Contact: Press Office, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), 202-712-4320; Public Information: 202-712-4810

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 /Standard Newswire/ -- The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today the swearing in of Dr. Carleene Dei as its new mission director for Haiti. As director, Dei will oversee programs to promote stability and help Haitians strengthen their democratic institutions, promote economic growth and improve education and health services.

Dei began her career with USAID in 1988 as a regional housing and urban development officer in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. In 1994, she went on to head the Regional Housing and Urban Development Office in Pretoria, South Africa, where she worked closely with the newly installed South African government on ground-breaking infrastructure initiatives to create housing and improve local access to water and electricity. From 2001-2005, Dei served as mission director to the regional USAID West Africa program in Ghana, collaborating with the government, NGOs, intergovernmental organizations, and the private sector on cross-border issues (HIV/AIDS relief, food security, and conflict prevention). Most recently, Dei served as the mission director for USAID/South Africa, tackling HIV/AIDS initiatives (via the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), employment generation (primarily through the provision of technical and financial support to small and medium sized black-owned enterprises), capacity-building for teachers and learners, and expanding service delivery to the majority population.

Dei holds a Ph.D. in urban anthropology from Columbia University, an M.A. in education from Harvard University, and a B.A. in political science from Cornell University.

For more information about the U.S. Agency for International Development, visit our Web site at www.usaid.gov.