Dr. Kenneth M. Quinn, former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, grew up in Dubuque, Iowa. During his 32-year career with the American Foreign Service, he rose to become one of the most decorated Foreign Service officers of his generation. He is widely acknowledged as the first person to discover and report on the Cambodian genocidal policies and practices.
Dr. Quinn assumed the leadership of the World Food Prize Foundation on January 1, 2000, following his retirement from the State Department. Ambassador Quinn and his wife, Le Son, have three children. They reside in Des Moines, Iowa, the headquarters of the World Food Prize Foundation.
The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing – without regard to race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs – the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.