How Did I Get Here?

Diana Aviv

Chief executive officer, Feeding America
from
  • Education
  • King David High School Victory Park, Johannesburg, class of 1968
  • University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, class of 1974
  • Columbia, School of Social Work, class of 1977
  • Work Experience
  • 1974–75
    Social worker, Tara H. Moross Centre
  • 1977–79
    Clinical social worker, Southeast Nassau Guidance Center
  • 1979–81
    Executive director, Alternative to Domestic Violence
  • 1981–86
    Program director, National Council of Jewish Women
  • 1986–93
    Associate executive vice chair, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
  • 1994–2003
    Vice president for public policy, United Jewish Communities
  • 2003–15
    President and CEO, Independent Sector
  • 2015–Present
    CEO, Feeding America
  • Life Lessons
  • “It’s the folks with the everyday jobs who make the world go around. Treat them like kings.”
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  • “It’s possible to have strong opinions and firm views without demolishing the opposition.”
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  • “Nonprofits have to be more agile and innovative, because they’re doing everything with less resources.”
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  • Inspecting the horn of a South African antelope with a fourth-grade schoolmate
  • “I grew up in apartheid South Africa, and I promised myself that I would fix the world.”
  • “Within six months of women leaving the shelter, over 90 percent returned to their abusers. I was hired to work with the women and also the abusers. It was clear that if we didn’t work with them, we’d never stop the violence.”
  • With David Dinkins, mayor of New York, 1993
  • “It’s the leadership forum for charitable organizations. The downturn was really sad. Agencies didn’t have resources. Employees were going without pay. It was terrible.”
  • At Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa, 2011
  • “I studied social work, the only legal way to get involved with the anti-apartheid movement without ending up in prison.”
    Graduation day at Columbia
  • “It was a Johannesburg psychiatric hospital, and part of my job was to help the hospital approve sex-change operation patients.”
  • “I was in charge of the Washington office, which was absurd—I didn’t know how a bill became a law. Every evening, I rushed to the public library to study.”
  • At the White House with President Bill Clinton, 1994
  • “We’re a $2.2 billion organization built to feed people and end hunger. If you include our network of 200 food banks, it’s a $7.75 billion operation. We’ll provide 3.97 billion meals this year.”