The pieces of President Barack Obama’s closing act on U.S. global development cooperation are quickly falling into place.
Last month, Secretary of State John Kerry launched the long-awaited Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, which outlines priority areas and focal points for the U.S. government’s “smart power” agencies to address. And earlier this month, after much speculation, the White House nominated Gayle Smith to be the next U.S. Agency for International Development administrator, a position left vacant since Rajiv Shah’s departure in February.
Except for some vocal critics of her alleged overly accommodating approach to some less-than-free African states, Smith’s nomination has been widely applauded within the development community — but she still faces a tough confirmation process in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.
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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.
