Nine months ago, Cindy McCain sat in front of a journalist in Rome.
It was her second day leading the world’s largest humanitarian organization — and her second day responding to a hunger crisis rippling across the globe. But from her new office at the World Food Programme, McCain sat poised, seemingly eyes wide open about the shift her life was about to take.
“Is it tough, to shed your political side?” asked Seth Doane, a CBS News correspondent, as he sat beside a woman who had traversed the highest rungs of America’s political orbit for the last four decades.
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About the authors
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
Colum Lynch
Colum Lynch is an award-winning reporter and Senior Global Reporter for Devex. He covers the intersection of development, diplomacy, and humanitarian relief at the United Nations and beyond. Prior to Devex, Colum reported on foreign policy and national security for Foreign Policy Magazine and the Washington Post. Colum was awarded the 2011 National Magazine Award for digital reporting for his blog Turtle Bay. He has also won an award for groundbreaking reporting on the U.N.’s failure to protect civilians in Darfur.
