Howard W. Buffett (Director Emeritus)
Howard W. Buffett is Executive Director of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. Previously, he served as Special Assistant in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this role, Mr. Buffett was charged with identifying strategic partners to advance the mission areas of Research, Education, and Economics. Mr. Buffett was also responsible for developing the Department’s expansion strategy for its Cooperative Extension Programs. He serves on the USDA subcabinet 2010-2015 Strategic Planning Initiative, and represents the Department on the White House Interagency Workgroup for Innovation and Information Policy, as well as on the U.S. State Department’s joint Global Food Security Initiative.
Before his appointment at the USDA, Mr. Buffett served as the Assistant for Partnerships in the White House Office of Social Innovation, where he continues to serve in an advisory capacity. Mr. Buffett aided the director of the Office in the strategy, engagement, and implementation of collaborative action with federal agencies, corporations, foundations, non-profits, and community based organizations.
Prior to serving in the White House, Mr. Buffett was a member of the Technology, Innovation and Government Reform Policy Working Group for the Presidential Transition Team. In this capacity, Mr. Buffett assisted with the design and policy agenda for the Office of Social Innovation, as well as the development of the U.S. Government’s Social Innovation Fund.
Before serving on the Presidential Transition Team, Mr. Buffett was President of Cliffspringer LLC, a strategic advisory organization. Cliffspringer worked to bridge government, corporate and philanthropic sector organizations such as the United Nations, the Gerson Lehrman Group, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mr. Buffett has served as a board member for the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, the Clark and Hinman Foundation, New York Needs You, the Cougar Fund, and the FEED Foundation, and has served on advisory or program committees for the Aspen Institute, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the Council on Foundations, the Collaboration Prize, and the Hewlett Foundations Philanthropy Workshop West.
For ten years, Mr. Buffett has assisted with the domestic and international travel activities of his family’s private foundation, including site visits, project analysis, photography, and field data collection. Through this work, Mr. Buffett has traveled in 60 countries on 6 continents; he has a BA from Northwestern University and an MPA from Columbia University.
Before his appointment at the USDA, Mr. Buffett served as the Assistant for Partnerships in the White House Office of Social Innovation, where he continues to serve in an advisory capacity. Mr. Buffett aided the director of the Office in the strategy, engagement, and implementation of collaborative action with federal agencies, corporations, foundations, non-profits, and community based organizations.
Prior to serving in the White House, Mr. Buffett was a member of the Technology, Innovation and Government Reform Policy Working Group for the Presidential Transition Team. In this capacity, Mr. Buffett assisted with the design and policy agenda for the Office of Social Innovation, as well as the development of the U.S. Government’s Social Innovation Fund.
Before serving on the Presidential Transition Team, Mr. Buffett was President of Cliffspringer LLC, a strategic advisory organization. Cliffspringer worked to bridge government, corporate and philanthropic sector organizations such as the United Nations, the Gerson Lehrman Group, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mr. Buffett has served as a board member for the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, the Clark and Hinman Foundation, New York Needs You, the Cougar Fund, and the FEED Foundation, and has served on advisory or program committees for the Aspen Institute, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, the Council on Foundations, the Collaboration Prize, and the Hewlett Foundations Philanthropy Workshop West.
For ten years, Mr. Buffett has assisted with the domestic and international travel activities of his family’s private foundation, including site visits, project analysis, photography, and field data collection. Through this work, Mr. Buffett has traveled in 60 countries on 6 continents; he has a BA from Northwestern University and an MPA from Columbia University.
