2010 Special Guests

Presenters and Award Recipents

Keynote Speakers

Every year at the NCC CARE is honored to be joined by several leaders who stand out for their work in international development, humanitarian relief, and the fight against global poverty. Our featured speakers in previous years have included President Obama when he served in the Senate, members of Congress, Andrea Mitchell, Wolf Blitzer, Richard Gere and Professor Jeffrey Sachs.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

On January 21, 2009, Hillary Rodham Clinton was sworn in as the 67th Secretary of State of the United States. Secretary Clinton joined the State Department after nearly four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, and Senator.

Secretary Clinton was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 26, 1947 to Dorothy Rodham and the late Hugh Rodham.
She attended local public schools before graduating from Wellesley College and Yale Law School, where she met Bill Clinton. In 1974, Secretary Clinton moved to Arkansas, a year later then married Bill Clinton and became a successful attorney while also raising their daughter, Chelsea. She was an assistant professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law, and after working to strengthen the local legal aid office, she was appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 to serve on the board of the Legal Services Corporation, which she later chaired.

During her 12 years as First Lady of the State of Arkansas, she was Chairwoman of the Arkansas Education Standards Committee, co-founded the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, and served on the boards of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, and the Children's Defense Fund.

In 1992, Governor Clinton was elected President of the United States, and as First Lady, Hillary Clinton became an advocate of health care reform and worked on many issues relating to children and families. She led successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and provide health care to millions of children through the Children's Health Insurance Program. She also traveled to more than 80 countries as a representative of our country, winning respect as a champion of human rights, democracy and civil society. Her famous speech in Beijing in 1995 -- when she declared that "human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights" – inspired women worldwide and helped galvanize a global movement for women’s rights.

With Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary Clinton worked to launch the government’s Vital Voices Democracy Initiative. Today, Vital Voices is a non-governmental organization that continues to train and organize women leaders across the globe.

In 2000, Hillary Clinton made history as the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate, and the first woman elected statewide in New York. In the Senate, she served on the Armed Services Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Budget Committee and the Select Committee on Aging. She was also a Commissioner on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

As a Senator, Clinton worked across party lines to build support for causes important to her constituents and the country, including the expansion of economic opportunity and access to quality, affordable health care. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, she was a strong advocate for funding the rebuilding of New York and the health concerns of the first responders who risked their lives working at Ground Zero. She also championed the cause of our nation's military and fought for better health care and benefits for wounded service members, veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserves. She was also the only Senate member of the Transformation Advisory Group to the Department of Defense's Joint Forces Command.
In 2006, Senator Clinton won reelection to the Senate, and in 2007 she began her historic campaign for President. In 2008, she campaigned for the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and in November, she was nominated by President-elect Obama to be Secretary of State.

---

Sia Nyama Koroma, First Lady of Sierra Leone

First Lady Koroma started her working life at the Sierra Leone Petroleum Refinery where she rose to the position of Chief Chemist. Her duties at the Petroleum Refinery included routine quality control of petroleum products, management of subordinate staff team and other senior management responsibilities. It is at the refinery that she met her husband, Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma.

Sia Nyama has embarked on a public campaign to support women and children in Sierra Leone, setting herself to work for the enhancement of the standard of life for the most poor and vulnerable groups. She has directed her efforts to work towards reducing infant and maternal mortality in Sierra Leone. Her main aim for her tenure of office is to ensure that she makes a difference to poor people's lives by doing the sort of things that will set an imprint on the sands of time.

Sia Nyama is originally from the Kono District where her father Aiah Koroma was a well renowned political figure. She holds a Master of Science in Organic Chemistry from the University of London and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of London and Fourah Bay College in Freetown. First Lady and President Koroma have two daughters, Alice and Danke Koroma.

---

I Am Powerful Award

During the NCC CARE presents the I Am Powerful Award to an individual who truly embodies the words''I Am Powerful.'' This year we are proud to present Goretti Nyabenda of Burundi with this award. We honor a courageous and passionate person who has empowered themselves and improved their families' lives, and that of their community.

Goretti Nyabenda

Goretti Nyabenda lives in a remote rural village in Burundi. Like many women in Burundi, and around the world, Goretti was denied basic rights and opportunities because of her unequal status in society. Goretti was unable to leave her home, a small shack, without the permission of her husband. She was therefore unable to provide for her family, including six children. Goretti was desolate, suffering abuse from her husband and living as a prisoner.

With the help of CARE, Goretti took out a $2 microloan to buy fertilizer. CARE helped Goretti and the women of her community start a village savings and loan association, which they called Twitwararikane (translated as:''to take care of each other''). These women used their pooled savings to create a loan fund, which they would be able to borrow from during times of need and replenish when there was excess. Goretti is now an entrepreneur with livestock and a small shop.

Today, Goretti is able to provide for her family, she is well-respected at home and within her community. When her husband became ill, it was Goretti who was able to pay the bills for his medical treatments. Goretti is now able to send her children to school and provide them with the education that so many individuals in her village do not have access to.

Entertainment

Stay tuned. Artists to be announced.

International Chair

His Excellency Luis M. Valdivieso, The Ambassador of Peru, & Mrs. Cecilia Valdivieso
Mr. Valdivieso became the Ambassador of Peru in the United States on February 17, 2009, after serving as Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru. During his term as Minister of Economy and Finance, he was also the Governor for Peru in the Board of Governors of the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, as well Chairman of the Board of the Andean Finance Corporation (CAF). Most of Mr. Valdivieso's professional career was at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where he worked for 28 years. Ambassador Valdivieso also taught at Boston University and was an Econometrics Instructor at the Catholic University of Peru. Mr. Valdivieso holds a B.A. in Economics from the Catholic University of Peru, a Ph.D. and a M.A. in Economics from Boston University.

Co-Chairs & Members Of The CARE Board Of Directors

Richard J. Almeida - Retired Chairman and CEO, Heller Financial
Richard Almeida is former Chairman and CEO of the commercial finance company Heller Financial, Inc. and worked previously at Citicorp/Citibank. He received his B.A. in international affairs from George Washington University and his master's in public administration from The Maxwell School of Syracuse University. Richard is active on several corporate, philanthropic and cultural boards. He joined CARE's board in 2002 and serves as the chair of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Management Committee..

Deidra Wager - Owner, DJW, LL
Deidra Wager retired from Starbucks Coffee after a successful 13-year tenure having been instrumental in building the business and developing the operating infrastructure of the company. She retired in 2005 to devote more time to growing interests in sustainable agriculture and non-profit work, including The Lacewing Foundation, YouthCare and the Women's Leadership board of Harvard's Kennedy School for Public Policy. She earned her bachelor's in economics from the University of Minnesota and attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Deidra joined CARE's board in 2007 and is a member of the Management and Programs Committees.