Airlink announces Paloma Adams-Allen as President & CEO

Former USAID Chief Operating Officer, Paloma Adams-Allen, is announced as nonprofit organization Airlink's new President & CEO.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Airlink, the U.S.-based nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of aviation to provide humanitarian relief to communities in crisis, announced Paloma Adams-Allen as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. She succeeds Steve Smith, who led the organization for 13 years.

Paloma Adams-Allen brings more than twenty years of global development leadership and expertise to Airlink’s mission, including her most recent role as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Administrator for Management and Resources at the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID), where she oversaw operations in more than 100 countries. Prior to that, Adams-Allen served as President and CEO of the Inter-American Foundation, and held senior positions at Winrock International, the Organization of American States, and USAID’s Latin America and Caribbean bureau.

“Paloma’s deep operational experience, global perspective, and commitment to empowering communities make her the right leader to guide Airlink into its next chapter,” said Todd Freeman, Chair of Airlink’s Board of Trustees. “Airlink’s priorities include expanding our humanitarian logistics capabilities to enhance our capacity for disaster response—we are confident that Paloma can deliver results.”

Airlink, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, is known for leveraging its airline and logistics network to transport humanitarian aid at minimal or no-cost to non-government organizations, establishing itself as a critical logistical expert.

“As natural and man-made crises grow in frequency and complexity, Airlink’s model—saving lives by connecting aviation and humanitarian partners to get aid to communities in crisis quickly and cost effectively—has never been more essential,” said Adams-Allen. “I’m honored to join this extraordinary team and look forward to expanding Airlink’s reach, deepening its partnerships, and strengthening local response capacity around the world.”

“We are excited to see the impact of Paloma’s leadership experience, expertise and vision in elevating Airlink’s activities and advancing our mission worldwide,” said Freeman.

Airlink’s partners across the aviation and humanitarian industries will be invited to meet and greet Adams-Allen in the coming weeks to discuss shared visions for the future of disaster relief. To learn more about Airlink’s incoming President and CEO, visit the link here.

About Airlink, Inc.
Airlink is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization delivering critical aid to communities in crisis by providing free or discounted airlift and logistical solutions to vetted nonprofit partners, changing how the humanitarian community responds to disasters worldwide. Its network includes over 200 aid organizations and over 50 commercial and charter airlines. Since its inception in 2010, Airlink has flown 14,00 relief workers and transported 18 million pounds of humanitarian cargo, directly helping 64 million people impacted by natural and man-made disasters. In 2025 Airlink celebrates its 15th anniversary. For more information, visit airlinkflight.org and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Natalie Jacobsen
Airlink
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