- World Neighbors appointed Timothy Prewitt as President and CEO, succeeding Kate Schecter to lead the organization’s long-term community development initiatives.
- Prewitt previously led The Hunger Project and iDE, bringing 30 years of global experience in food systems and community-led poverty reduction.
- Based in Oklahoma City, World Neighbors partners with rural communities in 14 countries to implement locally led solutions for sustainable agriculture and health.
- Prewitt aims to build on the organization’s 75-year legacy by enhancing financial strength and responding to emerging global challenges like climate change.
OKLAHOMA CITY: World Neighbors has appointed international development leader Timothy Prewitt as its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), bringing nearly three decades of experience in global development, food systems and humanitarian work to the organization.
Prewitt assumed leadership of the Oklahoma City-based organization in August 2026, succeeding Kate Schecter, who served as President and CEO from 2014 until 2026.
His appointment comes as World Neighbors marks 75 years of working with rural and low-income communities. Rather than focusing primarily on short-term assistance, the organization emphasizes locally led solutions designed to help communities strengthen livelihoods, improve health and build resilience over the long term.
“Tim is the right person at the right time to further strengthen our programmatic success and financial strength,” said Beth McLaughlin, Chair of the World Neighbors Board. She said Prewitt’s experience and leadership would help the organization respond to changing circumstances while continuing to develop its programs.
Prewitt comes to World Neighbors with extensive experience in the international development sector. Before taking his new position, he served as President and CEO of The Hunger Project, where he worked on community-led approaches to addressing hunger and poverty. He previously served as CEO of International Development Enterprises (iDE) from 2012 to 2019 and held senior leadership positions with Chemonics International.
His career has taken him to more than 30 countries and included work with farmers, communities, governments, businesses and development organizations. At iDE, he focused on market-based approaches aimed at helping people living in poverty improve their livelihoods. His work has included agriculture, gender equality, community development and economic development.
More recently, Prewitt founded Kairos, an advisory practice working with families, foundations and philanthropic institutions on strategic giving and decision-making. He is also a Fulbright Fellow and has participated in major international forums, including the World Economic Forum, the Clinton Global Initiative and the World Food Prize.
Prewitt holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom and a master’s degree in sociology from the New School in the United States. He also earned an MBA from China-Europe International Business School.
Speaking about his new role, Prewitt said World Neighbors’ strength lies in its community-based approach and its relationships with local organizations, governments and donors.
“World Neighbors has a unique model, experienced staff and effective relationships with the donors, governments and local groups with which it partners,” Prewitt said. He added that he hopes to build on the organization’s experience while helping it expand its effectiveness in the years ahead.
For communities working to overcome poverty, the organization’s approach is centered on a simple principle: lasting improvements are more likely when local people help identify their own priorities and take part in developing solutions.
World Neighbors currently works in 14 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. About 350,000 people currently benefit from its programs, while the organization says that more than 29 million people in 45 countries have seen their lives transformed through its work and partnerships over its 75-year history.
Its programs address issues including sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, health, gender equality, food security and climate adaptation. The organization says its goal is not simply to provide assistance but to strengthen the ability of communities to develop and sustain solutions themselves.
Prewitt takes over at a time when development organizations are facing increasingly complex challenges, including climate change, economic insecurity and changing approaches to international aid. His experience across different development models will therefore be central to determining how World Neighbors builds on its long history while responding to emerging needs.
For an organization that has spent seven decades emphasizing community leadership and self-reliance, the change in leadership represents both continuity and a new chapter.
World Neighbors was founded in 1951 and has built its work around the belief that people living in poverty should have a central role in determining the solutions that affect their lives. Its current programs continue that approach by working with communities and local partners rather than relying solely on outside intervention.
