Purpose: 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.

What are we looking for? 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 seventeen 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. In response to the many positive comments and suggestions by members in the past evaluations of the annual general meeting, we are pleased to continue the signature Alumni of the Year award criteria and recipient eligibility.

The list below provides examples of service that are appropriate for consideration. Nominations, however, are not limited to these example categories.

• 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. Examples may include legal services or advocacy for disadvantaged groups, foster parenting, medical service in underserved areas, etc.
• Service with groups that promote education (at any level) or the arts and sciences (e.g., museums, community theater, music appreciation, science fairs, etc.).
• Support for civic programs of any kind (e.g., Scouts movement or projects promoted by groups such as the Lions, Rotary, NAACP, or similar).
• Leadership excellence, including contributions to intellectual development and implementation (e.g., for sustained extraordinary achievement, dedication and passion in a leadership role).
• Service by alumni, including retirees and their spouses or partners, who are UAA members and actively support contributions in furtherance of social and economic development and humanitarian relief at home or abroad.

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. The post-USAID contribution should reflect innovative service likely to leave a long-lasting contribution to the community and people being served.

Who can nominate? Anyone in the UAA registered alumni community may nominate a 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. The Awards Committee will take upon itself the task of verifying the facts contained in the nominations (including self-nominations) that stand out and merit further consideration.

Nomination format: 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. Keep it simple and brief. 

When and where to send nominations: The Awards Committee will accept nominations, beginning now (March 2022) until July 31, 2022. Nominations received after that date cannot be considered. Send nominations electronically to: awards@usaidalumni.org.

The Awards Committee will review nominations and make final decisions for the winners in August and September. The award winners will be notified in advance and will be announced and publicly recognized at the Annual General Meeting on October 28, 2022. The UAA also will feature some of the nominees, including those who were not selected, in the monthly UAA newsletter and in the Alumni Profiles section of the UAA website.

We encourage everyone to consider nominating (or self-nominating) someone you know who is deserving of this recognition.

Public-Private Partnerships – a Perspective on 20 Years of Experience

AnnaMaria Shaker

AnnaMaria Shaker is the Chief of Staff of Deloitte US’s International Development Practice within Government and Public Services. She is a seasoned project manager of USAID and State Department-funded foreign assistance development programs that advance inclusive economic opportunities and good governance. AnnaMaria is skilled in building relationships and partnerships with government, business, and civil society across cultures, languages, borders, and sectors to drive results for shared goals.

Prior to joining Deloitte, she worked with non-governmental organizations supporting local private sector, civil society, and governments across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) on economic governance reform. At Deloitte, she has supported USAID in MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Southeast Asia as a project manager on technical issues related to locally-led development, economic growth and governance, and private sector engagement. AnnaMaria is a former Fulbright Fellow to Morocco, holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown, and speaks Arabic and French.

Michael Metzler

Executive Director Michael Metzler oversees DDI’s Private Sector Engagement Hub and manages the Agency’s relationship with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.

Previously, Mr. Metzler was the Director of USAID’s Development Credit Authority (DCA)  in which he successfully led efforts that mobilized over $6 billion of new financing for development projects in over 80 countries.  He was also a leading Agency voice on the development of the BUILD Act, which created the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and managed the successful merger of the DCA office and program into the DFC.

Prior to his DCA work, Mr. Metzler served as the Director of USAID’s Economic Growth Office in Serbia, where he managed a diverse portfolio of projects focused on regulatory reform, local economic development, agriculture, enterprise competitiveness, and economic security.

Mr. Metzler has also served as a special assistant and adviser to several USAID administrators on issues related to financial markets, macroeconomic policy, and regulatory reform.  Before joining USAID, he was the director of a national house-building program for Habitat for Humanity International and served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Nepal.

Mr. Metzler is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, where he studied development finance and economics.

Heather Kulp

Heather Kulp is the Manager of Strategy & Analytics for Chevron where she is responsible for developing actionable insights on emerging trends, and helping drive strategy across Corporate Affairs.

Previously, she led International Government Affairs for Chevron’s Washington, DC office. Ms. Kulp was the Executive Director of the Niger Delta Partnership Initiative (NDPI) in Washington, D.C., a foundation established by Chevron that builds partnerships to combat poverty and conflict in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. She has also  served as Manager of Public Affairs for Chevron in Richmond and provided strategic support on community issues and social investment to business units across the globe.

Before joining Chevron, Ms. Kulp spent 10 years working on conflict management and community development in places such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, Burundi, East Timor, Ecuador and Peru. Ms. Kulp served as the Country Director of Search for Common Ground’s Angola office, where she designed, developed and managed a multi-faceted peacebuilding and community development program. This program was recognized by USAID and the US Department of State as an example of “best practices” in international development.

A western New York native, Ms. Kulp holds a B.A. in International Relations and English literature from Boston University and an M.A. in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International Affairs. Ms. Kulp lives in Silver Spring, MD, with her husband, two children and two dogs.

Localization of Development Assistance and its Implications for USAID Programming

Donald Steinberg 

Donald Steinberg serves as Expert Advisor to the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he focuses on expanding locally-led development, re-aligning U.S. policies with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.  He also serves as Executive Director of the NGO Mobilizing Men as Partners for Women, Peace, and Security, which works to expand the leadership and participation of women in global security issues and peace processes.

From 2009-2013, he was Deputy Administrator at USAID, where he prioritized the inclusion of women, people with disabilities, LGBT persons, indigenous populations, and other marginalized groups into the development and humanitarian assistance space.  Other past government service includes Ambassador to Angola, Director of the Department of State’s Joint Policy Council, White House Deputy Press Secretary, NSC Senior Director for Africa, Special Haiti Coordinator, Senior Fellow at U.S. Institute of Peace, and the President’s Special Representative for Demining.

In the civil society arena, he was a senior fellow at the NGO umbrella organization, InterAction, supporting its members in expanding diversity, equity, and inclusion.  He served as president and CEO of World Learning, an international nonprofit organization that provides education, exchange, and development programs in more than 60 countries.  Other past civil society service includes Deputy President of the International Crisis Group, Co-chair of the Board of the Women’s Refugee Commission, Fellow at Our Secure Future, visiting professor at Dartmouth University, and a member of the UN Secretary General’s Civil Society Advisory Group for Women, Peace, and Security.

He has received the Presidential Meritorious Service Award, the Frasure Award for International Peace, the Pulitzer Fellowship, the Leet Award for Women’s Empowerment, and career Distinguished Service Awards from both the State Department and USAID.

He holds master’s degrees in economics from the University of Toronto and in journalism from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree from Reed College.

Betty Wilkinson 

Ms. Betty Wilkinson is the Chief Executive Officer of Financial Sector Deepening Zambia. With over 30 years of professional experience worldwide, Ms. Wilkinson has been an entrepreneur, banker, leading multilateral bank manager, field researcher, policy advisor, developing country government senior official, and volunteer. She engages globally with ministers, central bank governors, industry representatives, and leaders of development agencies, NGOs, think tanks, and communities to facilitate evidence-based innovation and change.

Ms. Wilkinson uses her knowledge, experience, and networks to enable pro-poor inclusive growth, using a participatory, innovative style to engage key champions of reform, develop and manage successful teams, and ensure sustainable results.

Natalie Africa, Senior Advisor to the Director, Africa

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Natalie is a senior international development professional who currently serves as Senior Advisor/Chief of Staff to the Director, Africa at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Natalie has global and regional public-private sector experience covering health, finance, MSME development and gender. Prior to joining the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Natalie served as Senior Director for Global Health and Private Sector Engagement at the United Nations Foundation in New York. She has innovated and led global and regional programs covering inclusive business, gender & private sector development at the UNDP and the IFC and worked for private sector institutions such as HSBC and Absa Bank. She is a strong champion for gender equality who served as a diplomat in the South African government during the Mandela administration.

Natalie holds an MA in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and a BA in History from the University of Lyon III, Jean Moulin.

COP-26 and the Implications for U.S. Foreign Assistance Programming on Climate Change

Jay L. Knott, Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)

At EDF, Jay oversees Human Resources, Finance, Corporate Counsel, Corporate Services, Global Operations, and IT, to form an operations systems for EDF that allows scientists, lawyers, economists, and all the other people working at EDF to be more effective and have maximum impact.

Most recently, Jay was the Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer, to Abt Associates, a policy, research, and international development for-profit firm. Before that, Jay spent much of his career with the U.S.A.I.D, where he served in South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Jay attended Yale for undergraduate, where he majored in Political Economy and African Studies, and later went to law school at Penn.

Kathryn Stratos, Deputy Director of the Center for Environment, Energy and Infrastructure

Kathryn Stratos serves as the Deputy Director of the Center for Environment, Energy and Infrastructure, leading the Climate and Cross Sectoral Strategy branch. The EEI center is in the Bureau for Development, Democracy and Innovation.  Stratos joined USAID in 1991 to work on its assistance program for Eastern Europe.  She has managed agriculture, democracy and governance, and health projects, completed a tour with USAID’s Central Asia mission, and worked on climate change and development issues since 2012.  She has a Masters Degree in Public Affairs from the University of Texas.

It is with great sadness that Global Research & Discovery Group (“GRDG”) announces the passing of Lieutenant Colonel William H. (“Bill”) Lyerly, Jr., Chief Strategy Advisor to the company. Bill passed away on December 26, 2020 surrounded by family. He dedicated his life to public service with a distinguished career of combined 42 years in the US Military and Senior Executive positions of the US Government.

Col. Lyerly’s remarkable career of service began at the United States Air Force Academy where upon graduation in 1975, he was commissioned an Air Force 2nd Lt. and served as an Avionics Officer. He then transitioned to the US Army Medical Service Corps where he worked in the fields of Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Biodefense, including multiple leadership assignments at the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (AFMIC), the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), and as the Division Chief of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). He retired from the Army Reserve in 2013 at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Mr. Lyerly served almost 15 years at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) where he traveled extensively leading coordination of the agency’s responses to many disasters and crises including the HIV/AIDS and Malaria epidemics in Africa, the 1988 Soviet-Armenian earthquake, the 1991 Kurdish relief efforts in Iraq, humanitarian assistance in Somalia in 1992-1993, the Tajikistan civil war in 1994, the Tanzania/Kenya Embassy bombings in 1998, and the Kosovo crisis in 1999.  He was an advisor and liaison to many organizations including the US Central Command (CENTCOM) US European Command (USEUCOM), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations, and the World Health Organization. He assisted in creating the Office of Public Health Emergency Preparedness in the wake of the post 9-11 Anthrax incident.

Mr. Lyerly was crucial as the Biodefense Lead of the White House Homeland Security Transition Office at the inception of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2003. He then held Senior Executive Service positions at the DHS including Director of Bio-Countermeasures Coordination, Director of WMD Operations and Incident Management, and finally as Director of International Affairs and Special Assistant for Global Health Security.

Col. Lyerly’s military decorations include, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, two Joint Service Commendation Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, two Joint Service Achievement Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. His many government civilian awards and honors include the USAID Meritorious Honor Award, the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award, and the HHS Superior Service Award.

Bill earned a Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences from the US Air Force Academy, a Master of Arts in Management and Healthcare Administration from Central Michigan University, a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University, and completed post-graduate coursework in Disaster Management, Epidemiology, Immunology, Infectious Diseases, and International Health. He has an extensive body of work as author and co-author of over 70 publications in official government reports and many peer-reviewed scientific journals.

In addition to his role as Chief Strategy Advisor for GRDG, Mr. Lyerly also served on the Board of Advisors for Impact BioMedical, Inc.

Daryl Thompson, Founder of GRDG said, “Colonel ‘Bill’ Lyerly was a true American hero as well as an inspirational mentor. He worked tirelessly to fight global health crises and improve lives around the world. Bill was an incredible source of medical and scientific knowledge and experience that was critical to the nation’s Biodefense Initiatives. We will miss him greatly.”

GRDG’s Chief Scientific Advisor Dr. Roscoe M. Moore, Jr. said, “Bill was a good friend and dedicated colleague for almost four decades. His distinguished career in public service, which included being assigned to the White House, is a testament to his strong character and desire to leave this world a better place. He will be missed by many, but his work leaves a legacy that benefits countless people. I am truly honored to have known and worked with him.” Dr. Moore is former Assistant United States Surgeon General.

Bill was a devoted husband to his wife Sylvia, a loving father to his daughters, Heather and Kirsten, and a doting grandfather to his four grandchildren.  He committed his entire life to helping people in any capacity he could. His family received a call from an organ donation non-profit saying that his organs will help over 50 people including the giving the gift of eyesight to two separate people, as eyesight is important and that’s why there is advanced imaging systems just for this.

In loving memory of Richard Louis Camaur who passed away on November 22, 2020. Richard is survived by his daughter, Elisabeth Camaur Crampton, his son, Paul Camaur, his daughter- in-law, Diana Camaur, his three grandchildren, David Crampton, Aleksandra Crampton and Alexis Camaur, his former wife, Nancy Camaur and his second wife, Wendy Burns Camaur.  Richard was born in Healdsburg, California, December 21, 1943 to his parents Josephine Camaur and Cesare Camaur. During his childhood, he became fluent in several foreign languages including Spanish, Italian and German. After high school, he attended Georgetown University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science from the School of Foreign Service in 1965; his Masters in Latin American Affairs, with distinction in 1971; and his Juris Doctor in 1976.  Richard served in the U.S. Army Reserve 1965-1973 as a Captain and was stationed in Panama from 1967-1969. He served in the U.S. Agency for International Development from 1969-1979 and was an Economic Affairs Adviser for the U.S. Panama Canal Treaty Negotiating Team with the United States Department of State from 1977-1979. Richard also was an instructor at the George Mason University Enterprise Center, Business Institute.  In 1980, Richard opened his law firm in Fairfax County Virginia where he provided legal services in the areas of civil litigation, domestic relations, estate planning, probate law, business law and international transactions. He also devoted substantial time to pro bono cases and was a long time member of the Lions Club. And, from 2002 until his death, he was a certified genealogist and active member of the National Genealogy Society.  No services are being held given the COVID-19 pandemic. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the  https://diabetes.org.

Ross W. Wherry, 66, of Moline, passed on Friday, June 7, 2019, surrounded by loving family and dachshund.  He was born November 30, 1952, in Springfield, the son of Richard and Doris Wherry.  While he was born and died in the same-ish zip code, he traveled the world helping others. He was the first Eagle Scout of Orion, Troup 123.  During his time in the Marines and the State Department (USAID), he was stationed in Africa, Europe, Central and South America, the Middle East, and Asia.  He saved sea turtles, helped farmers, encouraged education, improved access to medical care and clean water, and worked to repair infrastructure in war torn countries.

Ross mastered several languages, sang in community and church choirs, played French horn, and enjoyed the arts.  Ross was an enthusiastic travel guide and history buff.  He nurtured gardens, hiked in the National Parks, and remained involved in local theatres and historical preservation.  Still, he always found time for a glass of wine, a good cheese, a thick book, a hearty laugh, and sharing stories with family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Michael.  He is survived by his wife and daughters, Donna, Kathryn and Antonia; his siblings, Donald, Maryan, and Chon; sisters-in-law, Sharon and Diana.

Mel F. McBeth, 86, a former Foreign Service officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department, died June 11, 2020, in Concord, California at the age of 86. Mr. McBeth was born in California on February 21, 1934. From 1954 to 1956, he served in the U.S. Army in Okinawa. He earned a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University in 1959 and worked in banking in San Francisco until 1966, when he joined USAID for an assignment in Seoul, South Korea.  In 1967, he became an international trade and investment promotion advisor in South Korea. In 1971, he became a private enterprise advisor in Saigon, South Vietnam. Later that year, he was detailed to the State Department. As a geographer, he produced notes on geographical changes for borders, provinces and city names, which were sent to various government agencies.

In 1975, he was let go along with other personnel in a reduction in force. Mr. McBeth then moved to San Francisco where he worked for Safeco Title and Commonwealth Title until his office was closed. He took computer courses, and then went to work for a medical company in Oakland, retiring in 2000. Friends note Mr. McBeth’s lifelong thirst for knowledge and spirit of adventure. He traveled to 88 countries. Mostly by road, he also traveled nationwide to all 50 states and their capitals, as well as every county in California. Also an avid walker, Mr. McBeth walked more than 80 percent of San Francisco’s streets between 1982 and 1999. Mr. McBeth was a member of AFSA, the Society of California Pioneers, San Francisco State University Lifetime Alumni, and the Del Norte County Historical Society.

Mr. McBeth is survived by his wife Barbara; his daughters Rachel McBeth and Melinda (Jon) Bauman; his son, Erik (Wendy) McBeth; his step-daughters Michelle (Sean) Lynch, Kathleen Duryee, and Jacquelyn (Josh) Morris; his grandson Tyler Lopez; his step-grandsons Theo Bauman and Andrei Lynch; and granddaughters Sarah McBeth, Amy (Richard) Andrews, Karina (Andrew) Long, and Emily McBeth.