Christopher (Chris) Cushing joined the Barbados based USAID/ESC Mission in October 2014 as Mission Director assuming leadership of the Mission’s portfolios in the OECS and Barbados, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Bahamas (HIV/AIDS).

Chris served as USAID Mission Director in Ecuador from August 2013 through USAID’s close-out in September 2014.  Prior to this he was the Director of the Strategy, Budget, and Program Office (SPO) for Latin America and the Caribbean, where he oversaw USAID’s Western Hemisphere budget of over $900 million.

Prior to this, Chris served as Deputy Director of Regional Sustainable Development (RSD), overseeing a diverse technical and sectoral staff; Strategy Team Leader for LAC/SPO; and as Supervisory Program Officer in Panama and Honduras.

Before joining USAID, Chris served on Peace Corps staff in Paraguay, Costa Rica, Slovakia, and the Baltics. Chris was a Peace Volunteer in Agricultural Extension in northern Ecuador from 1981 – 1984.

Chris has a Masters Degree in Economic and Social Development and his undergraduate degree is in Latin American Studies.

Chris enjoys scuba diving, glassblowing, and skiing.