WASHINGTON, April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) is pleased to announce Paloma Adams-Allen as its new president and chief executive officer. She will succeed Robert N. Kaplan, who is stepping down to pursue personal interests outside the organization after a successful six and a half year tenure.
Adams-Allen comes to the IAF from Winrock International in Arlington, Virginia, where she leads public-private partnership initiatives for the global nonprofit. Before that she served as deputy assistant administrator for the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Bureau, where she helped oversee programming and operations in 22 countries.
IAF Board Chairman, Eddy Arriola, said that Adams-Allen brings to the IAF more than 20 years’ experience and dedication to inclusive development in Latin America and the Caribbean. She will lead the foundation’s efforts to develop new strategic partnerships that improve the lives of the hemisphere’s most vulnerable people.
“Paloma is an incredibly engaging and dynamic leader,” Arriola said. “We are thrilled to have her take the helm at the IAF as we enhance our efforts to deepen impact and bring more resources into grassroots development.”
Adams-Allen will be the ninth president and CEO of the IAF and the second woman to lead the foundation. Born and raised in rural Jamaica, Adams-Allen received a bachelor’s degree in development studies from Brown University. She also holds a master’s in international affairs from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.
Early in her career she worked as a program director at the Caribbean-Central American Action advocacy organization and served in several development policy and programming roles at the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C. Later, as Senior Adviser in USAID’s LAC Bureau, she set up and led the Bureau’s public-private partnerships practice to encourage private sector support for high-impact development partnerships.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to lead the IAF, renowned for its commitment to community-led development,” Adams-Allen said. “As the product of communities like those partnering with the IAF today, I know from personal experience the power of small, targeted investments in homegrown solutions. I look forward to working with the IAF’s dedicated staff, board, and partners in civil society, government, and the private sector to scale up effective models for enhancing good governance, economic prosperity, citizen security, and democracy in the region.”
About the IAF
The IAF, an independent U.S. government agency, was created in 1969 to channel development assistance directly to the organized poor in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IAF encourages partnerships among community organizations, business and local government directed at improving the quality of life for poor people and strengthening democratic practices. The IAF is governed by a board of directors appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. A president, appointed by the board, serves as the IAF’s chief executive officer, managing a small group of professional staff in Washington, D.C. The IAF is active in 20 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.
For more information visit www.iaf.gov or contact Manuel A. Nuñez: [email protected]; (202) 683-7185.
