Heifer Board of Directors

Don Hammond, Ossining, New York

Don is an at-large director, residing in the Northeast Region. He is currently serving as Vice Chair of the Board, and as such, also sits on the Heifer International Foundation Board of Trustees.

In Don’s prior position of Vice President of External Affairs of the Episcopal Church Foundation, Don helped to create and sustain a comprehensive program for the external affairs of the Foundation. This includes relationships with clients and the wider Church, public relations, marketing, communications, fundraising and development.

Prior to this position, Don was the President and CEO of Bridges to Community, a non-profit community development organization based in New York that fosters cross-cultural learning by sending volunteers to work alongside local communities in developing countries on construction, health and environmental projects.

Having spent over 20 years working in community development, Don has done everything from overseeing a staff of 1500 to managing a refugee camp in Bataan, Philippines, to testifying before the U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the Helsinki Commission. He has also served on several boards and executive committees.

Don holds a Doctorate of Ministry in Urban Missions from Westminster Theological Seminary, as well as an MBA from Iona College and a BA from Nyack College.

Don’s commitment to humanitarian work began in 1980, when he and his wife Ronna worked with Indochinese refugees in the Philippines.

He and Ronna live in Nyack with their two daughters, Abbe and Catie, and several assorted dogs, cats, rabbits, chickens, gerbils, turtles, and fish.