USAID ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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Note from the UAA Board, March 2, 2026

Thank you to the thousands who joined us for the Rally for USAID on February 27.  Together with our sister organizations—AFSA, AFGE, OneAID, Our USAID Community, and Aid on the Hill—the UAA was proud to honor the service of all those who have advanced human progress through USAID programs around the world.  Standing with former FSNs, Direct Hires and PSCs, Chris Milligan spoke on behalf of the UAA. He noted that the anniversary of USAID’s dismantling should not be one of mourning, but of resolve; resolve to restore America’s role as a force for good; resolve to honor those who served by continuing their mission; resolve to show the world that the United States still believes in building, not abandoning, in leading, not retreating and in hope, not fear.  The rally was a powerful reminder of who we are: a community rooted in service, solidarity, and hope.

As we look ahead, we know that the UAA must continue to adapt to meet the needs of our members and the moment before us. We would like to share several important updates about initiatives that will shape our future.

Later this month, we will launch a survey to help guide the next chapter of the organization. This pivotal effort will inform UAA’s future strategy, priorities, and membership composition, ensuring that our mission remains relevant and responsive to both new and long-standing members. Your voice will be essential in determining our spending priorities and geographic focus. We strongly encourage all members and those on our mailing list to participate.

At our last Annual General Meeting, many of you called for expanding UAA membership to individuals who served at USAID as institutional support contractors (ISCs). We heard you—and we are pleased to share that this change has been approved. Additional guidance will be provided shortly.

One of our greatest strengths is coming together in times of need. We are deeply grateful to the donors who contributed more than $500,000 in emergency grant funding through the USAID Staff Financial Support Fund to assist former USAID colleagues in their time of need. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the UAA volunteers who designed and managed this effort with care and dedication, and to the Greater Washington Community Fund for its partnership in collecting donations and disbursing grants.

As the grant fund concludes its work in March, we want to close by sharing a message that reflects the spirit of what this community has made possible:

Dear USAID Colleagues, UAA Members and GWCF,

I want to express my appreciation for the compassion and kindness you’ve shown to me through this gift. In a time when things felt so unfair and so many of us former USAID Staff felt under attack and were met with unkindness and pain often, your generosity has been a reminder that kindness and humanity prevail. These funds have been so helpful. As I work to determine what is next, your support helped ensure stability in my life. Thank you so much. 

This is who we are. This is what community looks like. Together, we will continue to honor the legacy of service, lift one another up, and carry forward the values that unite us.

USAID Staff Financial Support Fund:

With our objective accomplished, the fund is closing.

The numbers: Over $500,000 in donations and 244 former employees plus families assisted.

In June 2025 the UAA board approved the establishment of the USAID Staff Financial Support Fund, as proposed by a fund development design team that began working on the project in February 2025.  The primary objective of the fund was to provide emergency $2000 grants to eligible USAID employees whose employment had been terminated as a result of the administration’s dismantling of USAID and who consequently faced unexpected financial difficulties.  More about the fund’s purpose and operation can be found HERE.

As of February 27, 2026, donations to the fund exceeded the $500,000 target, now totaling $507,988 provided through 348 donations.  Click HERE to see a list of donors.  While we received 207 grant applications during the first seven weeks of the fund’s existence, that number fell to 77 applications during the second seven weeks, and then to 17 during the third seven-week period.  As a result, we closed the application window December 31, 2025, and now have closed the donation window having raised sufficient funds to cover all eligible grant applications received, 244 in total.  The fund itself will close by the end of March 2026.

The fund was managed by a seven-member core team (Tony Chan, Cindy Clapp-Wincek, Carol Dabbs, David McCloud, Jim Redder, Rob Sonenthal, Barbara Turner) with essential assistance from the UAA communications team (Stu Callihan, Nancy Tumavick, and the UAA Systems Manager).  Twenty-three other volunteers assisted with its design and operations – click HERE for a complete list of those involved.  In addition, a partner nonprofit organization, the Greater Washington Community Foundation, collected and managed the accounting of all donations and managed the disbursement of all grants, thus significantly reducing the UAA burden of the fund’s financial management while maintaining accountability.

Grant recipients have reported using the funds they received for various purposes, including rent, childcare, job searches, settling in, and daily living expenses.

We received over 100 messages of thanks from grant recipients and will make those accessible on the UAA website. One of the most poignant thank you messages that we received follows:

Dear USAID Colleagues, UAA Members and GWCF,  I want to express my appreciation for the compassion and kindness you’ve shown to me through this gift. In a time when things felt so unfair and so many of us former USAID Staff felt under attack and were met with unkindness and pain often, your generosity has been a reminder that kindness and humanity prevail. These funds have been so helpful. As I work to determine what is next, your support helped ensure stability in my life. Thank you so much. 

Thanks to all in the UAA who supported this worthy effort.

Resource Directory for Involuntarily Separated USAID Staff (click here)

USAID Knowledge Rescue

USAID’s legacy includes research, data, photos, human interest stories, and collective expertise accumulated over the last six decades of the Agency’s work. Recognizing the urgent need to locate, preserve, and share these resources, the UAA has teamed up with the AtA to collect materials to create a free, searchable database. Join our LinkedIn Group to stay up to date.

So far, we’ve collected 145,393 resources and received individual interview requests from 140 former staff. Share materials you want included in the database. You can also request materials with the same link. If you would like to be considered for an interview, please complete our expression of interest form, and we’ll contact you directly.

Our individual interviews will start in earnest in October, with up to 60 interviews per month.  We also are testing an approach to carrying out group discussions on specific approaches, methodologies and tools; the first two (Nature, and Power/Natural Resource Management; and Political Economy Analysis/Thinking Politically) will be piloted later in October, and others will be rolled out later in the year.

Calling All Members – Seeking new Committee Co-Chairs & Members

During this time of change in and reinvention of international cooperation, the USAID Alumni Association (UAA) is more active than ever. UAA’s responsiveness, accomplishments, and productivity rely on the active participation of our members on the committees. The UAA Board is actively seeking new co-chairs and members for our UAA committees (see descriptions below):

• Annual General Meeting (AGM)
• Awards
• Development Issues
• Finance and Administration
• Membership
• Peer Support
• Public Outreach
• Regional Activities
• Social Events
• USAID History/ADST

We hope you will consider joining and working on one or more of these committees. Please let us know of your interest by sending an email to office@usaidalumni.org.  Click here to see committee descriptions.

GAO Seeks Former USAID Officers for Closeout Assessment

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has contacted the USAID Alumni Association for assistance with their review of foreign assistance pauses and award terminations. Congress has tasked the GAO with assessing the resulting costs or savings to the U.S. government, as well as the impact on workforce reductions at State and USAID.

The GAO is specifically looking to identify grants officers and former USAID employees—including AORs/CORs, certifying officers, and procurement officers—who can speak about the award termination process and how it may have changed after January 2025. Additionally, they are seeking HCTM-related officers to discuss workforce reductions.

A background paper with further details can be found HERE.

If you are willing to share your expertise, please contact J.P. Avila-Tournut (AvilaTournutJ@gao.gov) and Amanda Jones Bartine (BartineA@gao.gov).

Announcing UAA Speakers Bureau

The new UAA Speakers Bureau hosted a kickoff training session on March 27, 2026, focused on effective presentation techniques for engaging the American public about foreign assistance. Three experts presented their approaches: Paul Bolton (Aid On The Hill) shared his methodology for conducting local community meetings to build support for foreign assistance, Rachel Peniston (Aid On The Hill) explained how local conversations connect to policy-making in Washington, and Martha Van Lieshout (USGLC) provided communications tips and USGLC resources for community outreach. The session addressed challenges around messaging terminology, with participants discussing the effectiveness of using “international assistance” versus “foreign aid” and exploring ways to connect kitchen table issues to international engagement. The presenters emphasized the importance of personal storytelling, avoiding jargon, and building relationships with local community leaders as key strategies for successful outreach.  A second training session has been scheduled for April 6.  Outreach materials will be available on the UAA website.

News About USAID

Unless otherwise stated, the links below are for information purposes only and do not convey the endorsement of the UAA, its members, or its Board.  See:

1) Bulletin Board, including Statements from UAA about Current Events

2) Articles

Please let us know if you have questions or ideas. We are eager to hear from you! A reminder that as an all-volunteer association, we need you to sign up for our various committees. Please see the UAA website committee’s page here to read more about what each committee has been up to. Also, a reminder to pay your annual dues for 2025. If you have already done so, thank you!

Calendar

New!  Tuesday, May 12, 11:45-2:00 at DACOR for a UAA/DACOR Development Dialogue with former A/AID Brian Atwood.  He will speak on “State and AID – Building Back Better”. Known to many of you, Brian has had an exemplary leadership career in development, diplomacy, Capitol Hill and academia. Currently a Senior Fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute, he was USAID Administrator in the Clinton Administration, Under-Secretary of State for Management, President of the National Democratic Institute, Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee, and much more. Please join us for lunch at DACOR (or online) for a lively discussion of this important topic with a person who has lived in both worlds. Watch for a full announcement soon.

New!  May 28 Spring Reception at DACOR Bacon House 3-5 pm

New!  Wednesday, August 5, 2026, the annual Vermont UAA picnic will be held in Rochester VT.  All alums and friends of USAID in New England in early August are most welcome to attend.  For further details, please get in touch with Ann Van Dusen (avandusen4@gmail.com), Anne Aarnes (ahaarnes@hotmail.com) or Connie Carrino (cacarrino@gmail.com)

Sunshine and Blue Skies for Winterfest 2026! 

Under clear blue skies on March 21, 2026, seventy-five members (and one beloved support dog!) gathered in Alexandria to joyfully bid farewell to winter and welcome the promise of spring—officially kicking off the UAA social year in style.

The afternoon buzzed with

conversation and laughter as friends old and new reconnected. We were delighted to hear from UAA leadership, Chris and Tony, who shared

updates on how UAA and partners are giving voice and

support to the future of foreign assistance. Be sure to visit our website and watch for the newly launched survey helping shape UAA’s path forward.    We were also thrilled to welcome Lily Kak, who spoke about the inspiring Global Rhythms project, highlighting USAID through the arts. “Global Rhythms: Remembering USAID through the Arts” is a vibrant multimedia exhibition celebrating Americans who have promoted peace, saved lives, improved living conditions, and upheld democratic values with passion and compassion (lilykak.com).

The lovely venue set the perfect backdrop, with plentiful food and drink keeping spirits high. It was

a pleasure to welcome new members, reunite with familiar faces, and enjoy the sense of community that

makes these gatherings so special.

Many thanks to the Social Committee, Lily Kak, and our dedicated UAA Board members who helped bring the day together. We look forward to seeing everyone again at our next celebration—the Annual Spring Social in the garden of DACOR Bacon House on May 28! Until then, enjoy photos from the day in our album here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VNHxDs4rrU1WqU2s9

From UAA’s Regional Chapter in Florida: An Afternoon of Collegiality and Inspiration  

On March 13, 2026, James Kunder, former Acting Deputy Administrator of USAID and Assistant Administrator for Asia and the Near East, delivered a talk to a packed meeting room of the Foreign Service Alumni Association of Florida. Former Foreign Service Officers from State, USAID and the other foreign affairs agencies. The group had assembled at the Marsh Creek Country Club in St Augustine, Florida for one of its five annual luncheons that take place at various locations across the state. The audience included retired Ambassadors, senior and mid-career officers, many who left the service years ago as well as several younger USAID and State officers who were RIF’d over the past year and returned to their homes in Florida.

Jim Kunder traveled from the DC area with his travel expenses covered by UAA, to deliver a candid, unscripted assessment of the state of U.S. foreign assistance, the dismantling of USAID, and the political dynamics shaping development, diplomacy, and defense. His talk blended historical perspective, policy analysis, and personal experience, while repeatedly inviting tough questions from the audience.   Click here for a summary outline of and a video link to his speech.

Navigating Anniversary Stress

On January 21, the Aid Transition Alliance together with partner The KonTerra Group hosted a webinar for the international development and humanitarian community on navigating anniversary stress. The session, “When a Difficult Year Echoes: Navigating Anniversary Stress Related to the Foreign Aid Freeze,” created a space for everyone impacted by last year’s events to connect, share, and access resources for support.

If you weren’t able to attend the webinar, please take a moment to review the resources that KonTerra has compiled for us.
Resources for Coping with the USG Foreign Assistance Freeze
Guide to Coping with Anniversary Reactions
Helping Children Coping with Traumatic Events

Additionally, AidTA and KonTerra are developing a career and wellness program for humanitarian and development professionals who have been unemployed or underemployed for six months or more. If this describes you, we invite you to share your perspective through a short survey. Your input will help guide how this program is designed, including what kinds of support feel most useful and feasible.

If you’re not already signed up for the AidTA listserv and would like to receive information about future events and resources, please fill out this brief form.

USAID colleagues seek continued opportunities for public service in elected office

Three former USAID staff have launched campaigns for elected office at all levels of government in Maryland. Alicia Contreras-Donello, Tracy Starr, and Allison Eriksen each spent their careers in international development, working to strengthen communities, manage crises, and deliver results for the populations USAID served, and the American people. Now they are running for office to continue that work here at home.

Alicia Contreras-Donello, a daughter of immigrants, working mother, and former U.S. diplomat with nearly 20 years at USAID, is running for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 14 because public service has been her life’s calling. Shaped by decades of service coordinating economic development and humanitarian response across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, she is running to lower costs for families, strengthen education and workforce development, grow thriving healthy and safe communities, and build an economy that works for everyone. If elected, she would bring proven leadership, lived experience, and a deep commitment to equity and opportunity to the Maryland General Assembly—and become the first Latina to represent this district in Annapolis.

Tracy Starr, a former federal employee at both the Department of Commerce and USAID, is running for Congress in Maryland’s 5th Congressional District. Starr lost her job during mass federal layoffs and USAID’s dismantling, an experience that shaped her decision to run. Representing Southern Maryland and parts of Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties, her campaign centers on standing up for federal workers, contractors, and families facing rising costs and economic insecurity—bringing the voice of someone who has lived the consequences of decisions made in Washington.

Allison Eriksen, a disaster preparedness and response professional formerly with USAID, is running for Montgomery County Council District 3. After being abruptly fired amid federal program cuts, Eriksen turned to local government as a place where real, immediate action is still possible. Drawing on her background in emergency management, she is focused on disaster readiness, housing affordability, healthcare access, public education, and protecting immigrant communities—ensuring Montgomery County is prepared for the future.

Note: UAA is a nonpartisan organization and this does not constitute an endorsement of candidates, simply sharing of information on what USAID alumni are doing now. If you are a USAID alumn(a) running for elected office, please share your story with us so we can highlight it to UAA membership.

What’s New with UAA outside the DMV?

To increase UAA’s relevance, expand its reach, boost membership, and address the impact of the unplanned dismantling of USAID, UAA is strongly supporting and encouraging the gatherings of USAID Alumni nationwide and abroad. Currently, Florida and California are the most active and have met with several groups. New England and Pennsylvania groups are active, and Oregon and Washington State are growing.

California: There are five active local groups. San Diego-Orange County, Los Angeles-Desert, Central Coast (Santa Barbara), San Francisco-Oakland, Sacramento-Sierra. Each group meets in person and provides networking and job search support, as well as builds a USAID-community of friendship and general support. For further information contact Christine Sheckler at cmtsheckler@gmail.com

Attention Alumni in Minnesota and Surrounding States!

Steve Silcox in Northfield, MN is interested in forming a USAID Alumni group in the Midwest with Zoom or other program meetings and possible in-person meetings at a central location for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North and South Dakota for former USAID Alumni in those states.  Please contact him at scsilcox@gmail.com if you are interested in joining the group

Atlanta Get Together

On February 8 Alexious Butler hosted a social gathering of former USAID and implementing partners staff in the Atlanta area. The group included Laura Wilkinson, Whitney Adams, Jessica Morrison, Navya Nadimpalli, Wayne White, Kail Padgitt, Moses Ndifon, Anupa Deshpande, Catherine Hayford, Gail Williams, Nia Williams (CDC), and Elana Aquino (The Carter Center).

The gathering also included Asher Moss from Alliance for American Leadership, an organization advocating for the reinstatement of an independent US development agency.

Western States Regional Activities Updates  

CALIFORNIA: LOS ANGELES

USAID/ Los Angeles gathered for its second meetup at the Heavy Water Coffee Shop in L.A. The hot sunny California day welcomed this USAID family of extraordinary talent and international experience. Contact: Faye Haselkorn [fhaselkorn@yahoo.com]

Photo (left to right): Veena Reddy, Nikki Patel, Kevin Smith, Anh Pham, Faye Haselkorn, Farhad Ghaussy, Priya Sharma, Yulia Kysla, Christine Sheckler (San Diego), & Maria Au. Ariel Wexler and Abby Lantz (not shown)

HAWAII

USAID/Hawaii alumni and friends gathered on 8 March to renew personal and professional connections, form new ones, and enjoy a special Pau Hana to continue to strengthen our bonds and support each other.

Photo (left to right): Rebecca Black, Marc Griego, Andrew Nelson, Joyce Friedenberg, Bill Schaedla, & Pantita Schaedla.

WASHINGTON STATE  

Big showing for USAID/Seattle’s dinner club – Ethiopian episode. Since July, USAID alums have been meeting up every other week for happy hours, dinners, coffee chats, hiking or kayaking. Contact: Jason Gilpin [jjgilpin@gmail.com]

Photo: Bronwyn Llewellyn, Jason Gilpin, Jason Wolfe, Anne Bernier, Alix Cho, Apoorva Jadhav, Brenna McKay, Elisa Adelman, Emily Cercone, Emily Brown, Hadas Kushnir, Jessica Stephens, Max Austin

Development Issues Committee:

First in a series of discussions on Foreign Assistance 2.0.

If you missed the opening session on “Foreign Assistance 2.0: Limits to USAID Informing the Public about its Work” on March 24th, 2026, you can now view the recording here: [Link]. The event was a success, with 102 participants out of 172 registrants.

The session featured insights from several distinguished speakers:

– Sarah Lavin, former USAID Assistant General Counsel, discussed the legal limitations regarding USAID’s engagement with the U.S. public, noting that there are surprisingly few legal prohibitions.

– Dorothy (Dottie) Rayburn, formerly of USAID’s Office of Legislative Affairs, shared her experiences with Congressional staffers and related an anecdote regarding the reaction to USAID recruitment advertisements on DC buses.

– Gregg Young, former USAID Director of Web Management, highlighted that while the USAID website receives a million hits annually, most traffic pertains to funding and jobs rather than the agency’s substantive impact and work.

Please view the recording for the full presentation and discussion.

Additionally, keep a look out for future sessions. The UAA aims to provide practitioner perspectives on best practices for the next iteration of foreign assistance. If you are interested in presenting on a best practice topic, either individually or as part of a panel, please contact me (Tony Chan) at tsc8019z@gmail.com.

UAA Development Issues Committee Discussion: 

Tod Preston, Executive Director of the Managing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) 

The Development Issues Committee hosted Tod Preston, Executive Director of the Managing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) on October 7, 2025.  Mr. Preston highlighted MFAN’s advocacy for transparency in foreign assistance, the importance of local ownership and for continuing support for international development. He discussed the fiscal year 2026 appropriations deliberations noting that, despite concerning reductions overall, some sectors have received support on Capitol Hill. He referred to recent publications by MFAN on the Department of State’s Global Health Strategy and on recommendations regarding the operational requirements for administering foreign assistance. Salient points from the ensuing discussion addressed windows of opportunity for rebuilding development assistance and the importance of reestablishing an independent development arm of the U.S. Government.  You can view a video of the discussion by clicking here.   You can read a transcript of the discussion by clicking here. 

The Enduring Struggle:  The History of the U.S. Agency for International Development and America’s Uneasy Transformation of the World “

by John Norris

John Norris‘ book, The Enduring Struggle – The History of the Agency for International Development and America’s Uneasy Transformation of the World, was published in July 2021. In a short review, Foreign Affairs wrote:  “This comprehensive history of the U.S. Agency for International Development…deserves to be read by all students of U.S. foreign policy.”  A very positive review of The Enduring Struggle by Mary Jane Maxwell has recently been published in the Journal of World History.  (Read it here.)  Copies may be purchased from the publisher at a 30 percent discount by using the form at this link.  Alumni with suggestions for events that will popularize the book or to generate reviews should send their suggestions to Alex Shakow at ashakow@comcast.net.

50 Years of Global Health

50 Years of Global Health, Saving Lives and Building Futures was written in 2013 to capture the rich and diverse experience of USAID in the field of Global Health.  The main audience is current and future USAID professionals who would benefit from learning from the past to build stronger global health programs in the future. The document content was overseen by a 13-member Health History Project Advisory Committee that had members throughout USAID. It involved a desk review of over 350 documents (all listed in the annex), 26 key informant interviews and four online surveys with current and former global health professionals.

The book contains a decade-by-decade review of global health programs since 1960, provides a timeline for each decade of events, includes informative graphs, charts and key data, presents lessons learned over this time and thoughts for the future of global health.  It was intended to be a living document with the content online so that additional years of experience could be added.  The book has been disseminated since 2015 and has also been used by the broader development community to get a better understanding of USAID’s essential contribution in this important field. It is an essential and valuable tool for those looking to capture 50 years of experience and lessons in past USAID global health programs. Please click here to see a copy of the full report.

Additions to the Bibliography of USAID Authors

Supporting Our Mission Israel LE Staff Colleagues Via the FSN Emergency Relief Fund

Our colleagues, especially the Locally Employed Staff at Mission Israel and those residing in Gaza, are directly affected by the war between Israel and Hamas.  This includes those working for USAID.

AFSA would like to draw attention to the opportunity for all of us to meaningfully support our colleagues by giving to the FSN Emergency Relief Fund. We urge you to continue reading here to learn more about this Fund and to explore how you can lend your support.

Emergency Relief Funds for Ukraine:  for FSNs and for Ukrainian Citizens

For information about contributing to relief of the Ukraine emergency, including the FSN Emergency Relief Fund and ways to support the people of Ukraine compiled by DACOR Bacon House Foundation’s Development Office, click here.

UAA Partnership with American University Library Archives

Since 2019 the American University Library Archives have welcomed donations of AID alumni personal memorabilia of their USAID service. The UAA has now established a partnership with the Archives to support the preparation, processing, and making available to researchers of these papers, including those donated by the UAA and by individual alumni and others.  We envision the program will continue for five or more years; after two years the Archivist and UAA will assess the program’s effectiveness before committing for the additional years.  The UAA has pledged an initial sum of $10,000 over two years ($5,000 each year) to finance student interns to help prepare and organize these papers and make them more easily available. The funding for this program is drawn entirely from contributions made to the AID history project, which included the clear hope that the book would stimulate further study and understanding of AID’s more than 60 years of development history. AID alumni are strongly urged to consider donating their memorabilia to this collection. (See https://usaidalumni.org/uaa-and-american-university-archives-opportunity-for-usaid-alumni/)