Luke Lindberg to lead World Food Program

South Dakotan and former president and CEO of South Dakota Trade will now lead the United Nations World Food Program. Luke Lindberg, Agriculture Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, will hold the Rome-based position for the next five years. The UN's World Food Program, the world's biggest humanitarian agency, on Friday, Sept. 18, named U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee, Lindberg, as its next executive director, a statement from WFP said. ADVERTISEMENT The intended appointment was revealed in a letter on Sept. 11 from Courtenay Rattray, chief of staff to the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, written to Carla Barroso Carneiro, permanent representative of the Brazil to the Food and Agriculture Organization and president of the World Food Program executive board. On April 8, Lindberg was announced as the United States’ candidate for the position. According to the letter, there were 54 applicants in total. The role was previously held by Cindy McCain, who announced on Feb. 26 that she would be stepping down following a mild stroke last year. Previously, McCain was the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture. Carl Skau, a Swedish Diplomat, has been serving in the role since McCain departed on June 2. The World Food Program is a joint effort between the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organization and works to provide emergency response to food shortages worldwide. Earlier in his career, Lindberg was Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer for the Export-Import Bank of the United States.