Jo
Luck served as president and CEO of Heifer Project International (HPI) from 1992-2009.
She has been responsible for HPI’s global program for sustainable development and
helping more than 4 million families in 125 countries around the world. Prior to
her work at the Heifer Project, Luck served as executive director of the Arkansas
Department of Parks and Tourism for more than a decade. During her tenure, under
the name of Jo Luck Wilson, the economic impact of the state’s tourism industry
doubled from $1 billion to $2 billion. She also served as the first executive director
of the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Luck served as the first female
president of the Hendrix Alumni Association in 1982-83.
In 2010, she was awarded the
World Food Prize, the foremost international award recognizing the achievements
of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity
or availability of food in the world.