Carol Bellamy
Carol Bellamy | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 14, 1942 Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Nonprofit leader, politician, attorney |
| Years active | 1963–present |
| Known for | Director of the Peace Corps; Executive Director of UNICEF; President of the New York City Council |
Carol Bellamy (born January 14, 1942) is an American leader in the nonprofit sector and a former political figure. She currently serves as the chairperson of the board for the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF). Her previous roles include director of the Peace Corps, executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and president and CEO of World Learning. Bellamy also leads ECPAT International, an organization dedicated to combating the sexual exploitation of children. After completing three terms in the New York State Senate, she became the first woman elected to any citywide office in New York City by winning the position of President of the New York City Council, a role she held until her unsuccessful mayoral campaign in 1985.
Early life and education
Born in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1942, Bellamy grew up in Scotch Plains and graduated from Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in 1959. She pursued higher education at Gettysburg College, where she was affiliated with Delta Gamma, earning her degree in 1963. Bellamy obtained her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1968. Between 1963 and 1965, she contributed as a Peace Corps volunteer stationed in Guatemala.
Business career
Bellamy's professional experience includes serving as managing director at Bear Stearns from 1990 to 1993, working as a Principal at Morgan Stanley between 1986 and 1990, and practicing law as an associate at the New York firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore from 1968 to 1971. In 1968, she featured in Jean-Luc Godard's film One A.M. (later retitled One P.M.), where she articulated her views on utilizing business as a tool for social impact.
New York State Senate
Bellamy was a member of the New York State Senate from 1973 until 1977, participating in the sessions of the 180th, 181st, and 182nd New York State Legislature.
New York City Council
In 1977, Bellamy campaigned for President of the New York City Council with a relatively modest budget of $90,000, considerably less than her competitors. Despite limited visibility, she secured second place in the Democratic primary with 25% of the vote, trailing incumbent Paul O'Dwyer, who received 30%. She won decisively in the runoff election with 58%. Subsequently, Bellamy defeated Republican Assemblyman John Esposito by a five-to-one margin in the general election, marking her as the first woman elected to a citywide office in New York City. She maintained this role until her unsuccessful bid for mayor in 1985.
Other positions
Bellamy was a member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board until stepping down in 1985 at Governor Mario Cuomo's request. She contemplated running for Governor of New York in 1982 and ran unsuccessfully for New York State Comptroller in 1990. Between 2005 and 2006, she served on the New York State Board of Regents, which supervises state educational policies and manages the Department of Education.
Peace Corps
Appointed by President Bill Clinton, Bellamy led the Peace Corps as its director from 1993 to 1995. Notably, she was the first director who had previously volunteered with the organization.
GCERF
Since 2014, Bellamy has served as the chair of the Governing Board for the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, which stands as the pioneering global effort supporting grassroots initiatives aimed at enhancing resilience to violent extremism. This includes programs focused on job creation and empowering women and young people. The fund represents a public-private partnership that works alongside governments, civil society groups, and the private sector to bolster national approaches targeting local factors that contribute to extremism.
UNICEF
Bellamy was appointed executive director of UNICEF in 1995 by then-UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and was reappointed for a second five-year term in 2000 by his successor, Kofi Annan, in accordance with UN regulations limiting agency heads to two terms.
Her leadership is recognized for strengthening UNICEF’s financial health and internal governance, with the organization's budget growing from approximately $800 million in 1994 to more than $1.8 billion by 2004.
NGOs
In 2005, Bellamy assumed the roles of President and CEO at World Learning, headquartered in Brattleboro, as well as president of its School for International Training. World Learning operates across more than 75 countries, advancing global citizenship through hands-on education and community-based development initiatives, supported by donors such as the Tides Foundation and Rockefeller Financial Services.
On July 25, 2007, she was chosen as chair of the board for the Fair Labor Association (FLA), an organization dedicated to championing workers' rights by promoting international labor standards. Bellamy highlighted the importance of moving beyond mere monitoring to tackle underlying issues and establish sustainable compliance frameworks.
Other
In April 2009, Bellamy was named chair of the board of governors for the International Baccalaureate (IB). Between 2010 and 2013, she also led the Board of Directors for the Global Partnership for Education. Additionally, she is a member of the Board at the American University of Beirut.
Honors
Bellamy was among the inaugural Young Leaders selected by the French-American Foundation in 1981. She has been a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics within the John F. Kennedy School of Government and holds honorary membership in Pi Alpha Alpha. In 1982, she received Barnard College’s highest accolade, the Medal of Distinction.
In 2003, Bates College conferred upon her an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, and in 2006 she delivered the commencement address at NYU School of Law.
For her accomplishments leading UNICEF, Bellamy was honored with Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun in 2006 and France’s prestigious Legion of Honour in 2009.