Co-founder of Portland-based global nonprofit to retire after nearly 40 years

The war, genocide and famine in Cambodia in 1979 prompted Dan O'Neill to start an organization, initially called Save the Refugees Fund, that would make a difference in the world.

Nearly four decades — and $4 billion in assistance to more than 220 million people around the world — later, O'Neill is retiring from what that organization became: Mercy Corps.

“Dan is an incredible man and dear friend,” said Neal Keny-Guyer, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps since 1994 in a release. “His passion and perseverance will always be reflected in the work we do, and we are grateful for his founding vision and lifelong dedication to Mercy Corps.