Caryl M. Stern
2015 Mattie J.T. Stepanek Peacemaker Award Honoree

CARYL M. STERN is President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. Since joining the U.S. Fund in 2006, Stern has made it her mission to put children first, traveling to more than 30 countries in support of UNICEF’s work to save and protect the world’s most vulnerable children. Caryl has spearheaded the organization’s efforts to help UNICEF aid children affected by disasters, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 East Africa drought, and the current Ebola crisis. During her tenure, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF has nearly doubled its fundraising revenue and Caryl has published her latest book, I Believe in ZERO: Learning From the World’s Children, to critical acclaim.

Prior to joining the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, Caryl served as the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Associate National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, the founding Director of the Anti-Defamation League's A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute and the Dean of Students at Polytechnic University.

She has served as a board member for organizations that include the We Are Family Foundation, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, the Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation, the United Nations International School, Chime for Change and the Advisory Board to the WNBA. Additionally, she is a member of the Board of The Container Store.

Caryl has received numerous awards and been named one of “25 Moms We Love” by Working Mother Magazine and “Ten Women to Watch” by Jewish Women International. Caryl lives in New York and enjoys spending time with her husband Donald LaRosa, three sons (Brian, Lee and James LaRosa) and two grandchildren (Annabelle and Shane LaRosa).