For Immediate Release Press Release
Nancy Rivard Lauded for Excellence in Philanthropy
Nancy Rivard lends years of expertise with American Airlines into her work with Airline Ambassadors International
SAINT PAUL, MN, March 13, 2024, Nancy Rivard has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
After earning a Master of Public Administration from Southern Methodist University, Ms. Rivard began her career with American Airlines. She started as a flight attendant and climbed the corporate ladder to become a supervisor. After her father’s passing in 1989, she reevaluated her career and life path, and returned to work as a flight attendant. Over the next seven years, she traveled the globe. She discovered the inequities between the developed and developing worlds, which led to her founding Airline Ambassadors International, a nonprofit that leverages connection in the airline industry to facilitate humanitarian efforts. Despite American Airlines’ initial disinterest in aiding her efforts, Ms. Rivard persisted, advocating for orphans and vulnerable children before the United Nations and at conferences worldwide in Bosnia, Colombia, Bolivia, and Japan, to name a few.
By utilizing her resources, including $200,000 worth of medicine donated by her husband, Ms. Rivard initiated her first humanitarian mission. Since the first mission, Airline Ambassadors International has completed more than 670 missions in 62 countries, delivered more than $60 million in aid, and impacted more than 500,000 children. Eventually, American Airlines aided her mission, allocating planes for missions in Haiti, El Salvador, and Ecuador.
Additionally, in 2009, after correctly identifying trafficking on four airlines they added a new program – Human Trafficking Awareness. She worked with Congressman Chris Smith, author of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, to bring awareness to the aviation industry. Ms. Rivard and the organization developed the first “industry-specific” human trafficking awareness training and presented at 130 airports and other locations. Airline Ambassadors collaborates with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Interpol and other criminal police organizations to combat human trafficking.
Dedicated to her community, she also oversees philanthropic projects in El Salvador covering such issues as conservation, elder care, support for abused women, scholarship programs, and more. In light of her outstanding achievements, Ms. Rivard received an award in 2023 from the People Helping People Network, the 1999 Woman of Peace Award, the 2000 Ambassador of Peace Award, a President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement, and the Human Rights Hero Award from the Foundation for a Slavery Free World.
While her career has been filled with highlights, Ms. Rivard takes the most pride in inspiring flight attendants to channel their compassion into humanitarian efforts that combat human trafficking. In the coming years, she intends to continue working alongside El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, to augment awareness in El Salvador and all countries in the world. She credits her success to her altruistic nature. Looking ahead, Ms. Rivard just released her debut book “Wings of Love” which details Airline Ambassadors International’s journey.
About Marquis Who’s Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Marquis celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2023, and Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com. Nancy’s press release on on this site.
