Heifer is awarded InterAction's first Mildred Robbins Leet Award for the Advancement of Women for integrating women into field programs
Heifer begins urban agriculture programs with at-risk youth in major U.S. cities
Heifer celebrated its 3 millionth Passing on the Gift in China
Heifer is honored with the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize
Heifer International headquarters building opens and is awarded Platinum LEED certification.
Heifer is awarded $42.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the East Africa Dairy Development Project
Heifer Village opens on Heifer International Campus, housing the Murphy Keller Education Center

This list is, of course, not exhaustive. Millions of lives have been transformed during the past 22 years. In a message shown at today's staff event, Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrai put it well:

Numerous Heifer staffers from our global field offices also sent their greetings by way of video...

...and former president Bill Clinton sent his best wishes as well: