Press Releases

New USAID Mission Director for Guatemala

Wayne R. Nilsestuen, New USAID Mission Director for Guatemala

Guatemala, August 3, 2006

Wayne R. Nilsestuen was sworn on July 19, 2006, as Director for the U.S. Agency for International (USAID) Mission in Guatemala, Central America. The ceremony was held at USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Nilsestuen took charge on August 2, 2006 as Director of the USAID/Guatemala Program that is based on the achievements of implementation of the Peace Accords that were signed in December 1996, as well as the achievements of USAID's Peace Program (1997-2004). The USAID Program is geared to foster the objectives of the U.S. foreign policy that is focused on Guatemala's potential as the largest Central American economy and the largest U.S. commercial partner in the region; it also recognizes the country's low social indicators and the high percentage of poverty. The three target areas for the current USAID program have been designed according to the areas of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) --- Governing Justly, Economic Freedom and Growth, and Social Investment.

Mr. Nilsestuen comes to Guatemala from Paraguay, where he served as USAID Mission Director since August 2002. Under his guidance, USAID/Paraguay helped the Government of Paraguay to design a $35 million corruption control program, the largest Threshold Program approved to date by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and a debt for nature swap under authorities granted by the Tropical Forest Conservation Act.

Prior to his assignment in Paraguay, Mr. Nilsestuen served as Deputy Mission Director in USAID/Bolivia (1998–2002) and USAID/Honduras (1995–1998) and Director of the Office of Regional Sustainable Development in the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean in USAID/Washington (1994-1995).

Mr. Nilsestuen joined USAID in 1973 as an International Development Intern (IDI) and began his career in USAID as an agricultural economist assigned to Pakistan. Since then he has served with USAID in positions of increasing responsibility for development and humanitarian assistance in Africa and Latin America including Senegal, El Salvador, Honduras, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Before joining USAID, Mr. Nilsestuen served a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa (1968-1970), where he started a vocational agricultural program at a boys’ secondary school.

Mr. Nilsestuen hails from Wisconsin where he grew up on a dairy and poultry farm. He holds two Masters’ degrees from the University of Wisconsin, one in Agricultural Economics and a second in Development Economics/Public Administration.

 

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This year the U.S. Agency for International Development celebrates its 45th anniversary. Since 1961 it has provided economic and humanitary assistance through its programs worldwide.