Anne Aarnes is a distinguished retired Foreign Service officer who concluded her 45-year career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2015. With a wealth of experience in international development, she served as Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia, and previously held the positions of Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Middle East and for the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs. She was a faculty member at the National War College from 2010 to 2012. Aarnes received the President’s Distinguished Service Award in 2011 and the USAID Administrator’s Distinguished Career Service Award upon her retirement.

Her overseas assignments included leadership positions as USAID Mission Director for Pakistan, Jordan, and Central Asia during periods of conflict and great uncertainty. As USAID Director in Pakistan and Jordan, she developed long-term strategic plans for U.S. assistance and dramatically increased programs and support. As USAID Director in Central Asia, she led strategic planning and management for development assistance to Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.  She also served as Deputy Director in Egypt and Bangladesh.

In her posting to Ukraine from 1994-1997, Aarnes led strategic planning and budget management for USAID assistance to Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus.  She also led support for democracy initiatives in Ukraine in 1994, to help Ukraine develop systems and capability to hold parliamentary and presidential elections. In her first overseas posting, in Pakistan, she managed assistance to health and family planning programs.

Aarnes began her career in development as a USAID civil service officer in Washington, where she led efforts to improve communications and training in family planning programs in developing countries.

She currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the American Center of Research in Jordan (ACOR) and is a former co-chair of the USAID Alumni Association. She is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Aarnes holds a BA in Government from Oberlin College and an MA in Political Science from George Washington University.