USAID Alumni Association: Benefits and Impact

The USAID Alumni Association (UAA) plays a crucial role in fostering connections among former employees of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and leveraging their expertise to continue contributing to global development. This article explores the benefits of the UAA, its impact on various communities, and the opportunities it provides for alumni to remain engaged in meaningful service.

Introduction

The USAID Alumni Association (UAA) stands as a testament to the enduring commitment of individuals who have dedicated their careers to international development through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The UAA serves as a vital link connecting former USAID employees, providing a platform for them to continue contributing to global development initiatives long after their tenure at the agency. More than just a networking group, the UAA is a dynamic community that leverages the collective expertise and experience of its members to address pressing global challenges.

The Purpose of the USAID Alumni Association

The USAID Alumni Association (UAA) serves several critical functions:

Connecting Alumni: The UAA provides a platform for former USAID employees to stay connected with each other, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose.
Leveraging Expertise: By bringing together individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences in international development, the UAA facilitates the exchange of knowledge and best practices.
Promoting Continued Service: The UAA encourages alumni to remain engaged in meaningful service, both domestically and internationally, through various initiatives and programs.
Preserving USAID's Legacy: The UAA actively works to preserve the history and institutional knowledge of USAID, ensuring that its legacy of development work is not forgotten.

Alumni of the Year Awards

The Alumni of the Year awards, granted to UAA contributing members, are intended to recognize and celebrate new paths taken by USAID alumni to provide service to their communities and to make lasting contributions to others at home and abroad. The UAA will continue the premise, began in 2014, that one award would go to someone whose contributions were mainly domestic and another one to a nominee whose contributions were primarily overseas. Depending on the nature of the nominations, we will be flexible and may honor more than one person in both categories and no one in each of these categories in any given year.

Since 2014, this award has honored nineteen outstanding alumni whose contributions have inspired us all. Many other alumni deserve recognition, and the UAA Awards Committee needs your help in identifying individuals whose post-USAID activities are truly exemplary and highlight the quality of our alumni community. The list below provides examples of service that are appropriate for consideration. Service with nongovernmental organizations and other groups (for profit or nonprofit) that work closely with communities with special needs, at home or abroad, or both. Most frequently, these services are provided on a voluntary basis. Nevertheless, we will not exclude a nomination for an individual who is paid for the service he/she renders as long as that service goes beyond the expected contribution and is not simply a continuation of the work the nominee was doing prior to separation from USAID.

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Nomination Process

Anyone in the UAA registered alumni community may nominate a contributing member as candidate for the award. This includes registered alumni, contributing members, and members of the UAA Executive Committee. Only Awards Committee members are ineligible to nominate candidates. Alumni interested in nominating someone (or in self-nomination) are asked to prepare a brief description of what the individual has been doing since leaving USAID and describe in one or two pages (maximum; less is preferable) the innovative or transformative service of the nominee that merits recognition. The nomination should describe the impact of the contribution and why it might be inspiring to others, particularly the USAID alumni community. The Awards Committee will review nominations and make final decisions for the winners. The award winners will be notified in advance and will be announced and publicly recognized at the Annual General Meeting.

Expanding Policy Experience: AAAS Fellowships at USAID Missions

AAAS is excited to provide STPF alumni an opportunity to expand their policy experience beyond the beltway. The Alumni Overseas Fellowships at USAID Missions allow fellows to apply the skills they gained in Washington to international development. Placements at USAID Missions provide an invaluable opportunity to witness firsthand the impact of science and technology on development goals. Fellows at USAID Missions serve as focal points on science, technology, innovation and partnership (STIP) related issues and help increase internal capacity in these fields.

Overseas Fellows bring scientific rigor to proposal and program reviews, analyze data for decision making, convene Mission-wide S&T working groups, forge links with host-country universities and scientific communities, liaise with local scientific Ministries, and function as the Mission’s in-house scientist. They can also serve as specialized technical officers. For example, Overseas Fellows have advised Missions on the development of adaptation strategies for river deltas, assisted host countries with the establishment of effective wildlife conservation area management, and designed agricultural and biodiversity programs.

Eligibility and Employment

You are a current fellow or STPF alumnus/a who served in any executive, judicial, legislative branch or Revelle fellowship under the AAAS umbrella within the past six years (currently September 2013 through August 2020). You submitted all fellowship impact plans (formerly called professional development plans), fellowship mid-year and year-end reports, and completed the term in good standing in accordance with the Fellowship Completion Policy. In order to be placed at a USAID Mission, Overseas Fellows are hired as Foreign Service Limited (FSL) staff. This is a direct hire appointment, which means you will become an employee of USAID, not AAAS. Overseas Fellowships have a rolling start date depending on the completion of onboarding steps, including obtaining the appropriate security clearance level and medical clearance, as well as other hiring steps as detailed by USAID.

Wesleyan University Alumni at USAID

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), created by President Kennedy in 1961, has been a magnet for Wesleyan alumni interested in changing the world. That’s true from the highest levels of policymaking (Wesleyan President Emeritus Douglas Bennet ’59 led the organization from 1979 to 1981) to work in the field, offering hands-on development aid. Wesleyan-with its curriculum that encourages global awareness and an ethos of service-groomed these graduates for top positions in international development, says Eric Postel ’77.

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Many Wesleyan graduates serve our country in the Peace Corps-Wesleyan ranks 14th on the Corps’ “Top Colleges” list. Some graduates go into the military or diplomacy. Others have started their own NGOs, such as Shining Hope for Communities, Brighter Dawns, and the MINDS Foundation.

Notable Wesleyan Alumni Contributions

Eric Postel ’77: As assistant administrator for the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (or “E3” in USAID parlance), Postel is one of 13 bureau heads appointed by the President. Postel is very interested in making the system work better. As a development consultant in the private sector, he began helping to create several stock exchanges in Africa.
Christian Holmes ’68: With wide-ranging experience in international aid, Holmes serves not only as global water coordinator but also as one of Postel’s deputy assistant administrators. Holmes wanted to be far more operational, directly involved in saving lives.
John Pasch ’93: Holmes began actively recruiting the Wes ’93 grad, who had majored in environmental sciences and later earned his engineering degree from Colorado State University. This engineer was the expert Holmes was angling for-and he was not above using their shared alma mater to his advantage.
Charles North ’82: North grew up in Nigeria and Ghana, where his father had been stationed with USAID. He was drawn to his father’s alma mater (where he helped found the Spirits a capella group), and he majored in both economics and African studies, writing his thesis on entrepreneurship in Kenya, with Economics Professor Peter Kilby as his adviser.

Holmes is adamant that the convergence of Pasch and Postel arriving in E3-the first with amazing technical expertise and the other with the vision and experience to garner multilevel cooperation-is what allowed the team to ultimately produce the first-ever USAID systemwide water strategy document.

Global Perspective

The Wesleyan background and training helps people feel more comfortable with people who have different kinds of background, training, and points of view, and it naturally lends itself to the career that I’ve had. On cultivating a global perspective, he advises recent Wesleyan graduates interested in an international career. Be open to opportunities as they arise, do not think in linear terms so that you go step by step. Be very flexible. Look at the opportunities in terms of what you can learn and not just what you have to offer. Network like crazy with other Wesleyan graduates and others that you might have in your sphere.

UAA Activities and Events

To increase UAA’s relevance, expand its reach, boost membership, and address the impact of the unplanned dismantling of USAID, UAA is strongly supporting and encouraging the gatherings of USAID Alumni nationwide and abroad.

Regional Chapters

Currently, Florida and California are the most active and have established UAA Chapters.

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California: There are five active local groups: San Diego-Orange County, Los Angeles-Desert, Central Coast (Santa Barbara), San Francisco-Oakland, Sacramento-Sierra. Each group meets in person and provides networking and job search support, as well as builds a USAID-community of friendship and general support.
Florida: Florida has been very active for several years. Their model includes partnering closely with the Florida Foreign Service Alumni Association.

Past Events

SOCAL SOCIAL (San Diego-Orange County-LA-Palm Springs): Twenty-five USAID SoCal Alumni gathered on Saturday, 24 January 2026, to build community, share stories, and discuss February activities, including “Celebrating USAID” Month of February.
California Bay Area USAID Alumni: gathered in San Francisco on Friday evening, 23 January 2026, for a Storytelling event, sharing a lifetime of stories from our USAID experiences.
SAC/Sierra Alumni & Amigos group: got together once again in Sacramento, this time at the SacYard Community Tap Room, in honor of visiting USAID alumni Steve and Cristina Olive, who came up from Southern California to see their son, who is a student at UC-Davis.
Florida Foreign Service Alumni Association (FSAA): Over 60 members of Florida’s Foreign Service Alumni Association (FSAA) met for their Annual General Meeting on January 16 at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
UAA Friendsgiving: On December 13 we gathered for our first UAA Friendsgiving. The event was held in Alexandria from 3-5 with 36 members plus families and friends.
UAA Annual General Meeting (AGM): Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2025 UAA Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 31, either in-person or virtually.
Berkeley Rotary Peace Award: On September 24, thirty USAID California alumni received the Berkeley Rotary Peace Award. 175 Berkeley Rotarians honored USAID’s decades of global Peace efforts. UC Berkeley Chancellor Lyons and Berkeley Mayor Ishii commended USAID for its countless contributions in international development and humanitarian assistance, including critical research.
Foreign Service Retiree Association (FSRA): At a meeting of the Foreign Service Retiree Association (FSRA), soon to be renamed Foreign Service Alumni Association (FSAA) of Florida that took place in Delray Beach on Florida’s east coast on September 9th, 2025, many of the 35 participants, mostly from the southern half of the state were former employees of USAID, recently returning to live and work in Florida following the shutdown of our foreign assistance agency.
DACOR Development Dialogues: DACOR has decided that virtual attendance at its programs - including the UAA/DACOR Development Dialogues - will now cost $10 per program, plus a 3% charge for credit card payments.
Development Issues Committee: The Development Issues Committee hosted Tod Preston, Executive Director of the Managing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) on October 7, 2025.
Summer Group Trip to the National Portrait Gallery: On July 11 the UAA Social Committee organized a summer group trip to the National Portrait Gallery.
Foreign Service Nationals Family Unity Picnic: On Sunday, June 25th, a memorable event took place at Fort Hunt Park in Virginia. Under the leadership of Counselor Clinton White, a group of USAID headquarter staff organized the inaugural Foreign Service Nationals Family Unity Picnic.

Upcoming Events

Vermont UAA Picnic: Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the annual Vermont UAA picnic will be held in Rochester VT. All alums and friends of USAID in New England in early August are most welcome to attend.
UAA Annual Picnic: Saturday, September 9, 2-6 pm at Ft Hunt Park, Alexandria, Va. The event is open to all UAA alumni and their families.
Rubel Museum and Lunch: On Thursday, October 26, we’ll take in the Rubel Museum on the wharf and follow with lunch.
Virginia Wine Country Trip: On Saturday, October 28 we’ll head for nearby wine country.

UAA's Stance on Locally Led Development

The UAA has been vocal about its support for locally led development, advocating for USAID to enhance the roles and responsibilities of Foreign Service National (FSN) employees in USAID’s field missions. This includes increasing salaries for qualified FSNs and putting in place a clear set of norms to reflect on bias or perceived conflicts of interest in the local context. The UAA believes that these steps would help USAID advance its commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and professional recognition and fairness.

Preserving USAID's Legacy

Since 2019 the American University Library Archives have welcomed donations of AID alumni personal memorabilia of their USAID service. The UAA has now established a partnership with the Archives to support the preparation, processing, and making available to researchers of these papers, including those donated by the UAA and by individual alumni and others. The UAA has pledged an initial sum of $10,000 over two years ($5,000 each year) to finance student interns to help prepare and organize these papers and make them more easily available.

USAID's Impact: Examples from ASU Projects

Arizona State University (ASU) has been a significant partner with USAID on numerous projects aimed at addressing global challenges. These projects exemplify the broad impact of USAID's work and the importance of continued engagement in international development.

Key Projects and Initiatives

Global Academic and Research Partnership with Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST): This project in Ghana improved supply chain education and research, enhanced scholarly publications, created a Career Services Office, and developed an alumni relations program.
El Salvador Project: This project focused on disrupting cycles of violence by addressing intimate partner violence and promoting female entrepreneurship.
Industry-Linked Curricula and Student Experiential Learning in Indonesia: This program established industry-linked curricula and student experiential learning, helped students learn about suitable international degree programs, and encouraged engagement between faculty from the United States and Indonesia.

Other USAID Projects ASU has worked on:

Young African Leaders Initiative Legacy & Localization Activity (YALI L&L, terminated): The objective was to establish YALI Africa as a self-sustaining, African-led leadership network, equipping young professionals to drive economic growth and governance.
YouthMappers: This initiative aimed to enhance geospatial data through student-led mapping projects, supporting infrastructure planning, agriculture and health.
Center of Excellence for Energy project at Ain Shams University, one of ASU's partner universities in Egypt: investment in energy markets.
Global Locust Initiative: By improving locust outbreak management, the program protects agriculture-dependent economies, ensuring food security and reducing economic instability that could contribute to migration and regional unrest.

The Importance of USAID's Work

ASU's involvement in USAID projects highlights the agency's crucial role in addressing global challenges and promoting international development.

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