Cindy McCain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cindy McCain
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Official portrait, 2022
|
|
| Executive Director of the World Food Programme | |
| Assumed office April 5, 2023 |
|
| Secretary General | António Guterres |
| Preceded by | David Beasley |
| 12th United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture | |
| In office November 5, 2021 – April 5, 2023 |
|
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Kip E. Tom |
| Succeeded by | Rodney Hunter (Chargé d'Affaires) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Cindy Lou Hensley
May 20, 1954 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Meghan |
| Relatives | Jim Hensley (father) |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA, MA) |
Cindy Lou McCain (born May 20, 1954) is an American diplomat, businesswoman, and humanitarian. She is currently the executive director of the World Food Programme, a major organization that helps feed people around the world. Before this, McCain served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture from 2021 to 2023. She is the widow of U.S. Senator John McCain from Arizona, who ran for president in 2008.
McCain grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. Her father, Jim Hensley, owned a large beer distribution company. After earning degrees from the University of Southern California, she worked as a special education teacher. She married John McCain in 1980. They moved to Arizona, where her husband became a U.S. Congressman. They had three children together and adopted another. Cindy McCain also started a non-profit group called the American Voluntary Medical Team, which sent medical help to areas affected by disasters or war.
After her father passed away in 2000, she became the chair of Hensley & Co., his successful business. She was involved in her husband's presidential campaigns. She is also known for her charity work and has served on the boards of organizations like Operation Smile and CARE. .....
In 2020, even though she is a Republican, she supported Joe Biden for president. President Biden nominated her to be the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in 2021. In this role, she focused on global food problems, especially those caused by the war in Ukraine and climate change. In March 2023, she was chosen to lead the World Food Programme. Her work there has included helping people affected by conflicts, such as the situation in Gaza.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Marriage and Family Life
- Helping Others: American Voluntary Medical Team
- Life Between Campaigns
- Role in the 2008 Presidential Campaign
- Later Activities
- Husband's Illness and Passing
- Supporting Joe Biden
- United States Ambassador
- Executive Director of the World Food Programme
- Awards and Honors
- See also
Early Life and Education
Cindy Lou Hensley was born in Phoenix, Arizona. Her parents were James Hensley and Marguerite "Smitty" Hensley. She grew up in a wealthy area of Phoenix. She had two half-sisters from her parents' previous marriages. In 1968, Cindy Hensley was named the Junior Rodeo Queen of Arizona. She went to Central High School in Phoenix and graduated in 1972.
Hensley then went to the University of Southern California. She joined the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1976. She continued her studies at USC and received a master's degree in special education in 1978. She worked on a special program to help children with severe disabilities. After college, she worked as a special education teacher for children with Down syndrome at Agua Fria High School in Avondale, Arizona.
Marriage and Family Life
.jpg)
Cindy Hensley met John McCain in April 1979 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was a U.S. Navy officer. She was on a family vacation. John McCain was almost 18 years older than her. They started a relationship and married on May 17, 1980, in Phoenix.
Cindy McCain's family connections helped her husband start his political career in Arizona. She campaigned with him when he first ran for U.S. Congress in 1982. Her family's wealth also helped his campaign financially.
After her husband was elected, the McCains moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Cindy McCain later moved back to Arizona in 1984. She gave birth to their daughter Meghan that year. They later had two sons, John Sidney IV (Jack) in 1986 and James (Jimmy) in 1988. In 1991, they adopted their fourth child, Bridget. Her parents lived nearby and helped her raise the children, as her husband was often in Washington.
Helping Others: American Voluntary Medical Team
In 1988, Cindy McCain started the American Voluntary Medical Team (AVMT). This non-profit group organized trips for doctors, nurses, and other medical staff. They provided emergency medical care in countries affected by disasters or war. These included places like Micronesia, Vietnam, Kuwait, and El Salvador. She led 55 of these missions over seven years. AVMT also helped sick children around the world. In 1993, McCain and AVMT received an award from Food for the Hungry.
Adopting Bridget
In 1991, the AVMT went to Dhaka, Bangladesh, after a big storm. While at an orphanage, McCain met two baby girls who needed medical help in the United States. She decided to adopt one of the girls, who she named Bridget. Her husband agreed, and the adoption was finalized in 1993.
Life Between Campaigns
In 2000, after her father passed away, Cindy McCain became the chair of Hensley & Co.. This company is one of the largest beer distributors in the United States. As chair, she helps with big decisions for the company. By 2007, she had a significant income from Hensley and a large net worth. She also owns a small part of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team.
McCain became very involved with Operation Smile in 2001. This group provides surgeries for children with facial deformities. She joined their medical missions to places like Morocco and India. She also joined the boards of CARE and the HALO Trust. The HALO Trust works to remove landmines in war-torn areas. She often travels to see how these organizations are helping people.
In April 2004, McCain had a serious health issue, but she recovered well after physical therapy. She owns homes in several states, including Arizona and California. She is also an amateur pilot and race car driver.
Role in the 2008 Presidential Campaign
Cindy McCain was very active in her husband's second presidential campaign in 2007 and 2008. She supported her husband's goals but also kept up her charity work overseas. She often traveled with him and introduced him at events. She said that if she became First Lady, she would focus on humanitarian work, similar to Diana, Princess of Wales.
She joined the board of Grateful Nation Montana in 2008. This group provides scholarships to children of military personnel who died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
McCain spoke at the 2008 Republican National Convention. She introduced her children and talked about her husband's love for his country. The campaign was very stressful for her. On November 4, 2008, she was emotional as her husband's campaign ended with a loss to Barack Obama.
Later Activities
After the 2008 election, McCain continued her humanitarian work. She traveled to Dubai, India, and Cambodia in 2009. She said she was glad the campaign was over and that it had been a "remarkable experience."
She also showed support for LGBT rights. She appeared with her daughter Meghan at a convention for Log Cabin Republicans, a group for LGBT Republicans. She also posed for the NOH8 Campaign, which supports gay rights.
..... She worked with The McCain Institute on this issue. She pushed for new laws to address the problem at both federal and state levels. ..... She said that many people have seen trafficking without realizing what it was.
During the 2016 United States presidential election, McCain and her husband did not vote for the Republican nominee. .....
Husband's Illness and Passing
In July 2017, her husband, Senator John McCain, was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor. Cindy McCain released a statement saying, "We as a family will face the next hurdle together. One thing I do know is he is the toughest person I know. He is my hero and I love him with all my heart." Senator McCain received treatment and stayed in Arizona after December 2017.
By 2018, Cindy McCain's net worth was estimated to be at least $200 million, mostly from her share of Hensley & Co. She also owned properties in several states.
Cindy McCain continued to speak out against President Trump's criticism of her husband. She said, "we need more compassion, we need more empathy, we need more togetherness... We don't need more bullying."
John McCain passed away on August 25, 2018, at age 81. Cindy McCain was present at his services, which included ceremonies in Arizona and Washington, D.C., and burial at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery. After his death, she became chair of the McCain Institute's board of trustees.
Supporting Joe Biden
In September 2019, Cindy McCain said the Republican Party was "excluding people for the wrong reasons." She praised Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, calling them good friends. In June 2020, McCain stated she would not support Donald Trump's re-election. She spoke in a video at the August 2020 Democratic National Convention about the friendship between her late husband and Joe Biden. On September 22, McCain fully endorsed Biden's presidential candidacy. Her support helped Biden win Arizona in the 2020 United States presidential election, making him the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state since 1996.
McCain was part of the advisory board for the Biden-Harris Transition Team. She provided advice on issues affecting women and children. She remains a registered Republican and hopes the party will return to stances she can support. In January 2021, the Arizona Republican Party criticized her for supporting Biden and "leftist causes." McCain responded that it was an honor to be in a group of Arizonans who, like her husband, had been criticized by the state party.
In April 2021, McCain published a book about her life with John McCain, titled Stronger: Courage, Hope, and Humor in My Life with John McCain.
United States Ambassador
The Biden administration considered Cindy McCain for an ambassadorship. In May 2021, it was reported that President Biden would nominate her to be the Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture. This was her first time working on food policy issues. The White House officially announced her nomination on June 23, 2021. The Senate confirmed her nomination on October 26, 2021.
.jpg)
She was sworn in as ambassador on November 5, 2021. She presented her credentials to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and the UN World Food Programme in January 2022.
A main part of her time as ambassador was dealing with the 2022–2023 food crises. Much of this crisis was caused by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. About half of all grains sent to the UN World Food Programme came from Ukraine. McCain was part of a group that met regularly to discuss how to prevent famine in vulnerable areas. In March 2022, she visited the Poland–Ukraine border to see the refugee situation and a food warehouse.
In January 2023, McCain said the food crisis was still huge, especially in Africa. She called it "the worst food crisis, the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II." She blamed Russia but also mentioned the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change on food supplies.
Executive Director of the World Food Programme
Cindy McCain was appointed as the new Executive Director of the U.N. World Food Programme on March 2, 2023. She was chosen by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu. She took over from David Beasley on April 5, 2023.
.jpg)
On October 22, 2023, McCain warned that the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip could cause a humanitarian disaster. As the food insecurity crisis in the Gaza Strip worsened, she emphasized the need for aid workers to have full access to Gaza. After an attack on an aid convoy in May 2024, McCain said she was "shocked" and "heartbroken." She stated that aid workers needed unrestricted access. In a May 2024 TV appearance, McCain said that her organization was seeing a "full-blown famine" in parts of Gaza.
.jpg)
McCain also focuses on other areas with severe food problems, such as Sudan and Haiti. In early May 2025, she said it was urgent for the international community to get aid into Gaza. She warned that if they waited until a famine was officially confirmed, it would be too late for many people. During a visit to Rome that month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with McCain to discuss aid deliveries. International pressure led Israel to allow some aid through. However, McCain said in late May 2025 that only a small amount of aid was being allowed in.
Awards and Honors
Cindy McCain was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame in 2019. She also received the 2020 Heritage Award from the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In May 2019, she received two honorary degrees, one from her alma mater, USC, and another from George Washington University.
See also
In Spanish: Cindy Hensley McCain para niños
