The Rev. Douglas A. Greenaway, President and CEO of the National WIC Association for over 31 years, today announced his retirement, effective January 7, 2022.
As NWA’s founding CEO, Fr. Greenaway opened NWA’s first office on his kitchen floor in 1990 with a mission to raise WIC voices, to empower moms, and to give babies and young children a healthy start. Over his more than 31 years, Fr. Greenaway grew NWA into a thriving, mission-driven, nationally recognized voice for WIC, for mothers, babies, and young children, and for public health nutrition.
Rev. Douglas Greenaway, President & CEO of the National WIC Association (NWA), issued the following statement:
“As the late Congressman John Lewis used to say, “we’ve made ‘good trouble, necessary trouble,’ together.” Before there was Twitter or Facebook, NWA members stood up, fought back, flooded Congressional offices with paper plates scrawled with messages like “Save WIC Now,” and prevented WIC from being block granted.
“We built coalitions and grew broad bipartisan support for WIC to secure solid annual funding and advance crucial WIC policy priorities. Together, we secured science-based, healthier WIC food packages – transformed with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and culturally appropriate foods. We secured breastfeeding as the best form of infant feeding. We launched a national breastfeeding peer counselor program, and resoundingly beat back efforts to eliminate funding for peer counselors. We fought to protect immigrant families, stood against health and environmental threats, and amidst a worldwide pandemic, we secured remote access to protect WIC families and staff.
“Going forward, we’re pushing to expand WIC’s reach to children up to age six and make permanent opportunities for remote access. Our Participant Advisory Council is helping to shape participant centered policies, and we are doing our part to grow a more equitable, inclusive, diverse WIC. We are mobilizing to update WIC’s science-based food package and double its value including more for fruits and vegetables.
“All these efforts were accomplished against extraordinary odds. With each stand of courage, we’ve grown NWA’s voice in Washington. Yet, our victories relied on our Congressional Champions Rosa DeLauro, Bobby Scott, Jim McGovern, Gwen Moore, Pat Leahy, Debbie Stabenow, Bob Casey, Jeff Merkley, Kirsten Gillibrand, and many others, and USDA Secretaries Tom Vilsack, Ann Veneman, Dan Glickman and key leaders Stacy Dean, Kevin Concannon, Eric Bost, and Catherine Bertini.
“I am especially grateful to my nearly twenty dedicated staff and our NWA volunteer leaders and partners. Together we walked the corridors of the powerful – from the US Capitol through 16 Congresses, to the Department of Agriculture and 10 Secretaries, to the White House through 6 Administrations to do the work of social justice for WIC mothers, babies, and young children.
“I could not have been more privileged or honored to have served NWA and our nation’s WIC families in this role.”
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