Nancy Rivard

Nancy Rivard Nancy Rivard

"Employed by American Airlines since 1976, Nancy founded Airline Ambassadors International (AAI) to provide humanitarian aid to children in need and international development and relief to under-privileged communities around the world. AAI is the only non-profit in the world leveraging connections with the airline industry to facilitate humanitarian efforts, and is recognized by the US Congress and the United Nations.

"Prompted by the sudden death of her father, Nancy left a career management track with American Airlines, returned to a position as a flight attendant, to begin a profound search for meaning. During extensive travel over the next seven years, she saw the glaring inequities between the developed and developing world, and potential for the travel industry to play a more fundamental role building sharing, understanding and goodwill between peoples and cultures. She founded Airline Ambassadors in 1996 to provide a way for individuals to match their unique interests and skills to actual world need. It began with airline personnel and now has expanded to 6000 members, including medical and business professionals, students and retirees. AAI provides humanitarian assistance to local communities and at the same time creates a context for compassion, giving ordinary individuals the opportunity to be of extra-ordinary service to one another.

"Airline Ambassadors has hand-delivered over $41 million of aid to children in 51 countries in orphanages, clinics and remote communities. Members have started schools, clinics, housing projects and vocational training programs, impacting over 500,000 children.

"Nancy was honored with the 1999 Woman of Peace Award, the 2000 Ambassador of Peace Award , in 2001 as a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and the Islamic Cultural Center in 2002 , in 2003 she received the National Caring Award, and 2004 the President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005. She received honors from the Governor of Mississippi as well as the Foreign Ministry of El Salvador in 2006.

"Nancy has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Southern Methodist University and recently signed a contract for her life rights and a book and movie on her life story. She is married to San Francisco contractor and environmentalist Dave Rivard."