Ms. Peasley is a recognized expert in international development and U.S. foreign assistance, having provided strategic guidance at the highest levels of the U.S. government including testimony before the U.S. Congress and oversight of a wide range of development programs worldwide.

She has had a long and highly successful career with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she achieved the rank of Career Minister and Counselor to the Agency. In this position, which is the most senior career officer position at USAID, she advised the USAID Administrator and other senior staff on a range of policy, operational and management issues, and served as ombudsman for USAID employees.

In her 35 years of service at USAID, Ms. Peasley held various leadership positions that included mission director in both Malawi and Russia. As senior deputy assistant administrator to the Africa Bureau, she oversaw 25 field missions in Africa with $700 million of programming a year. Throughout her USAID career, she worked closely with other U.S. government foreign affairs agencies, as well as the private sector, non-governmental groups, universities, developing country counterparts and institutions, other donors, and the U.S. Congress. She received the USAID Distinguished Career Award in 2005.

As the President and CEO of CEDPA, Ms. Peasley will provide overall direction for the organization and its programs, projects and funding throughout the world. Her leadership ensures the continued success of CEDPA’s efforts in girls’ education and youth development, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS, and gender and governance.

CEDPA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has offices in Egypt, India, Nepal, Nigeria and South Africa. With a growing network of 5,200 alumni and partners in over 150 countries, CEDPA is building a groundswell of change agents for effective international development.

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