Melissa Williams Email & Phone Number

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

Working with USAID Foreign Service Officers to navigate USAID systems. assignments, and prepare and sustain successful international development careers. Officers served include those just entering the Foreign Service through those at the apex of their careers.

Washington, Dc

Arlington, Va

• Structured priority engagements related to USAID and Department of Defense coordination related to USG response to COVID 19.• Established enhances linkages with flag-level DOD official and USAID senior level staff to advance joint national security objectives related to stabilization, peace and security.

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

• Restructured and revitalized training for new USAID senior-level personnel slated to lead USAID overseas missions and operating units. Expanded USAID executive leadership training by 80% in length and diversified content, including dedicated leadership training linked to job-specific needs. Revised course delivered to 80+ USAID leaders since 2018.• Extensive lecturing in State Department courses to instill and reinforce development perspective in U.S. foreign policy, reaching approximately 500 State employees, annually

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Top Leadership Team for USAID technical bureau spanning 12 development sectors, with over 280 employees and $300 million annual budget.• Led six offices of 125 individuals to promote economic growth, emphasize local solutions to development constraints and ensure effective budget, planning covering budget operations.• Promoted innovation and expanded use of private capital instruments, including social entrepreneurship, for development outcomes• Introduced and advocated for USAID’s initial work in domestic resource mobilization (DRM); overseeing selection of six pilot DRM programs to test concepts.• Fostered USAID’s $50 million trade facilitation alliance with multiple donors and private sector entities.• Instilled process-improvement for USG decision-making and risk-management on sovereign bond guarantees to middle income countries• Re-initiated and structured agency-wide Economic Growth Cluster, consisting of experts from related sectors and regions, to expand joint knowledge, build professional networks, and increase collaboration on common areas of technical work and training.• Expanded focus on sustainable local ownership via selective screening for country-led programs• Represented and negotiated USAID positions in inter-agency policy discussion and decisions • Rationalized programs focused on volunteerism to maximize impact and extend to new partners• Instilled rigor and accountability in Bureau-wide strategic planning, budgeting and procurement.

Zimbabwe

Mission Director, USAID, Harare, Zimbabwe August 2011 – June 2015• Guided delivery of $130+ million annual in USG development assistance to Zimbabwe across health, economic growth, and democracy programming in fragile and politically charged environment, through leadership of 80-person team to achieve complex U.S. foreign policy goals• Forged cross-functional teams and formally led donor partner group to advance coordination among like-minded countries in response to Zimbabwe’s evolving political and economic climate.• Expanded critical health programming in HIV/AIDS and Malaria, reaching high prevalence areas• Promoted innovation in humanitarian assistance and food security/employment programming to reach rural populations of 200,000 households with non-traditional services including digital cash and electronic vouchers• Leveraged funding of over $7 million from key partner countries to advance USAID-led program for youth and women entrepreneurship.

Zambia

• Guided full-spectrum development program of $300+ million USAID annual budgets, with staff of 77 multi-national individuals • Promoted and expanded large HIV/AIDS programming, treating more than 275,000 Zambians, testing more than 1.8 million Zambians and reaching more than 375,000 orphans and vulnerable children• Initiated large scale programs responding to USG Presidential priorities in food security and malaria; securing additional funds and advancing disease reduction in Zambia• Introduced integrated education and safe water program with local NGO and partnership with Coca Cola to increase retention of girls in secondary schools.• Revived nascent democracy promotion efforts to support transparency in two Zambian presidential elections, and with very limited funding secured USG voice in deliberations• Thought leadership and strategic direction for comprehensive program centered on anti-corruption and government transparency, including reducing border-clearance times, overhaul of land titling and registration process and visa processing, positioning Zambia for investment• Shaped and led multi-donor group positions and represented group to Zambian government• Managed organizational change management including process improvement and consolidation of administrative services including transition of staff and programs to co-location facility with State Department

South Africa

• Led 12 person office overseeing large bilateral assistance program responding to South Africa’s priority sectors of education, health, economic policy, agriculture, urban and local development, democracy and environmental with total annual budget of more than $400 million.• Established programs and procedures to respond to launch of HIV/AIDS funding with launch of President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR’• Led first USG-wide annual consultations with the Government of South Africa, including 12 U.S. agencies and ministries and corresponding South African entities.• Established working-level donor coordination across sectors.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Guided operations of eight regional and bilateral USAID missions across Southern Africa with budgets totaling more than $200 million annually, during period of complex food security emergency impacting six countries in the region• Dedicated efforts to restructure office; including development of a new job series for civil service International Development Specialist.• Regular engagement with Congressional staff on issues across Southern Africa including chaotic land tenure in Zimbabwe and peace in Angola

Ontario, Califormia

• Promoted trade opportunities with U.S. companies interested in USAID country operations, in agriculture, health, environment and information technology• Extensive public speaking on USAID and business opportunities• Outreach to local businesses, chambers of commerce, universities on business opportunities with USAID.Collaboration with State of California Export DivisionCollaboration with U.S. Department of Commerce, EXIM Bank, Small Business Agency, and Overseas Private Investment Corporation to promote U.S. exports.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Coordinated budget and strategy operations from USAID/W for eight Southern African missions• Oversight for non-presence budget and strategy in three Southern Africa countries.

Zimbabwe

• Led development and negotiation of first bilateral HIV/AIDS program with Zimbabwe• Developed prototype for USAID legacy institution – development foundation• Expanded private sector programming, focusing on small business opportunities• Oversight of private sector office for 2+ years• Management of final stages of commodity import program with Zimbabwe National Railways• USAID program and policy oversight across USAID/Zimbabwe portfolio

Honduras

• Development of municipal development program targeting 10 secondary cities• Establishment of local currency-funded foundation for Copan Ruins• Program and policy compliance oversight for agriculture and private sector portfolios• Detailed for direct work on USAID support to Honduras’ second democratic election process

Washington D.C. Metro Area

• Headquarters backstopping for USAID missions in Caribbean region• Drafting and development of documents related to program approval

Charlotte, North Carolina Area

• International Trade Finance specialist promoting financial products to North Carolina based middle-market companies• Expansion of newly automated Letter of Credit system to reach company needs• Sales and analysis of key financial products including letters of credit, bankers acceptances, foreign collections, foreign exchange and other offerings

Mount Airy, Nc

• Managed full range of commercial branch operations.• Supervised staff of eight employees conducting full retail branch operations (checking, savings, retail lending, etc.)• Made commercial loans to local industries including agriculture, furniture, granite quarry, manufacturing, and commercial operations. Loan portfolio of approximately $10 million• Implemented numerous campaigns to promote financial products including savings, retirement, and investment opportunities

Charlotte, North Carolina Area

• Conducted financial analysis of middle market companies to support loan operations and syndicated loans• Developed and used analytical products to assess credit worthiness• Monitored company compliance with loan covenants • Completed rigorous in-house training program to build financial assessment skills

Accra, Ghana

Intern at Barclays Bank in Accra Ghana. Observed and assisted in banking operations include Letters of Credit, lending, Foreign Exchange transactions. Served in branch operations and Ghanaian headquarters in period of extreme economic recession and military intervention.

Master’S Degree, International Political Economy

Bs Of Business Administration, Business Admnistration

Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa Graduate Beta Gamma Sigma (Business School Honor Society) AIESEC - Association of Business.

Bachelors, Business Administration