Professional Experience:
World Fellow, Yale University
• I have mentored many students; served as guest lecturer, served on several panels and facilitated seven thought-provoking presentations covering multiple issues in international affairs, development, mentorship, career development, leadership, fragile state reconstruction, and global power shift.
Lecturer, International Relations, University of Liberia
Collaborate with academic team to improve curriculum, instructional methods and class management. Orchestrate workshops and public lectures and serve on multiple committees; evaluate and advise students on academic progress.
• Update course content and leverage social media platforms to facilitate deeper interactions with an average of 12+ students; strengthened students’ capacity to write and improve their ability to argue their positions.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Principal Deputy), Liberia
Orchestrated and supervised operational activities including reform of twenty-eight embassies, forty-seven consulates across all continents, and three geographical bureaus as well as Office of the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Directed 200+ employees at foreign/diplomatic mission and 400+ additional staff at Foreign Ministry; administered an average annual $13+M budget.
• Coordinated and participated in multiple regional mediation efforts, advising Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, then Liberian President and Chair ECOWAS Authority, that peacefully resolved the post-electoral stalemate in The Gambia, 2016/17.
• Spearheaded Liberia’s participation at multiple high-level summits and conferences; Eg. UNGA, African Union, ECOWAS and Mano River Union (MRU).
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Economic Cooperation and Integration
Monitored and coordinated all activities of economic cooperation and integration to which Liberia was a party; identified viable areas and projects for cooperation and withdrawals from existing cooperation arrangements based on the result of studies; coordinated project planning, annual strategic work plans, forecasted and aligned budget to expected results; drove grant making mechanisms; ensured compliance with donor regulations and policies. Cultivated diverse skills, effective leadership team, and positive organizational culture.
• Negotiated multiple cooperation arrangements with bilateral and multilateral partners including multinational firms, culminating in rehabilitation or expansion of health and education sectors, infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries, trade, and investment in Liberia. Example: rehabilitation or construction of more than 76 public education institutions and 88 health centers in Liberia from 2006 to 2019.
• Focal Person on Economic and Governance Pillars of Liberia post-conflict development agendas, leading to exponential GDP growth from 4.9% in 2005 to 8.7% in 2014 (before Ebola crisis); integrally contributed to Liberia’s post-conflict reconstruction and recovery efforts;
• Supervision of institutionalized dialogues with US, EU, Japan, China, and many other partners, which culminating into over US$3 billion in development assistance and $10.5 billion in investment and trade between 2006 to 2019.
• Government Technical Lead on the global development goals negotiations - SDGs; supervised activities of two technical bureaus; controlled $3M annual budget and supervised 75 staff.
Additional experience as Chairman of Liberia Foreign Service Board and the Foreign Service Institute; Boards Member of Liberia National Small Arm Commission; and Liberia’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU); Assistant Foreign Minister for International Economic Cooperation and Integration; Master Trainer, World Vision, Teaching Assistant, Lincoln College of Professional Studies, Social Mobilization Officer, Habitat For Humanity – Youth Service; Team Ministry of Health Leader.