Washington: President Barack Obama on Thursday nominated Gayle Smith as the Administrator of USAID and if confirmed by the Congress she would replace Indian-American Raj Shah as the head of the American aid agency.
"I've worked closely with Gayle for nearly a decade, and for the past six years Gayle has served as a senior leader on international development, humanitarian crisis response, and democracy issues on my National Security Council staff," Obama said.
"Gayle's energy and passion have been instrumental in guiding America's international development policy, responding to a record number of humanitarian crises worldwide, and ensuring that development remains at the forefront of the national security agenda at a time when USAID is more indispensable than ever," he said.
If confirmed by the US Congress, she would replace Shah, who left the US Agency for International Development (USAID) earlier this year.
Smith is Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Development and Democracy on the National Security Council staff, a position she has held since 2009, with responsibility for global development, democracy, and humanitarian assistance issues.
In her capacity as Senior Director, she has coordinated the first-ever Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, led the Administration's work on global health, overseen the creation of Presidential initiatives including Feed the Future, Power Africa, the Global Health Security Agenda and the Open Government Partnership and also helped coordinate US government responses to more than 15 major humanitarian crises around the world.
National Security Advisor Susan Rice said Smith's expertise and vision have been instrumental to the Administration's successes in promoting food security, global health, Power Africa and the Ebola response.
"If confirmed by the Senate, I know Gayle will continue to use her remarkable talents to lead USAID at a time when its contributions to international development and humanitarian response are more essential than ever," she said.
"Gayle's leadership on global development, democracy, and humanitarian assistance issues on the President's National Security Council staff, as well as her prior experience as Advisor to the USAID Chief of Staff and Administrator and her two decades of experience working in Africa, equip her well to lead USAID at a time when our Agency's role in international development and humanitarian response are more critical than ever," said Acting Administrator Alfonso E Lenhardt.
