Amanda Rives Recognized with Outstanding Alum Award

The Congressional Hunger Center is pleased to announce that Amanda Rives (Leland ’07) will be recognized with the Outstanding Alum Award at the 2025 Hunger Leadership Awards, to be held on June 4 in Washington, D.C. The Outstanding Alum Award is given each year to a Congressional Hunger Center fellowship alum who has demonstrated excellence in their field.

Amanda completed the Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship in 2007 and now serves at World Vision International in Geneva as their Senior Director of External Engagement and Resource Development in Disaster Management. Amanda joined World Vision in 2009 and currently oversees global humanitarian advocacy, with a focus on protecting children, disaster relief, and peacebuilding in humanitarian contexts. She previously served in advocacy roles in World Vision’s regional offices in Jordan and Panama.

A graduate of American University and George Washington University and U.S. Peace Corps volunteer, Amanda served as a Leland Fellow placed with ChildFund International in Honduras. Since 2007 Amanda has mentored and supervised numerous Leland Fellows.

“The Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship took me to Central America to work at a specialized technical level on food security, and to Washington, D.C., where I quickly developed my policy and advocacy skills, influencing the highest levels of decision makers as a young professional inspired by the movement to create a hunger-free world. These two areas have formed the core of my professional life and personal commitment for the last two decades,” Amanda said. “Reflecting on the life of Mickey Leland, I am so very humbled to have held a fellowship grounded in his legacy and proud to have also hosted several exceptional fellows who are changing the world every day.” We are proud to honor Amanda and her steadfast commitment to global humanitarian response.

Amanda will be recognized for her achievements along with the Franklin Food Bank and others at the Hunger Leadership Awards, our annual celebration that brings together leaders from government, philanthropy, the private sector, and the wider anti-hunger community to recognize distinguished leaders whose vision and commitment are building the momentum to achieve zero hunger in the U.S. and around the world.