Ecuador Mission Director Sworn In
Andrew M. Herscowitz was sworn in today as the Mission Director for USAID’s mission in Quito, Ecuador. Herscowitz comes to Quito from Lima, Peru where he served as the Supervisory Regional Legal Advisor for Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru from August, 2008 until August, 2009 when he assumed the role of Acting Deputy Mission Director and later, Acting Mission Director.
Herscowitz Joined USAID in 2001 as Regional Legal Advisor, serving as the lawyer for USAID’s Development Credit Authority loan guarantee program. He also helped design the framework for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Prior to his assignment to Peru, Herscowitz was USAID’s Regional Legal Advisor for the Caribbean (2002-2007) where he provided legal services to the USAID missions in Barbados, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Haiti, and Jamaica.
In assuming the role of Mission Director, Herscowitz will manage a $17 million portfolio supporting programs in alternative development that link small farmers with agriculture markets; initiatives that promote sanitation, irrigation, and clean drinking water; and other activities that provide assistance to local governments and civil society working toward democratic processes. Other initiatives address poverty through economic growth, including microloans and business partnerships. Conservation of biodiversity and disaster preparedness are also crucial programs in Ecuador.
Herscowitz is looking forward to the opportunity to partner with Ecuadorians who are vital to the success of the programs. Says Herscowitz, “As USAID commemorates 50 years of development cooperation, we are anxious to work closely with the people of Ecuador to define a cooperation strategy that leverages the tremendous human, natural, and financial resources that Ecuador brings to the table. We look forward to close collaboration to set mutual priorities and continue working toward improving the quality of life of Ecuadorian communities.”
Herscowitz begin his career in international development as a consultant with Probe International – a company specializing in risk analysis for multi-national companies and foreign governments seeking to invest in developing countries. After graduating from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service (B.S.F.S. 1992), Mr. Herscowitz spent a year as a Georgetown volunteer in Nicaragua, coordinating tidal wave relief efforts on the Pacific coast for an NGO.
Mr. Herscowitz attended the Georgetown University Law Center (J.D. 1996) and then worked for five years as a litigation lawyer in Washington, DC. While in private practice, he was named the law firms pro bono lawyer of the year for running a Boy Scouts of America Law Explorers program for inner-city youth and for successfully helping victims of political persecution obtain asylum in the United States. In 2005, the Federal Bar Association recognized Mr. Herscowitz as one of the five most outstanding lawyers under the age of 35 in the U.S. federal government.
Mr. Herscowitz was raised in Potomac, Maryland. He is married to the former Theresa Howald from Newport Beach, California. They have three children – Michael, Olivia, and William. |
