In a cabinet exit memo delivered to President Barack Obama on Thursday, outgoing U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Gayle Smith pointed to eight years of progress but warned advancing U.S. global development efforts will require “hard work ahead”.
Smith, who will vacate her position when President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, listed six recommendations for “building the USAID the world needs.”
It remains to be seen who might take these recommendations on board. After an unusually long wait, Trump’s USAID transition effort is now underway, but the team, led by former Goldman Sachs Vice President Erin Walsh, has not given any indication of who it might tap to lead the agency. There has also not been any decision yet about who will serve as acting administrator in the intervening time between Smith’s departure and the eventual Trump nominee’s confirmation, according to a USAID official.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
