Beirut – Yesterday, Dr. Anne Patterson was sworn in as Mission Director for Lebanon for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Chargé d’Affaires Richard Jones administered the oath of office.

“I am excited to direct the USAID mission in Lebanon and demonstrate, through our work, that USAID is committed to a sovereign, stable, independent, and prosperous Lebanon at peace with its neighbors,” said Dr. Patterson.

As Mission Director, Dr. Patterson will oversee programs that improve the lives of Lebanese citizens and their communities by enhancing economic opportunity, increasing access to quality education, improving water and wastewater services, strengthening civil society and municipalities, and protecting the environment.  USAID also supports Lebanon in its efforts to respond to the needs of local Lebanese communities hosting hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees.

“Anne’s leadership and experience managing USAID programs around the world make her a key asset to lead a critical mission in this region,” said Paige Alexander, USAID Assistant Administrator for the Middle East.

Dr. Patterson began her career with USAID in 1992 as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow in the Near East Bureau where she worked on water and wastewater issues.  She was sworn in as a career Foreign Service officer in 1994 and served in Egypt, Indonesia, West Bank Gaza, Iraq, Georgia, and the Europe and Eurasia Bureau in Washington.  Most recently, she served as the Deputy Mission Director to USAID/Egypt.  Dr. Patterson has a Ph.D in Environmental Health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and an M.S.P.H from the University of South Carolina.