Dawn Thomas
Director
Dawn Thomas is an agricultural economist and expert in strategic planning, institutional capacity building, and complex economic growth programs. In 2014, she capped a 30-year career with the United States Agency for International Development as a counselor in the Foreign Service, having worked in over 20 countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. In Afghanistan, she led a $1 billion government investment in agriculture. In Egypt, she led a $500-million portfolio focused on sustainable rural incomes, and, in Botswana, she led an 11-country platform promoting trade, transportation, and energy networks in southern Africa. Dawn served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Chad and Senegal. Dawn holds master’s degrees in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky and public policy from the National Defense University. She is fluent in English and French and proficient in Spanish and Wolof.