Timothy
Wirth served 6 terms in the House of Representatives and then a term as Senator
before being appointed as the first Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs
by President Clinton. As a Senator, Timothy Wirth had focused on environmental
concerns like global warming and was the perfect choice to head this new State
Department position where he worked closely with Vice President Al Gore and coordinated
U.S. foreign policy regarding the environment, human rights, refugees, population
and many other important social issues until 1997. This experience and his passion
for a better world made him the perfect choice to head Ted Turner's United Nations
Foundation and Better World Fund, which were created in 1998 when Ted Turner pledged
$1 billion to help the United Nations in its work for a more peaceful, just and
sustainable world.