Howard Warren Buffett

Last updated

Howard Warren Buffett
Howard Warren Buffett.jpg
Buffett in 2010
Born
Howard Warren Buffett

(1983-10-14) October 14, 1983 (age 40)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Education Northwestern University (BA)
Columbia University (MPA)
Occupation(s)Philanthropist, political consultant, political scientist, writer
Political party Democratic
SpouseLili Thomas
Children1
Parent(s) Howard Graham Buffett
Devon Goss
Relatives Warren Buffett (grandfather)
Susan Thompson Buffett (grandmother)
Susan Alice Buffett (aunt)
Peter Buffett (uncle)
Doris Buffett (paternal great-aunt)
Howard Homan Buffett (great-grandfather)
Leila Stahl Buffett (great-grandmother)
J. Schuyler Long (great-great-grandfather)

Howard Warren Buffett (born October 14, 1983) is an American philanthropist, political consultant, political scientist, and writer. A grandson of the American businessman and investor Warren Buffett, he is an adjunct professor in public policy and international affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs [1] and was previously the executive director of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation that funds initiatives aimed at improving the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations. [2] He previously led agriculture-based economic stabilization and redevelopment programs in Iraq and Afghanistan while at the United States Department of Defense, [3] and as a policy advisor in the Executive Office of the President of the United States under President Barack Obama.

Contents

Prior to joining the White House, Buffett served as a special assistant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, [4] as a member of the Office of the President-Elect, [5] and as director of National Surrogate Radio for Obama for America. [6]

Early life and education

Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to farmer and philanthropist Howard Graham Buffett. He is a grandson of American investor and philanthropist Warren Edward Buffett [7] and Norman Leffingwell Goss (1915-1994), who was a famous Pasadena restaurateur. Howard Warren Buffett is a great-great-grandson of Michael Cochrane Armour (1851 -1928), president of the Iroquois Iron Company.

Raised in Omaha, he attended Ponca Elementary School before moving to Decatur, Illinois, where he attended Mount Zion High School and was elected president of the local chapter of the National FFA Organization. He completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Communication Studies in 2006 at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, [8] where he also served as the student body vice president. [9] He went on to receive a Master of Public Administration in Advanced Management and Finance at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University in 2008. [10]

Career

Public service

In 2009, Buffett was appointed to the United States Department of Agriculture, where he served as a special assistant in the Office of the Secretary. There, he managed the national expansion strategy for the Department’s $480 million Cooperative Extension Service program. Additionally, he was charged with identifying strategic external partnerships aimed at advancing the core mission areas of research, education, and economics. He also served on the five-year Strategic Planning Initiative, and represented the department in the White House Innovation and Information Policy Working Group. [11]

Upon completion of his service at the Department of Agriculture, Buffett served as a policy advisor in the Executive Office of the President of the United States at the White House, where he was responsible for the Cross-Sector Partnerships portfolio. In this role, he directed strategy development for cross-sector partnerships and innovation strategies aimed at enhancing collaboration between the White House, federal departments, agencies, corporations, nonprofits and foundations. [10]

After leaving the White House, Buffett became the director of agriculture development at the Task Force for Business Stability Operations under the U.S. Department of Defense, where he was tasked with designing and implementing a strategy for agricultural development in Afghanistan and Iraq under the leadership of Paul Brinkley. [12]

White House Energy Innovation Conference

In May 2010, Buffett spearheaded a White House Energy Innovation Conference focused on promoting partnerships. Represented at the event were four federal departments, three federal agencies, entrepreneurs, state government officials, academia, private sector leaders, nonprofits and innovators. [11]

At the conference, the United States Department of Energy and the Small Business Administration jointly announced that both the Small Business Investment Company program and the Small Business Technology Transfer program would begin using their existing funding networks to promote small green energy firms through a new $60 million Business Clean Energy Innovation Fund. The event also served as the launch vehicle for the Regional Energy Innovation Conferences. [11]

The first Regional Energy Innovation Conference was hosted in Omaha, Nebraska on June 17, 2010. The event focused on connecting entrepreneurs and small enterprise with representatives from organizations across sectors and was itself a partnership between the City of Omaha, The Gallup Organization, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy. Over one hundred local, regional, and national organizations were represented at Gallup University’s Omaha Campus to discuss issues ranging from regional gap funding and human capital needs to collaboration and the early adoption of energy innovation. [13]

Social value investing

At the 2011 Social Good Summit in New York, Buffett introduced an approach premised on addressing social problems by systematically lining up nonprofits to each need. [14]

On May 28, 2018, Buffett announced the release of his book titled "Social Value Investing: A Management Framework for Effective Partnerships." [15] Published by Columbia University Press, the book details specific case studies and examples on topics including clean energy, water scarcity and sustainable agriculture. [16]

Advisory positions

In 2010, Buffett joined the advisory board for Toyota Motor North America. [17] He chairs the advisory board for the Harvard University International Negotiation Program.[ when? ] [18]

He previously served on the Board of Visitors for the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University,[ when? ] and on the boards of New York Needs You and the Clark and Hinman Foundation.[ when? ] Additionally, he has served as an advisor to both the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the FEED Foundation.[ when? ] [19]

He served as a judge for the Collaboration Prize,[ when? ] [20] the American Express 2009 NGen Fellows Program, and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s business plan competitions.

He is an active member of the Nebraska Society and a lifetime alumni member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). [21]

Philanthropy

Buffett currently[ when? ] serves as the executive director of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private family foundation focused on improving the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s most impoverished and marginalized populations. He has engaged in the humanitarian and agriculture development efforts of the Foundation worldwide. [22]

Buffett also sits on the board of Doris Buffett's Learning By Giving Foundation. He has referred to Learning by Giving as the first step in the implementation of the Social Value Investment model, "By simply empowering students to become problem solvers in their own communities, we maximize the impact of our efforts, encourage innovation, and inspire life-long engagements with philanthropy." [23]

Professor

In the fall of 2013, Buffett served as a co-professor teaching an Innovations of Public Management class at his alma mater at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. Buffett taught the course with program head William Eimicke, and is currently an adjunct associate professor and research scholar at the school, teaching philanthropy, social value investing, and management innovation. [24]

Personal life

He is married to Lili Thomas Buffett, a Columbia University graduate whom he met at an agricultural conference, and the couple has a son, Thomas. [25] [26] [27] They split their time between Omaha, Nebraska, and Decatur, Illinois. [28]

Buffett operates a 160-ha no-till farm near Tekamah, Nebraska.[ when? ] [29]

Buffett is a published photographer. His work has appeared in National Geographic ,[ when? ] [30] World Wide Fund for Nature, [31] and Encyclopedia of Earth . [32]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebraska</span> U.S. state

Nebraska is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwest; and Wyoming to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warren Buffett</span> American businessperson, investor, and philanthropist (born 1930)

Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. As a result of his immense investment success, Buffett is one of the best-known fundamental investors in the world. As of October 2023, he had a net worth of $117 billion, making him the seventh-richest person in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nebraska–Lincoln</span> Public university in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the Morrill Act of 1862, the school was known as the University of Nebraska until 1968, when it absorbed the Municipal University of Omaha to form the University of Nebraska system. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship institution of the state-wide system. The university has been governed by the Board of Regents since 1871, whose members are elected by district to six-year terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton Yeutter</span> American politician

Clayton Keith Yeutter, ONZM was an American politician who served as United States secretary of agriculture under President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1991 before serving as counselor to the president in 1992. He served as United States trade representative from 1985 to 1989 and as chairman for the Republican National Committee from 1991 until 1992. Yeutter was employed as a senior advisor at the international law firm Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C. He additionally founded the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance at his alma mater, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university subsequently published his biography, Rhymes with Fighter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Buffett</span> American activist (1932–2004)

Susan Thompson Buffett was an American activist for the causes of civil rights, abortion rights and birth control, and the first wife of investor Warren Buffett. She was a director of Berkshire Hathaway, owning 2.2 percent of the company worth about $3 billion at the time of her death, making her the 153rd richest person in the world. She was president of the Buffett Foundation, which has contributed millions of dollars to educational groups, medical research, family planning groups and other charities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Buffett</span> American politician (1903–1964)

Howard Homan Buffett was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He was a four-term Republican United States Representative for the state of Nebraska. He was the father of Warren Buffett, the American billionaire businessman and investor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nebraska Omaha</span> Public university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States

The University of Nebraska Omaha is a public research university the central United States, located in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1908 by faculty from the Omaha Presbyterian Theological Seminary as a private non-sectarian college, the university was originally known as the University of Omaha. Originally meant to provide a Christian-based education free from ecclesiastical control, the university served as a strong alternative to the city's many successful religiously affiliated institutions.

<i>Omaha World-Herald</i> Daily newspaper published in Omaha, Nebraska

The Omaha World-Herald is a daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, the primary newspaper of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. It was locally owned from its founding in 1885 until 2020, when it was sold to the newspaper chain Lee Enterprises by its most recent local owner, Warren Buffett, chairman of Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Scott Jr.</span> American businessman (1931–2021)

Walter Scott Jr. was an American billionaire businessman, civil engineer, philanthropist, and CEO of Kiewit Corporation. At the time of his death, his net worth was estimated at US$4.2 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Buffett</span> American musician

Peter Andrew Buffett is an American musician, composer, author and philanthropist. With a career that spans more than 30 years, Buffett is an Regional Emmy Award winner, New York Times best-selling author and co-chair of the NoVo Foundation. He is the youngest son of billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Graham Buffett</span> American philanthropist, photographer, farmer, and conservationist

Howard Graham Buffett is an American businessman, former politician, philanthropist, photographer, farmer, and conservationist. He is the middle child of billionaire investor Warren Buffett. He is named after Howard Buffett, his grandfather, and Benjamin Graham, Warren Buffett's favorite professor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nebraska Medical Center</span> Medical center in Omaha, Nebraska, United States

The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) is a public academic health science center in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded in 1869 and chartered as a private medical college in 1881, UNMC became part of the University of Nebraska System in 1902. Rapidly expanding in the early 20th century, the university founded a hospital, dental college, pharmacy college, college of nursing, and college of medicine. It later added colleges of public health and allied health professions. One of Omaha's top employers, UNMC has an annual budget of $841.6 million for 2020 to 2021, and an economic impact of $4.8 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David L. Sokol</span> American business executive (born 1956)

David L. Sokol is an American business executive. He is a Chairman of Teton Capital LLC, headquartered in Wilson, Wyoming. He served as chairman, president, and CEO of NetJets, as well as a chairman of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, of which Berkshire Hathaway holds a 100% and 89.8% stake respectively.

The Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation was an office new to the Obama Administration, created within the White House, to catalyze new and innovative ways of encouraging government to do business differently. Its first director was the economist Sonal Shah. The final director was David Wilkinson.

Susan Alice Buffett is an American philanthropist who is the daughter of Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson Buffett. Her charitable work has focused largely on the Sherwood Foundation, formerly known as the Susan A. Buffett Foundation, an organization in Omaha that provides grants in public education, human services and social justice in the interest of promoting the welfare of children from lower-income families. She is also on the boards of the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, The Buffett Early Childhood Institute, and Girls, Inc. According to a 2010 interview with her brother Howard Graham Buffett, Buffett's philanthropic focus has consistently remained on children, education and family issues, but she has also committed to other causes, including Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa, a non-governmental organization dedicated to various improvements in Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley M. Truhlsen</span> American ophthalmologist (1920–2021)

Stanley Marshall Truhlsen Sr. was an American ophthalmologist and university professor in Omaha who served as president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and as a governor of the American College of Surgeons, and led a number of Nebraska organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska</span>

The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Nebraska were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 and elected the three U.S. representatives from the state of Nebraska. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate. Primary elections were held on May 15, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Green (sports owner)</span> American businessman and entrepreneur (born 1965)

Gary Michael Green is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He is CEO of Alliance Building Services, one of the largest privately held building service providers in North America. Green also owns sports franchises for teams in Minor League Baseball and United Soccer League, including the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Omaha Storm Chasers, Montgomery Biscuits and Union Omaha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Hertzog Thompson</span> American psychology professor and minister

William H. Thompson was a writer, psychologist, professor, Presbyterian minister, and the father-in-law of Warren Buffett.

Ernest Platt Buffett was an American businessman and grocer. He was the father of U.S. Congressman Howard Buffett and grandfather of famed American businessman and investor Warren Buffett.

References

  1. ↑ "Howard W. Buffett - Columbia SIPA". new.sipa.columbia.edu. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit - Speakers" Mashable Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit - Agenda." Mashable Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Building Trust Annual Symposium" Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  5. ↑ Kang, Cecilia (November 25, 2008) "Obama Names Team To Create "Innovation Agenda"". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Policy Working Groups" Archived January 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Office of the President-Elect. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  7. ↑ Chang, Yi-Hsin (May 5, 1999) "Woodstock for Capitalists". The Motley Fool. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Peter (November 22, 2002) "Life NewVoices Military" KRT Direct. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  9. ↑ Angela Tablac, Erin Stock (April 16, 2004) "Fierce Competition in All Races Frames ASG Elections" Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  10. 1 2 "Executive Office of the President Staff" The White House. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  11. 1 2 3 Buffett, Howard (May 10, 2010) "Promoting Partnerships for Innovation in Energy". The White House. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  12. ↑ "Mashable & 92Y Social Good Summit - Speakers" Mashable. Retrieved September 26, 2010.
  13. ↑ Buffett, Howard (June 17, 2010)"Partnerships for Regional Energy Innovation in Omaha, Nebraska" The White House. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  14. ↑ Ferenstein, Gregory (September 6, 2011) "How Howard Buffett Will Use His Grandfather's Recipe For Riches To Disrupt Philanthropy" Fast Company . Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  15. ↑ Bloomberg News. "How Social Value Investing Can Solve Some Of The World's Challenges". Bloomberg News. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  16. ↑ School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. "Social Value Investing Case Study Collection". Columbia University. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Toyota Names Jyoti Chopra and Howard W. Buffett to Its North American Diversity Advisory Board". Toyota Motor North America. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Harvard International Negotiation Program, Who we Are". Harvard University. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  19. ↑ "United Nations Office for Partnerships Staff" the United Nations Office for Partnerships. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Lodestar Foundation Announces Final Selection Pane" Archived July 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine The Collaboration Prize. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Members of the Nebraska Society of Washington D.C." Archived July 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine . The Nebraska Society of Washington D.C. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  22. ↑ Walton, Don (June 12, 2010) "A Young Buffett Eyes Public Service in Nebraska" The Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  23. ↑ Learning by Giving Foundation "Learning by Giving Foundation - Howard W. Buffett Speech to the 2011 Social Good Summit" Archived October 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  24. ↑ Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs "Faculty Directory: Howard W. Buffett". Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Love, etc.: Howard Buffett and Lili Thomas wed". Washington Post. September 19, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  26. ↑ "Lili Buffett". Captain Planet Foundation. February 12, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Warren Buffett's Grandson on the Buffett Rule, and How President Obama Almost Ruined His Marriage Proposal". Intelligencer. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  28. ↑ The Reliable Source (September 19, 2011) "Love, etc.: Howard Buffett and Lili Thomas Wed" The Washington Post. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  29. ↑ Steve Jordon (June 10, 2011) "Buffett Grandson to Run Dad's Foundation" Omaha World Herald. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  30. ↑ World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Sahelian Acacia Savanna". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on March 8, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  31. ↑ "Nepal Expands Critical Tiger Habitat" World Wide Fund for Nature. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  32. ↑ "Sahelian Acacia Savanna" Encyclopedia of the Earth. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.