Community Service Awardee
Community Service Awardee
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot
Former Chief Executive Officer, Feeding America
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot is a leader and advocate dedicated to combating hunger and strengthening communities. Her decades long service in social justice and humanitarian efforts is emblematic of her unwavering commitment to working alongside people experiencing food insecurity to create sustainable, equitable solutions in the movement to end hunger. Since 2018, Claire served as the Chief Executive Officer of Feeding America, a network of food banks, statewide food bank associations, food pantries and meal programs, and the largest charity in the United States since 2022, according to Forbes. Prior to joining Feeding America, Claire has been entrusted to lead effective teams for three decades, including 13 years on Walmart's leadership team, most recently as executive vice president and global treasurer where she had global responsibility for tax, treasury operations, capital markets, investor relations, global risk management, casualty, and self-insurance, leading teams across 28 countries and over 1,000 associates worldwide.
A Louisiana native, Claire holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette, a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, La.; and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas. Claire was named one of Time's 100 most influential people of 2020. In 2021, she was honored with PRWeek’s Communicator of the Year award and Southern Methodist University’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Claire was among Forbes 50 Over 50 in 2022, and in 2023, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities honored her with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2024, she received Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, and most recently, she was named one of TIME’s Women of the Year in 2025. Her relentless pursuit of an equitable, hunger-free America exemplifies her as a trailblazer and a compassionate advocate for social justice.