Mara Russell, Food Security and Resilience Portfolio Executive

Mara Russell - Professional Profile

Introduction

Mara Russell, Food Security and Resilience Portfolio Executive

Led $650M, 16-project, 10-country portfolios reaching 3.5M people in crisis contexts.

Bethesda

About

Mara Russell turns uncertainty into practical systems that keep people fed and communities steady.

Some leaders show up when conditions are ideal, Mara Russell built her career in places where the stakes are immediate and the path is rarely clear. Across conflict zones, fragile markets, and disaster-prone regions, she has earned trust by pairing deep empathy with disciplined execution. The through line is simple, she helps teams deliver, learn fast, and protect what matters most for vulnerable households.

Mara Russell is the person teams lean on when a big commitment has to translate into real-world results. At CARE, she helped win and manage 16 major projects across 10 countries, stewarding a portfolio totaling $650M and reaching more than 3.5M people.

Earlier chapters show the same pattern of calm delivery under pressure. She coordinated 12,000 MT of WFP food aid distribution during active conflict in Somalia, and supported rapid targeting and tracking innovations in Northern Iraq when speed and accountability were equally non-negotiable.

What makes her especially valuable is range. She has built consortia that improved coordination across 17 NGOs, led women’s engagement across large food security programs, and designed livelihoods approaches that connect farmers and pastoralists to markets, finance, and resilience, not just short-term relief.

Mara Russell is a strong connection for anyone building serious programs in complex environments, whether global or US-based. If the work touches food systems, resilience, livelihoods, or high-stakes delivery, an introduction could lead to real momentum.

Target roles: Program and portfolio leadership for complex, multi-country initiatives, Resilience, food security, and livelihoods strategy and design, Proposal development, grants writing, and technical quality assurance

Get in Touch

Hi, I'm Mara. I bring over 30 years of experience in food security, livelihoods, and humanitarian programming, and I enjoy building practical, resilient solutions that help vulnerable communities thrive. Would love to connect if you're working in food security, nutrition, livelihoods, or climate resilience.

Mara Russell linkedin.com/in/mara-russell-259759204/

Mara is a seasoned food security and resilience executive who has led multi-country portfolios worth more than $650M, with a strong track record in program design, proposal writing, and managing complex humanitarian and development work. She brings rare depth in both crisis response and long-term systems building, with a clear eye for locally led, market-linked solutions.

Experience

Senior Director, Food Security and Resilience at CARE-USA (8/2014 - 12/2025)

Practice Manager at Land O’Lakes International Development Division/Venture 37 (2/2004 - 7/2014)

Coordinator at CARE-USA/Food Aid Management (FAM) (1/2000 - 1/2004)

Worker at ONE PLUS, ONE PARENT FAMILIES (1/1998 - 12/1999)

Project Associate at THE ACTIVE LEARNING CENTRE (1/1997 - 1/1998)

Development Manager at WELLPARK ENTERPRISE CENTRE (9/1996 - 1/1997)

Consultant at DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK, WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL (1 - 6/1996)

Food Unit Deputy Director at CARE-USA (1/1988 - 1/1991)