MENLO PARK, Calif. – The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced the hire of M. Ann Tutwiler, who has dedicated her career to the field of international trade and agriculture, as the new Managing Director for Trade and Development in the Foundation’s Global Development Program.
The Global Development Program makes grants to reduce the barriers to trade in agriculture that disadvantage developing country producers. In addition, the Program makes grants to improve transparency and accountability in public finance and development assistance policies to ensure that public and private development funds are used more effectively. To further those goals, the Program also seeks to strengthen partnerships between institutions in the United States and developing countries and support research institutions and media outlets that focus on development issues.
As Managing Director for Trade and Development, Tutwiler will work on issues related to international trade, agriculture and other global economic trends. She will be responsible for developing the strategic directions for the Foundation’s work on trade and development. In addition, Tutwiler will play a key role in helping to manage the Global Development Program’s portfolio of grants by assessing active grants, maintaining ongoing relationships with grantee organizations, and identifying potential grantees.
“Ann Tutwiler brings a wealth experience in several sectors to this new trade and development position,” said Smita Singh, Director of the Foundation’s Global Development Program. “Her work will help advance the Global Development Program’s goal of improving the lives of people in developing countries.”
Tutwiler joins the Hewlett Foundation after serving for four years as president and chief executive officer of the International Food & Agriculture Trade Policy Council, an organization that she co-founded in 1987. The International Policy Council is dedicated to developing and advocating policies that support an efficient and open global food system and sustainable production and distribution of safe, accessible food supplies. She served as Associate Director of the Council from its inception until 1992. Between 1992 and 2002, she was Director of Government Relations for the North American oilseed crushing and corn refining companies of Eridania Beghin-Say, the French food producer.
Previously, Tutwiler was a policy associate at the National Center for Food and Agriculture Policy, where she wrote papers on agricultural trade and the relationship between agricultural development and poverty alleviation, among other issues. She was also a policy analyst and Presidential Management Intern at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has published dozens of articles and edited two books on international agriculture policies, and speaks widely on a variety of agricultural policy issues.
Tutwiler received a BA from Davidson College and a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She recently received the John W. Kuykendall Alumni Service Award from Davidson College for her work in agricultural trade and development. She is currently a member of the Advisory Council for the Dean Rusk International Studies Program at Davidson College, and serves on the Board of Directors of the International Fertilizer Development Center and the Grains and Oilseeds Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee.
About The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1966 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, environment, global development, performing arts, philanthropy, population, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. A full list of all the Hewlett Foundation’s grants can be found here.