Steven D. Pierce is the former Director of Policy for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) where he led a team of experienced professionals to develop, operationalize and assess policies and strategies on a broad range of critical humanitarian and development priorities.

Prior to assuming that position, he was on assignment to the National Defense University’s Eisenhower School, where he served as Associate Professor for National Security and Resource Strategy and USAID Chair.  At NDU he taught courses in National Security Policy and Strategy and Industry Studies for senior military and civilian government leaders.

Prior positions with USAID include Director of Program Staff; Special Coordinator for Development Effectiveness; U.S. delegate to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, representing the USG on all matters related to development cooperation at the OECD; Director of the Office of Donor Engagement; USAID Executive Secretary, and Senior Policy Advisor to three USAID Administrators.

He has extensive field experience in Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia and has served in a leadership capacity on several international boards and networks, including as Co-Chair of the Effective Institutions Platform (EIP).  Prior to USAID, Dr. Pierce held leadership positions at the Inter-American Foundation and the Synergos Institute.