
The top management team of the U.S. Agency for International Development appears to be finally taking shape with the recent Senate confirmation of nominees for two of the agency’s assistant administrator positions.
The Senate confirmed Sept. 16 the nominations of Mark Feierstein as assistant administrator for Latin America and the Caribbean and Nisha Desai Biswal as assistant administrator for Asia.
Feierstein and Biswal’s confirmations bring to three the total number of confirmed appointees on USAID’s top management team, which has 12 positions. The only other confirmed appointee is USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah.
President Barack Obama announced in August his nomimees for two other key positions: Donald Steinberg as deputy administrator and Nancy Lindborg as assistant administrator for democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance.
>> Obama Names Picks for Key USAID Posts
Obama has yet to announce his nominees for the remaining seven assistant administrator positions.
The Senate also confirmedRobert Orr as the U.S. executive director to the Asian Development Bank on Sept. 16. Orr will serve on the ADB board of directors, which decides on loans, investments, grant and policy proposals, oversees the financial and management operations of the bank, and provides broad strategic guidance to ADB’s senior management.