Map of Zambia

USAID new director sworn into office

WASHINGTON, June 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officially swore in Melissa S. Williams as its new mission director for Zambia. Acting USAID Administrator Henrietta Fore presided at the event and administered the oath.

As Mission Director for Zambia, Williams will be working in a country committed to promoting peace and democracy at home and abroad. USAID has operated a mission in Zambia since 1977 working to improve the lives of Zambians in need.

The U.S. foreign assistance program in Zambia supports a variety of sectors including:

Investing in People -- Promotes health and education by focusing on maternal and child health, tuberculosis, family planning and reproductive health improvements and equitable access to quality, basic education. Zambia also receives assistance through the President's Emergency Plan for HIV/AIDS Relief and the President's Malaria Initiative.

Economic Growth -- Promotes development by addressing agricultural and private sector productivity, advancing trade and investment capacity, promoting inclusive economic law and property rights, and improving financial services.

Humanitarian Assistance -- Merges food security with income-generation activities, agricultural projects, and private sector-oriented activities in areas devastated by drought or flood.

Governing Justly and Democratically -- As a Millennium Challenge Corporation threshold country, the two-year, $24.3 million effort to fight corruption and improve government effectiveness focuses on preventing corruption in targeted government institutions, enhancing public service delivery to the private sector, and improving the border management of trade.

Peace and Security -- Trains military officers in counter-terrorism and provides immigration officials with the tools to collect and analyze traveler data.

Williams has been with USAID since 1987 and has more than 20 years of experience in international economics and humanitarian development. Most recently, she served as USAID's Deputy Mission Director in Zambia and as Program Officer in South Africa and Zimbabwe. She also served as the Deputy Director in the Office of Southern African Affairs in USAID's Washington, D.C. headquarters.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Williams also has a master's degree from the London School of Economics. She is married and has a daughter.

For more information about USAID and its programs in Zambia, visit http://www.usaid.gov/.