Anne N. Williams, a trained agricultural specialist, has taken the helm as USAID Madagascar’s new Mission Director. Her appointment follows the U.S. Government’s designation of Madagascar as a target country for both the global Feed the Future initiative and USAID’s new resilience initiative, promising significant new investments by the American people to help Madagascar improve its food security and develop its agricultural sector.
At a recent swearing-in ceremony, for Williams, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power stressed that Madagascar needs someone who understands the country’s political, economic, and cultural context; can win the trust and respect of those who work for her; and can be decisive, yet collaborative, informed, and curious. “In all of those respects, Anne is the perfect person to take on this new role.”
U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar and Comoros Claire A. Pierangelo highlighted USAID’s work in the region: “The entire Mission has been hard at work on initiatives to increase resilience, improve health outcomes, strengthen natural resource management, promote sustainable economic development, and address climate change.”
Williams described Madagascar as “a unique and fascinating country” that nonetheless “faces many daunting challenges stemming from both climate-related shocks and deep poverty.” USAID, she added, works to implement programs “to help where we most can.”
A career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, Williams joined USAID in 2000. She previously served as a Deputy Mission Director in Mali and held postings in Senegal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, and Washington, D.C.