August 24, 2009 – Aaron
S. Williams was sworn in Monday as the eighteenth Director of the Peace
Corps. Director Williams was nominated by President Obama on July 14
and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 7.
"I am deeply
honored to be the Director of the Peace Corps and I want to thank
President Obama for the trust that he has placed in me. I look forward
to making his call to public service a reality for more Americans,"
said Director Williams. "I am committed to recruiting, training, and
supporting the next generation of skilled and enthusiastic volunteers
eager to serve side by side with members of Peace Corps host
communities around the world."
Aaron S Williams Takes the
Oath of OfficeMagnifying glass iconMr. Williams is the fourth director
to have served as a Peace Corps volunteer. He served as a volunteer in
the Dominican Republic from 1967 to 1970. Upon completing his service,
he became the coordinator of minority recruitment and project
evaluation officer for the Peace Corps in his hometown of Chicago from
1970 to 1971.
Mr. Williams has pursued a career in the
development and implementation of worldwide assistance programs. Mr.
Williams was a vice president for International Business Development
with RTI International. He was a senior manager at the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID), where he attained the rank of Career
Minister in the U.S. Senior Foreign Service. He also served as
executive vice president of the International Youth Foundation.
As
USAID Mission Director in South Africa, Mr. Williams led a billion
dollar foreign assistance program during President Nelson Mandela's
administration. In addition, he has extensive experience in the design
and management of assistance programs in Latin America, Africa, Asia,
and the Middle East. He was awarded the USAID Distinguished Career
Service Award, and was twice awarded the Presidential Award for
Distinguished Service.
He is a member of the Council on
Foreign Relations, and he was a member of the USAID Advisory Committee
on Voluntary Foreign Aid. He served on the Obama-Biden transition team,
the advisory board of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, the board of
directors of CARE, and the boards of the Institute for Sustainable
Communities, the Pan American Development Foundation, and the National
Peace Corps Association.
Mr. Williams is fluent in Spanish.
He is a graduate of Chicago State University, and has an MBA from the
University of Wisconsin. Mr. Williams met his wife Rosa during his
service as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic. The couple have two
sons, Michael and Steven.
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