Celebrating Rachel Bowen Pittman

As UNA-USA gathers in St. Louis this weekend for its flagship UNA-USA Leadership Summit - a three-day convening where chapter leaders and advocates from across the country come together to stand up, speak out, and take action for a better world - the occasion will carry special significance. The Summit will serve not only as a moment of national unity and recommitment, but also as the setting in which members bid a heartfelt farewell to UNA-USA Executive Director Rachel Bowen Pittman, who will take the podium for the final time in her official role.

For more than a decade, Pittman has been a steady and guiding force within the organization, helping strengthen the UNA-USA movement and supporting its 20,000 members in more than 200 chapters nationwide. During her tenure, she has shepherded the organization through some of its most challenging periods and most inspiring successes, ensuring that its mission - strengthening the U.S.-UN relationship and cultivating global citizenship - remains vibrant and future-focused.

Before becoming Executive Director in 2019, Pittman served as UNA-USA's Senior Director of Membership and Programs, overseeing key national initiatives, including the Global Engagement Summit at the United Nations, the Global Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., and UN Day observances around the country. Her career prior to UNA-USA includes leadership roles across several major professional associations representing lawyers, surgeons, regulators and engineers. In those positions, she contributed to international agreements spanning China, Korea, Argentina, India, Peru, Egypt and Mexico, and led large-scale membership and rebranding initiatives. She holds a B.S.B.A. in International Business from American University and an MBA in Marketing from Johns Hopkins University.

Beyond her credentials and accomplishments, Pittman has been widely regarded as a builder of people. Her optimism, encouragement and unwavering belief in the power of individual advocates have shaped the journeys of chapter leaders, campus delegates and young people discovering their place in global citizenship. Her leadership has consistently emphasized empowerment, inclusiveness and a forward-looking vision for the United Nations movement in the United States.

As she embarks on her next chapter, UNA-USA members nationwide - and UNA-NYC in particular - join in expressing profound gratitude for her exceptional service. UNA-NYC encourages all members, friends, and supporters to celebrate Rachel Bowen Pittman's remarkable contributions as we wish her continued success in the years ahead.