Peace Corps news release:
The National Peace Corps Association is pleased to announce that President Obama has nominated Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) Aaron Williams (Dominican Republic, 1967 – 1970) as the next Peace Corps Director.
"Aaron Williams, as an RPCV who served in the Dominican Republic and a life-long development practitioner and consummate partnership builder, will bring an invaluable set of skills and experiences to the Directorship of the Peace Corps,” says National Peace Corps Association President Kevin Quigley.
“Aaron also understands deeply that the Peace Corps community is a valued ally in assisting the agency achieve its mission of making a more peaceful and prosperous world. Once he is confirmed by the Senate and takes up his position, we will be closer to a bolder Peace Corps, one that that fulfills more of the agency's promise."
As the Director of the Peace Corps, Williams will provide the executive direction for the Peace Corps and oversee the implementation of The Peace Corps Act. Additional Director responsibilities include briefing President Obama on Peace Corps goals and accomplishments, working in agreement with the Peace Corps National Advisory Council and consulting with Secretary of State Clinton and various U.S. Government officials. Williams will also be representing the Peace Corps before Congress.
Williams currently serves on the board of the National Peace Corps Association and is the Vice President for International Business Development with RTI International.
Williams has over 25 years of experience that spans policy formulation, strategic planning and the design and implementation of various development assistance programs. In his role as a senior USAID manager, where he attained the rank of Career Minister in the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Williams provided policy and program leadership to major government organizational units, both in headquarters and field assignments (e.g. Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, and a $1 billion bilateral assistance program in South Africa). Mr. Williams has led project design teams in several countries, working in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Africa, and Asia. Both at USAID and subsequently as Executive Vice President at the International Youth Foundation, he created and managed innovative public-private partnerships between global corporations, government entities (USG and host country), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and international foundations.
Williams has served as a member on several Boards, including the Institute for Sustainable Communities, the Society for International Development-Washington, D.C. and the Pan American Development Foundation. Williams is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Williams is a Chicago State University graduate and received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin.
Aaron Williams' bio:
Aaron Williams is Vice President for International Business Development and responsible for representing RTI's international consulting practice in the Washington DC office. He leads the representational efforts, working with RTI's senior management team and other staff in expanding RTI's involvement in the international development community's dialogue regarding policy and programs concerning the USG and other multilateral donor assistance programs. Related to these efforts, he provides leadership in the development of strategic partnerships with other international organizations and global corporations involved in international development activities.
Mr. Williams has over 25 years of experience in policy formulation, strategic planning, and the design and implementation of development assistance programs. Mr. Williams has directed a broad range of development assistance programs in the areas of economic policy development and economic growth, trade and investment promotion, banking and finance, democracy and governance, education, housing and urban development, and public health.
In his role as a senior USAID manager, where he attained the rank of Career Minister in the US Senior Foreign Service, Mr. Williams provided policy and program leadership to major government organizational units, both in headquarters and field assignments (e.g. Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, and a $1 billion bilateral assistance program in South Africa). Mr. Williams has led project design teams in several countries, working in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Africa, and Asia. Both at USAID and subsequently as Executive Vice President at the International Youth Foundation, he created and managed innovative public-private partnerships between global corporations, government entities (USG and host country), nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and international foundations.
He was awarded the USAID Distinguished Career Service Award in 1998 and the Presidential Award for Distinguished Service in 1992 and 1988. Mr. Williams is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of the Board of Directors of the Cisco Learning Institute (Cisco Systems Corporation), a member of the Intel Corporation's Clubhouse Advisory Panel, a Board member of the Institute for Sustainable Communities, a Board member of the Pan American Development Foundation, and a board member of the Society for International Development- Washington D.C. Mr. Williams was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic (1967-70) and was the Coordinator of Minority Recruitment and Project Evaluation Officer for the U.S. Peace Corps (1970-71). Mr. Williams is a graduate of Chicago State University, and has an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. Peace Corps Connect
