Diana Aviv is a

South African American South African Americans are Americans who have full or partial ancestry from South Africa. As of 2012, there were approximately 80,000 people born in South Africa who were living in the United States (according to the OECD). As of 2019, there w ...

business executive. She is the former CEO of Feeding America and

Independent Sector Independent Sector is a coalition of nonprofits, foundations and corporate giving programs. Founded in 1980, it is the first organization to combine the grant seekers and grantees. Located in Washington, D.C., Independent Sector largely works on f ...

Early life and education

Aviv was born to a Polish refugee father fleeing with his family to South Africa from the Holocaust. Growing up in Johannesburg, she first learned about

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

while a member of the Habonim youth movement. She graduated from King David High School Victory Park in 1968 and the University of the Witwatersrand in 1974. Following this, she moved to North American and enrolled at

Columbia University School of Social Work The Columbia University School of Social Work is the graduate school of social work of Columbia University. It is the nation's oldest social work program, with roots extending back to 1898, when the New York Charity Organization Society's first s ...

. She studied

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

in Johannesburg as it was the only legal way to get involved with the anti- apartheid movement without ending up in prison.

Career

Following her Master's degree, Aviv was a clinical social worker at the Southeast Nassau Guidance Center and Executive director of the Alternative to Domestic Violence. In the early 1990s, Aviv became the assistant director of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council. She was eventually promoted to the rank of vice president for public policy with the United Jewish Communities. Aviv eventually met Nelson Mandela in June 1990 after his release from prison. In 2003, Aviv became the President and chief executive officer (CEO) of

and remained there until 2015 to become the CEO of Feeding America. She remained at Feeding America until 2018, when she resigned due to personal issues. Aviv then joined the faculty at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis as a Distinguished Visiting Practitioner and Visiting Fellow through 2018.

Personal life

Aviv is married to Sterling Speirn and they have two children together.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aviv, Diana Living people People from Johannesburg University of the Witwatersrand alumni Columbia University School of Social Work alumni American women chief executives American women business executives 21st-century South African businesswomen South African emigrants to the United States Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women